Rowntree Park lodge community centre plans go on show

The Friends of Rowntree Park held a day-long public consultation event yesterday (September 28) at Southlands Church in Bishopthorpe Road.

The hope is to transform the presently empty former Park Keeper’s Lodge, above the Explore York Cafe, into a new community centre.

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On the day people got to read information boards and the chance to talk to members of the lodge project team with a presentation by former councillor Johnny Hayes and Q&A from 7-9pm.

A detailed scale model of Rowntree Park lodge (Image: Supplied)

The park keepers lodge is above the York Explore Cafe in the centre of the park.

It has been empty six years since the last park keeper was made redundant.

Back in 2019 the Friends fought against City of York Council plans to use the space as an Airbnb, and they have spent the last three years planning for a community space to enhance the park and all the Friends of Rowntree Park do and be of valuable community benefit.

City of York Council wanted to turn the top floors of the building, above the Reading Cafe, into a short term rental that was expected to bring in £380,000 during 15 years.

The cash was to be spent on the park.

But residents and councillors raised fears about the plans - including whether people would be safe next to the lake in the dark and if hen and stag parties could use the flat as a place to party.

More than 500 people responded to a questionnaire about the plans at the time.

Chair of the Friends of Rowntree Park, Cath Mortimer said of the new plan: “This is a very exciting project for the future of Rowntree Park and the community as a whole. We have only limited resources ourselves, so the funding for this will have to come from grants and donations. We need to obtain planning permission and then start fund raising in earnest.”

Charity manager, Abigail Gaines said: “The Friends of Rowntree Park carry out a lot of vital work to maintain and improve the Park.

"In addition to helping care and enhance  the physical space in the park, we also run a range of projects including mental health and wellbeing programmes, lots of childrens events and activities including working with local schools, as well as projects like ‘Art in the Park’ and ‘Make Space for Girls’ to name a few.

"Having an indoor base in the park would be wonderful for us and would be transformational for our charity, enabling us to expand what we do.”

The consultation event precedes the submission of the application for planning permission. The aim would be the opening of the doors to a multi-use community space in Rowntree Park in early 2025.