Devon Cricket Board - Bovey Tracaey unveil grand designs...

Bovey Tracaey unveil grand designs...

Above - and architect's image of the pavilion project
PLANS for a £300,000 pavilion project at Bovey Tracey Cricket Club are due to be unveiled tonight (Friday).

The club – 162 years old and still going strong – has outgrown its current pavilion on the Recreation Ground on the outskirts of the town.

The pavilion was built in 1864 and has been updated and extended several times over the years.

The last facelift around 15 years ago saw a new shower block constructed at the back of the pavilion.

Plans have been drawn up by Newton Abbot company M G Kingdon which will transform the current pavilion into a multi-use building available to other clubs and organisations in the town.

Kingdon knows all about cricket club requirements as he played for Torquay, Paignton and Devon for more than 30 years.

Blueprints, architect’s drawings and 3D images will be on display in the old pavilion tonight when the plan is officially made public.

The existing pavilion won’t be knocked down, but gutted and remodelled with an upstairs extension added.

Members will see a schedule of work which includes:

: : New dressing rooms suitable for men’s cricket, ladies and disability players.

: : Disability access, including a lift to the first floor, and the levelling of floors.

: : Improved toilet facilities.

: : A larger kitchen and improved bar servery and storage area.

: : A larger pavilion hall and dining area, achieved by removing the existing changing rooms and umpires’ room

: : New heating and hot water systems.

: : Refurbishment of the balcony with access from inside the pavilion for wheelchair users.

When the work is complete all the changing rooms will be on a new first floor and the scorebox will be moved to a different location inside the pavilion.

Former club secretary Geoff Coish has been appointed project manager. His first jobs are to get planning consent and an accurate estimate of costs.

A ballpark figure of around £300,000 has been established, half of which the club hope to obtain in grants.

“We have made some enquires about potential funding sources and are confident if we can raise £150,000 ourselves we can obtain the rest,” said Coish.

“Our proposals have received 100 per cent support from the town council, our landlords, and an extended lease agreed in principal.

“The changes we seek will make the facility available for use to other sporting organisations in and around the town.

“To this end we intend to keep the club open throughout the year, rather than the four months of the summer.

“This is a major step forward for us. Although we are considered to be one of the most successful clubs in the county, we are still a community club.”

The project has been wished all the best by Bovey Tracey FC chairman Peter Horrell, whose club shares the Recreation Ground.

“It is certainly something the town could do with as there is nothing like it at the moment,” said Horrell.

“In actual fact we have been looking at doing something at our other ground on the opposite side of town to improve the facilities for sport.

“What we are looking at is a floodlit all-weather pitch and a gym, something else the town could do with.”

DCB Ltd, University of Exeter Sports Hall, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QN Company Registration Number: 7024773