A new attraction at a popular town park has been a well-received but has left a huge hole in a council's budget, councillors have heard.

The Mote Park Adventure Zone in Maidstone opened more than a year late in May 2019 because a sewage pipe under the site ruptured during construction.

The full cost of repairs has now been revealed as amounting to £403,000, which came on top of the budgeted construction costs - believed to be in the region of £790,000.

The council had hoped to recover the unexpected cost through legal action against the contractors, but members of the economic regeneration and leisure committee were told this idea was deemed to have little hope of success, and the cost had now been written off.

Officers told councillors: “The potential for legal action to recover costs was being investigated.

"However, after thorough consideration, it has been concluded that the prospects of successful recovery were too low to make it worthwhile.

"Accordingly, the cost has been written off."

The adventure zone, which includes a nine-hole mini-golf course, a 32ft climbing wall, a 32ft high sky trail rope climbing adventure and an opportunity to go Segway riding has been further hit by Covid restrictions.

The zone was closed during the lockdown and consequently the council has missed out on an estimated £58,000 of income so far this year, bringing the total hole in the council's budget to £461,000.

The zone has now re-opened and is operating with groups of no larger than six people, but officers said: "There is unlikely to be a significant reduction in the (budget) shortfall for the year."

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