Fen Drayton Parish Council

The project is to provide new changing facilities and toilets to enable the use of the playing field for sports including football and running. The existing wooden pavilion building was constructed in 1965 and was used by the cricket and football clubs. These days it is primarily changing rooms for the Drayton Lions football club, who play in the Cambridge and District Sunday Football League, and visiting away teams. Three Swavesey Spartans youth teams also use the facility. There are approximately 5000 attendees using the playing field and pavilion, or over 500 per month during the football season.

The pavilion is in very poor condition, despite undergoing regular repairs, carried out mainly by the football club and local volunteers. It has also been subject to regular flooding and vandalism, including minor fires. The parish council and the football club have held regular meetings over the last few years, looking for the best way to replace the pavilion with a more robust, long-lasting structure. Originally, they looked at building a new pavilion in the same style as the existing one, but at £300,000+ this option was far too costly.

It is now proposed to purchase a modular building with fully-fitted changing rooms, including accessible toilet and ramp access. It is a cheaper, workable solution when compared with a conventional build. Also, the basic facility could be expanded in the future if/when needed. In order to save money, local volunteers and members of the football club will dismantle the existing wooden pavilion. The building will be raised above the highest level of flooding experienced in recent years, and will be accessed via a ramp for people unable to use the steps. Once the existing structure is dismantled, the foundations will be adjusted and groundworks carried out to accommodate the new modular structure. A local businessman is kindly donating labour and materials for the groundworks. The pavilion will be available for other Fen Drayton residents, clubs, societies and groups to use – and we have benefited from donations from businesses and individuals within the village.