Eighteen months on from the Council giving permission to build a new pavilion on Moormead Park 'cautious progress' is being made, however there are still many hurdles to overcome.

A brief update on the scheme was given to councillors on the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee on Monday.

Recently, the hoardings around the existing derelict pavilion have been painted to give an indication of progress.

However, it is clear that there is a long way to go before funds are raised to make the scheme a reality and the community group behind it can finally break ground.

The Council has set aside £150,000 to support the scheme, however the final bill could well be over five times that figure.

The Council has set aside £150,000 to support the scheme, however the final bill could well be over five times that figure.

The scheme involves demolishing the existing derelict brick building and replacing it with a single storey community pavilion to accommodate a cafe and kiosk, community space, ancillary kitchen and stores, storage space for sports equipment, public toilets, an air source heat pump (ASHP) and refuse store.

The building would be cylindrical in shape and would incorporate a green mono-pitched roof.

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A registered charity, the Moormead Community & Sports Pavilion group, is leading on the scheme. It is pursuing grant funding from a number of sources.

Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about the scheme – and how to offer their support - at the St Margarets Fair on Saturday, which is being held at Moormead.

Kevin Power, the Deputy Director of Environment at Richmond, told the Committee: "We are about to sign off the contract that agrees who does what between the Council and the Trust.

"We are also about to sign off the planning agreement.

"We are looking to have a meeting soon with the consultants as to the costs on the Council's side and those for the Trust.

"And there will be further general meeting between the Council officers and the Trustees in about a month from now.

"The summary is that there is cautious progress."

Committee chair, Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, noted that 'it has taken quite a while to get to this stage'.

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She added: "There is good communication between the Council and the community group but there are many hurdles to overcome."

She urged residents to visit the St Margarets Fair to learn more about the Pavilion project.

Learn more here – https://www.mcsp.org.uk/