The sports pavilion in Cheam Park and Recreation Ground is set for a major overhaul in early 2015 thanks to a successful funding bid by the council.
The completed pavilion, which was damaged by arsonists in May 2013, will have a cafe with seating, better access for disabled people, upgraded changing rooms and toilet facilities, new heating and baby changing facilities.
It was decided that rather than repair the existing building with the £66,000 insurance compensation, there was an opportunity to create a new building by sourcing extra funding.
The council made a successful bid for a £60,000 grant from the SITA Trust – the maximum available. An additional £46,600 was provided by the council and organised by the South Sutton Cheam and Belmont Local Committee.
Among those who will use it are the 650 local children who play in the West Sutton Little League each week. It has been designed to create a year-round venue that will increase the number of visitors to the park.
Improved security features to the building will also reduce the risk of crime.
Cllr Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee, said:
“The finished pavilion will be a huge improvement that will benefit the whole community for many years to come. The building will be far better equipped for use by families, disabled people and sports teams. It will also be more secure against vandalism.
“The SITA Trust is oversubscribed with bids so the fact that ours succeeded is a real achievement. Our ability to fund these kinds of projects from council resources is increasingly limited but this shows that by working smartly we can find ways to benefit the borough.”
Pete Sessions, Head of the Fund Management Team at SITA Trust added:
“The plans for reopening this well-used pavilion clearly have a lot of local support as demonstrated by the letters of support we received during the application process. We’re delighted to be able to provide our maximum ‘enhancing communities’ grant of £60,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund, which has been a vital source of funding for such projects since 1997.”