Centre of sporting excellence planned By Dennis Fowle
PLANS to build a new pavilion at TheMote and improve other ground facilities to cre- ate a centre of sporting excellence are at last moving forward. The £4m project is the result of more than
two years’ planning by The Mote Cricket Club in consultation with Maidstone Rugby Club – strongly encouraged by Maidstone Council. The two clubs now work together on site management and financing through the new Mote Sports Federation. Kent County Cricket Club says it would
like to see a return of the popular cricket festival. It quit Maidstone in 2005 after a points deduction due to a wet wicket and because ground facilities were inadequate. The pavilion will have six full-size chang-
ing rooms each with showers. There will be a large sports bar opening on to Mote Lawn, toilets and a first-aid room. The top floor, reached by both stairs and a lift, will offer so- cial activities and lettings. The kitchen will
Green flag for parks
THREEof Maidstone’smostpopular parkshavebeen awarded prestigious Green Flags. Mote Park has won the award for the first time
whileWhatman Park and Clare Park have retained the awards for four and six years respectively. Maidstone council’s cabinet member for commu-
nity and leisure services, Cllr John Wilson, took a Green Flag toMotePark, where hemetandthanked some of the volunteerswho helped win the award. He said: “We are fortunate to have so many loyal
andhardworking staffandvolunteers. Iamdelighted that their efforts have again been rewarded.”
Cllr John Wilson, and Maidstone Council’s parks and leisure manager, Jason Taylor, with staff and volunteers at Mote Park who helped win the flag
be able to cater for up to 200 people. The pavilion forecourt will be enlarged
and about 200 parking places are planned. Other improvements proposed include
new cricket nets, a match-day stand and ter- racing for rugby and a small pavilion/groundsman’s store for the lower cricket pitch. Rugby is investigating creat- ing an artificial pitch on the middle level. The money will come from a residential development on four acres of the 24-acre site, subject to planning permission. The plan is for about 26 houses on part of upper field rugby and six (including a grounds- man’s house) offWillowWay. A planning application will be made this autumn and work could start after the next rugby season for completion in 12-15 months. There will still be five sports pitches (two cricket and three rugby). The smaller top rugby pitch will run north- south instead of east-west, with homes built to thewest. Landscaping is planned to pre-
serve the views from the main cricket square and the upper rugby pitch. The rugby club plans to move first team matches to the lower field and create a viewing area on the bank and in the new stand, but it could follow top UK clubs and play big games on the artificial surface. The development proposal was supported
in a vote by The Mote CC members at a lively special meeting in July. It has the backing of the executive of the rugby club. “After many years trying to develop suit-
able facilities, we see this new initiative as a significant step forward for the club,” said Maidstone rugby development chairman, Trevor Langley. Dennis Fowle, chairman of the cricket de- velopment committee, said: “This was an exciting proposal to put before members of the 157-year-old cricket club. The sports can both enjoy wonderful new facilities and use them to create an income, which will sustain both the clubs and the site.”
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