Food hall prep is on the menu as firms want a spot
Expressions of interest from 30 caterers
Maidstone council’s plan to upgrade the Lockmeadow Complex in Barker Road is proceeding at pace.
The chief element of the threepronged strategy agreed by councillors in February is the creation of a food hall to house up to eight independent caterers.
The council said it had now received more than 30 expressions of interest from businesses keen to move in.
Plans are being drawn up with work expected to start in July with the aim of opening in October 2021.
At the same time, a new outdoor terrace for al fresco dining will be created.
The third element of the £900,000 facelift will be the creation of a children’s play area to the rear between the complex and the River Medway.
The council is currently conducting a social media campaign asking what sort of facilities
families would like to see there. A spokesman said: “Although we are at the very early stages of proposals and designs, we want to engage with our community and let them know all about the offerings that Lockmeadow will have by the end of this year. “The ideal play space at Lockmeadow will be one where parents can relax while their children use the play equipment independently to fire up their imaginations. None of the designs is set yet and we will be looking for a willing group of children to take part in the research to tell us more when we have proposals in place.” The public are also likely to be asked later this year to help chose a name for the food hall after council leader Martin Cox said food hall was a bit unimaginative and suggested instead Food Pantry or Food Gallery. Tenants of the food hall will be charged an annual rent of £15,000, plus 20% of their turnover, for which they will receive insurance, utilities and a readyto-go unit.
Maidstone council is implementing the changes after re-purchasing the 105-year lease on the complex from the previous owners for £19m in November 2019. With two restaurant spaces having stood empty for years even before Covid, the council felt not enough was being done to promote it.
There are fears however that if the council is too successful in generating a greater footfall to Lockmeadow, it will bring traffic to a standstill in Barker Road unless KCC simultaneously spends money on road improvements.