Burnside Council to rethink plans for Kensington Gardens Reserve after sporting clubs reject initial proposal

IT’S cost a council in Adelaide’s east $35,000 to have consultants devise a blueprint for a local reserve that hardly anyone likes — so, it’s back to the drawing board.

Burnside Council will go back to the drawing board for its revamp of Kensington Gardens Reserve.

THE community has overwhelmingly rejected Burnside Council’s vision for Kensington Gardens Reserve, forcing the council to revisit plans labelled as “rubbish” by one of the park’s anchor tenants.

But the council says after spending $35,000 on the scrapped blueprint for the reserve, ratepayers will not be further out of pocket — the consultant will have to wear the cost of producing fresh plans.

Councillors last week voted unanimously to “review” plans to demolish the reserve’s cricket, rugby, tennis and bowls clubrooms and build a shared hub off East Tce.

It came as the council published feedback that showed sports clubs and park users were broadly opposed to the proposal.

Kensington Gardens ward councillor Grant Piggott supported the shared clubrooms concept, but said it was clear the designs were “flawed”.

“Down the track it would be of benefit to have a hub … and we have seen with the Glenunga hub that clubs are happy co-locating,” Cr Piggott said.

“(But) the version that we have does not work and that is clear.”

The council received 140 responses during consultation on the plan, which it paid consultants Tredwell Management $35,000 to produce.

Burnside chief executive Paul Deb said the $35,000 payment to Tredwell would cover revisions to the plan.

More than half the consultation respondents were opposed to the hub — especially putting it on the northeastern side of Parkinson Oval.

“Absolute nonsense to have new clubrooms so far away from the main pitch — rugby and cricket benefit from being right in front of the pitch,” one respondent said.

Other respondents noted the hub’s location would force spectators to look into the afternoon sun.

The Eastern Courier Messenger reported in December the reserve’s sports clubs had rejected the plan, saying the hub was in the wrong spot.

Burnside Council's draft master plan for Kensington Gardens Reserve.

Kensington Districts Cricket Club president Grant Chapman said the money would be better spent upgrading each of the separate clubrooms.

“We are totally opposed to the idea of a hub — we always have been — and it is not just our view but the view of the wider community,” Mr Chapman said.

Burnside Rugby Club president Wally Bell was pleased the council would review the design.

“The plan was rubbish — there is no other way to describe it,” Mr Bell said.

East Torrens Kensington Gardens Tennis Club president Alan Wells agreed.

“We were cautiously supportive of plans for the multi-use sports hub but we do not think the original design was good at all,” Mr Wells said.

Revised plans would be presented to councillors in June.