TWO town council buildings in Lyme Regis have been transformed to provide better rest facilities for staff and essential storage for equipment.
Lyme Regis Town Council has invested around £300,000 in the Harbour Store at Monmouth Beach and the amenities hut in the Lister Gardens.
The mayor, Cllr Philip Evans, was joined by councillors and staff to cut the ribbon on the two buildings and declared them open for use.
Three major projects have come to fruition for the town council this year, following the renovation and re-opening of the Garden Pavilion.
The Harbour Store, which was previously leased to Dorset Council as the Harbourmaster’s Store, has been refurbished from an old shower block which was later used to store marine equipment, into a modern staff rest area, storage space and office.
Solar panels have been installed on the roof, a new toilet and kitchen installed, work benches created, lockers provided for staff, a biodiesel tank installed, and CCTV and motion sensor lighting fitted.
The building has had a complete re-paint inside and out, new roof tiles, and a modern electric door installed so the beach rake can be stored undercover.
Officially opening the building, Cllr Evans said: “We are investing heavily in our buildings and the council is so proud of what our team has achieved in such a short time.
“This is a building that will make life a lot easier for our team working on the seafront and beach.
“It gives me great pleasure to cut the ribbon on the harbour store.”
And in the Lister Gardens, the former dilapidated wooden hut, used as a base for the mini golf and table tennis, has been replaced with a larger, insulated wooden structure.
It includes an enhanced mini golf kiosk, staff rest facilities, including toilets, a kitchen, and a drying room for wet clothes.
The building is fully accessible, has solar panels on the roof, CCTV, and new drainage, tarmac and landscaping outside the building.
Cutting the ribbon, the mayor said: “Here we have another asset, and one of many projects that we have worked on in recent times that has now come to fruition. I think this is another wonderful addition.
“The great thing is we are improving facilities for our staff, which is extremely important.
“All these projects are part of huge investment we are making in the gardens and in the town in general. It’s very easy to come up with ideas of what we should do, but actually delivering them is another matter and we should make sure we appreciate all the hard work that goes on behind a project like this.
“I’m sure this is going to be extremely well used during the summer months.”
There are plans to make further use of the mini golf area, with a themed Halloween spooktacular event planned – look out for more details later in the year.