Stone and Eccleshall Guides accept new Westbridge Park HQ

On Friday 9th December a planning application was submitted for a new Head Quarters for the Guides at Westbridge Park. The application can be viewed on the Borough councils planning portal – planning ref 16/25394/FUL and the proposal is to construct the new building where the skate park currently is.The application for a new Guide Head Quarters is expected to go before the planning committee in the new year. Subject to receiving the approved planning permission, the ground works would start late in January 2017, with the Guides moving in to their new building in the spring 2017.The current Guides HQ at Westbridge Park is being lost as part of the proposed Marks & Spencer development. The new single-storey Guides building will be a significant upgrade on the old HQ and will have an entrance lobby, meeting room, large hall, storage area, kitchen and toilets, including disabled facilities. The skate park that’s going to have to make way for the new building is being relocated as part of the proposed upgrade to leisure facilities at the park.The plans for the new building have been welcomed by Sheila Slaney, the Stone & Eccleshall Girlguiding Division Commissioner. A meeting was held at the existing Guide hut on 1 December to show them the plans and to get their feedback.