Nearly 700 responses were submitted as part of a consultation into the future use of the community building in Mill Dam Park, Kirkby. The building, created in 2021 thanks to grant funding and developer contributions, previously housed Esposito’s café which sadly closed to the public at the end of last year.
Following the café’s closure the council launched a community consultation to find out first- hand what park users want and need from the building in the future. This closed at the end of January.
- 670 responses in total were submitted (655 online and 15 paper copies)
- 82% of all responses were from residents of Kirkby
- 65% of people completing the survey said they used the park at least once a week – with some visiting daily
- 94% of people said they used the café and 88% of people said they used the toilets
In terms of the future use of the building:
- 88% of all respondents want a café offer
- 89% of all respondents want public toilets
- 85% of all respondents want a space for community groups
Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Communities & Neighbourhoods said: “Mill Dam is such a well-used and much-loved park and it’s great that so many people have taken part in the consultation and shared their views. The community have been really clear in their wishes for the future of the building, and it is great to see such consensus from park users.
The findings from the consultation give us a clear way forward and we will now be able to prepare a tender document to seek an experienced partner / provider to deliver what the community wants here.”
In addition to asking questions about the future use of the building on site, the survey also have respondents an opportunity to share their general views about the park. 514 people responded.
- 85% of those people rated Mill Dam Park as Good or Excellent
- The most popular reasons for using the park were walking (88%) using the play facilities (80%) and socialising (74%)
The Council will now terminate the existing lease to allow the building to be transferred back into their ownership. They will then complete a full condition survey and prepare tender documentation with a view to having new facilities up and running later this year.
If anyone is interested in registering an interest in tendering for this opportunity, they can do so by contacting ess.enquiries@knowsley.gov.uk.