Plans to replace the ugly 'metal box' at Heathfield Rec with a high-end pavilion incorporating a café, public toilets, sport changing rooms and community hub have been unveiled.

The Council has published draft architect drawings of the development, which is likely to cost well-over £500,000 and potentially double that, on the site.

The proposal has the backing for the Friends of Heathfield Recreation Ground (FoHRGE) and Council chiefs are currently seeking the views of residents ahead of putting forward a full planning application.

The current metal box is used as storage for sports clubs and is also used occasionally as changing rooms. In more recent years it has been used by Food for Thought as a food bank.

The new ultra-modern pavilion will incorporate a café with servery and kitchen and a multi-use community or club room, which could accommodate a range of activities, for example exercise classes, arts and crafts, children's parties, playgroups, and foodbank .

There will be public toilet facilities within both the café and the community room.

A large proportion of the building will be given over to sports changing facilities that meet the specification stipulated by Sport Richmond, Sport England and the Football Foundation.

At this stage there is no funding set aside for the scheme. It is known that a much smaller project at Moormead park in East Twickenham is likely to cost well in excess of £500,000.

The Council said: "The proposed external design aims for a modern but discreet appearance that is suited to a multi-use building and respects its setting, incorporating both a green roof and green walls to ensure that it is environmentally sustainable.

"The treatment of these surfaces and the use of toughened glass to the main frontage are designed to deter acts of vandalism. The ambition is to provide the local community with a building to be proud of, and one that is regularly used throughout the day and during the evenings."

Explaining the need for the scheme, the Council said: "We know from our borough parks surveys that the two most popularly requested facilities are public toilets and cafés - these encourage people to use the park and also to extend their stay, for the benefits to their physical health and mental wellbeing.

"Children and older people in particular are reluctant to stay for too long if there are no such facilities.

"Over the last 18 months FoHRGE have been working with architects to ensure that the new plans provide these facilities and meet the Council's requirements to maintain enhanced sports facilities.

"These requirements are supported in principle by the Council's Parks and Sports departments, Sport England and the Football Foundation (the latter two bodies are required consultees in the planning process)."

It added: "The overall scale of the proposed new pavilion has been limited to the size of a previously consented building on the site. The Council's planning department has indicated that this is the maximum that is likely to be approved as the reacreation ground is sited within Metropolitan Open Land."

The Friends group said: "We are pleased that the council consultation on a proposed new pavilion is now live and will be open until at least July 31, 2022.

"We are very excited by this project and believe it would deliver lovely and needed new facilities in our park."

An online form to have your say on the scheme can be found here - https://haveyoursay.citizenspace.com/richmondecs/pavilion-22/