RESIDENTS in Cockfield are being asked for their views on how they would like to see the village’s sports pavilion extended.
The parish council, which operates the Pauline Charlton Pavilion, in the recreation area, is drawing up plans to increase its size and develop it into a community hall.
Before a planning application is submitted, members want to hear what facilities residents would like to see included.
The £120,000 pavilion was opened in 2014 thanks to funding from the late Pauline Charlton, who was the village’s county councillor, and cash from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund.
The pavilion was primarily designed to replace dilapidated changing rooms for the adjacent football field, but also includes a kitchen and small meeting room.
The parish council is now planning to extend the meeting room to make a much larger community facility.
Cllr Neville Singleton said about £60,000 was available for the project, made up of proceeds from the sale of the village’s former community centre and parish council funds.
“The room we have now is too small – it’s about 5m by 5m. We want to extend the building by another 10m to make the whole building 25m long.
“We could put bi-fold doors which open up into the extension. We could also look at lifting the roof if anyone wanted to play table tennis or badminton.”
Cllr Singleton said money from the sale of this community centre – some £38,000 – was ring-fenced and could only be spent on facilities for residents.
Parish council chairwoman Cllr Brenda Singleton said a public meeting had been held several years ago into how the community centre money could be spent.
“It’s a long time since then. So we are wanting people to come along to our next meeting to tell us what they would like to see in this enlarged room we are planning.”
Cllr Neville Singleton said all ideas were welcome.
“We can afford about £60,000. If people come along, we can put our heads together and see if we can afford to do the majority of things people want.
“This will be a community building – not just for sports.”
Anyone wishing to air their views on the future of the Pauline Charlton Pavilion should go along to the next meeting of Cockfield Parish Council on Tuesday, March 5.
The meeting will be held in the pavilion and starts at 7pm.
Anyone unable to get along but who wishes to have their say can email Cockfield Parish Council clerk Phil Howard phoward_cockfieldpc@btin ternet.com
