New pavilion planned for Campbell Park

Posted 11th March 2017

Campbell Park may be one of the finest urban parks in the country but visitors and locals alike find it lacking amenities such as public toilets and a café. Now, all that is set to change. CMK Town Council has submitted a planning application for a striking new pavilion in Campbell Park to attract more visitors and provide CMK’s growing population with a new community centre.

The £4.5m building is a joint development between CMK Town Council and The Parks Trust. It has been designed by Stirling prize-winning architects Stanton Williams to follow the sweeping curve of the amphitheatre, sitting between it and the events plateau. The pavilion, featuring natural timber and rainwater gardens, will blend into the landscape while offering superb views. Dedicated parking will be provided, as part of the scheme, off Avebury Boulevard.

“This will be an exciting new place for the residents of CMK, wider MK, and visitors to enjoy,” says Dr Rebecca Kurth, chair of CMK Town Council. “It will enhance the attraction of Campbell Park, broaden the cultural offer of Central Milton Keynes, and meet a community need which is becoming more acute as the parish’s population continues to grow.”

The Events Plateau Pavilion will have a café with terrace at one end and a multi-purpose community hall at the other and an information point, meeting place and public toilets in the middle. This will provide CMK with a purpose-built venue for local performance artists, amateur dramatics or choirs, as well as a venue for residents’ activities such as yoga, dance or book clubs.

“Later in the year we will be inviting proposals from independent operators to run the café. With its spectacular views across the Amphitheatre and the rest of the Park, it is expected to become a destination in its own right, as well as supporting and complementing the activities in the Community Centre” says David Foster, Chief Executive of The Parks Trust. “It will be a place for a healthy breakfast, maybe after a workout in the park, lunch with friends and family, dinner before an event in the amphitheatre or community hall, or just a relaxing drink as the sun goes down.”