A temporary art-deco themed café will be installed at Coat Water as part of Swindon Borough Council’s improvements plans.
And the cabinet member in charge is hoping the Coate water version will be as successful as the popular café attached to the side of Pittville Pump Room in Cheltenham, one of that town’s most important heritage buildings.
Councillor Chris Watts told his colleagues at the meeting of the Labour cabinet running the council that one of the new additions to the water park, would be a temporary café in an appropriate retro style, matching the park’s famous 1930s diving board.
He said: ”We’re going to install an art deco café at Coate Water, the same as the one the Cheltenham Trust uses at Pittville Pump Rooms.
“It’s rather like an orangery in a retro style.”
Coun Watts told the Local Democracy Report: “The great thing about it is it’s a temporary structure, even though it looks so good, so it’s easy and quick to install. And you can test the business model and if it works, you can think sabot something more permanent.”
Other changes and improvements planned for the park include bringing back the pitch and putt and crazy golf courses and improving the water quality to allow its use by canoeists, boaters and anglers.
He said: “It’s really sad to see the pitch and putt and crazy golf courses shut. And we know that the splash park is at the end of its life and is full of sand, so it couldn’t be opened this year.
Coun Watts also said there would be more consultation about whether to replace the splash park or bring back a paddling pool: “When we asked, we ha a surprising number of responses saying they’d prefer the paddling pool coming back. So, we’re going to do more consultation on that, it’s possible it could be a paddling pool with a splash element.”
The new pool or splash park will cost £400,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund w and the golf facilities will use £117,000 from developer contributions and £180,000 will be used for a changing places toilet.
Prior to the meeting the former Conservative member for heritage and parks Matty Courtliff pointed out these improvements were already planned under the last administration: “I previously confirmed that funding was to deliver a new splash park, rejuvenated café and other improvements to Coate Water and Day House Lane’.
“This was to be combined with a long-term strategy for the park. I am delighted that the Labour administration are continuing with the plans we put in place.”
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