Worthing's Brooklands Park secures funding for new sustainable café

Worthing Borough Council has secured £100,000 in funding to go towards the building of a sustainable café close to the lake.

Awarded by the Rampion Fund at Sussex Community Foundation, it is the largest single grant the Rampion Offshore Windfarm-led fund has given out.

The council's cabinet member for the environment, Edward Crouch, said: "I’m delighted the foundation has recognised the significant work we are about to undertake to restore Brooklands with the award of this money from the Rampion Fund.

"This money will play a significant part in helping us create a fantastic destination for residents and tourists alike. The café will be built to the highest environmental standards as is the policy of this council as we seek to become a carbon neutral authority."

The application for the money was based around the project's sustainable energy principles in keeping with the ethos of the wind farm.

The café will be designed as 'low energy', with what the council has called a 'fabric-first approach to minimise the requirement for energy use'.

Along with natural ventilation, sustainable heating technology, renewable energy from rooftop solar panels and water conservation initiatives, the building materials have also been selected for low environmental impact.

The new café is part of a £3million regeneration project for the site, which has been a family favourite for decades.

The project will also include:

- An adventure play area to house 30 pieces of equipment, two of which are climbing frames more than four metres high

- An outdoor space for multi-use events such as frisbee, football or other activities surrounded by seating

- A 'contemplative garden' bordering the Teville Stream with new sensory planting

- A new accessible pathway circumnavigating the lake with seating areas and shelters

- A 2.5km fitness trail around the park

- A number of glades on the old golf course, including Community Garden, Play and Build, Nature, Wind and Winter: discrete areas sheltered by planting allowing for different community activities including food growing, seed sowing, play dens, bug hotels and bird boxes

- Windmill oxygenators for the lake

- A mount celebrating the highest point in the park, from which, according to the council, views of the sea will 'give a strong sense of place'.

It is hoped construction will begin late this year once technical design work is completed.

Kevin Richmond, chief executive of Sussex Community Foundation, said: “The Brooklands Park grant is the biggest single grant the foundation has ever made and we are delighted that the Rampion Fund has enabled us to make it. Sustainability and the environment are at the heart of the Rampion Fund’s purpose so it is thrilling to be able to make this significant contribution to a project that will really enhance the park for Worthing people."