A draft plan has revealed that councillors have set aside a budget of £5,000 to improve the garden and plant new flowers at the Old Mining College Centre.
Burntwood Town Council’s policy and resources committee will discuss a range of improvements planned to improve the site it moved its offices to last year.
Other proposals include replacing wooden framed sash windows at a cost of up to £20,000, although £10,000 of this could come from Section 106 money gathered from local developers.
The council is hoping to grow the £48,396 it currently raises from use of the building by external organisations and groups – and has drawn up a three-year draft business plan to help do this.
Among the ideas in the document are proposals to spend up to £5,000 on the new flowers and levelling the lawn – cash that has already been budgeted – with a plan to potentially introduce a mini crazy golf course once the improvements have been carried out.
Other moves would see relaying of floors and purchases of new furniture.
Should the plan be accepted, the total bill for the changes would be more than £55,000.
The document explains: “The purpose of this plan is to improve and refurbish the centre during the plan period so that it is more welcoming and presents a fresher appearance in a bid to encourage more organisations to hold their meetings exhibitions and events in the building.
“It is also intended to identify the financial implications of the desired works and identify potential funding and other income sources to develop a realistic performance over the period of the plan.”
The move to the Old Mining College Centre has not been without controversy. The controlling Conservative group were forced into a u-turn on plans to rename the site in February 2016, while the move also saw staffing costs rise by £67,000 shortly after a decision to raise the council tax precept by a third.
Even the official reopening of the centre as the council’s new home was marked by controversy, with one Labour councillor questioning the decision to invite “unknowns” to the ceremony.
More recently, new leader Cllr Norma Bacon has come under fire for proposals to install a new £1,000 messageboard and a gallery of photographs of former chairmen of the council.
The report will be discussed at the meeting at the Old Mining College Centre from 7pm tonight (July 6).
