KIDMORE End pavilion is no longer financially viable, says the parish council.
The Diamond Jubilee Pavilion at the recreation ground off The Hamlet in Gallowstree Common was built in 2011 at a cost of £590,000.
The facilities are owned by the council but primarily used by Kidmore End Cricket Club free of charge.
The council says the running costs have increased so that the pavilion runs at a loss. It wants the club to take over responsibility for all running costs and maintenance in return for a long lease.
A public meeting will be held at the pavilion at 6pm tomorrow (Saturday) to debate the issue and consider five possible options.
A report by a council working party says: “Unfortunately, the financial viability of the pavilion has come under pressure post-covid as running costs have increased and it has been challenging to attract other users to rent the facility.
“We are therefore in a more precarious financial situation than we have been before.
“The facility does not generate enough income to cover the running costs. In addition, the car park and approach road are in a poor state, which inevitably reduces its appeal to other users.”
The working party says that while the council may be able to raise capital expenditure it does not have the resources to manage the recreation ground day to day. The report says the council wants to use the pavilion as a community hub, adding: “It is a facility that appeals to a wide range of users and is surrounded by parish residents.”
It says the cricket club and the council have a collaborative relationship and have been working to ensure that the pavilion remains “a sustainable asset for generations to come”.
The report continues: “In order to repair the roads and car park and make other improvements, either the parish or the cricket club need to access grants.
“The club may be able to access such grants provided it is given security of tenure. To do this, in short, it requires a formal lease agreement of 25 years.
“It would be a loss not to have the cricket club for the wider community. However, it is also the view of the working party that it is not fair for Kidmore End parishioners to subsidise the facility in the way that it will have to.” The council’s five options are:
1. Continue with the current arrangement, with the cricket club making up the revenue shortfall to cover the running costs, meaning less money is available for other projects.
2. The cricket club starts paying rent for the use of the facility to offset the increase in running costs.
3. The cricket club uses the facility less and it is made available to other users with the hope of generating more income.
4. The cricket club decides to find an alternative home due to the economic challenges and the council becomes responsible for finding other users and wholly responsible for the running costs and maintenance.
5. The cricket club is given security of tenure with a 25-year lease in return for taking responsibility for all running costs and maintenance of the pavilion and recreation ground with a service agreement that clearly states the roles and responsibilities of all parties.
The working party recommends pursuing option 5.
Council chairwoman Caroline Aldridge said: “Our issue is that the pavilion costs a lot to run. The price of utilities has gone up and we need to explore every option to ensure the pavilion can be used by people in the future.
“The cricket club has been using the ground since before the Second World War. The old pavilion was built around 1956 and this one around 2011.”
In a statement, club chairman Jeff Sheldon said: “The decision by the parish council to negotiate with the cricket club to run and maintain the pavilion and playing field is welcome news.
“Without a renewal of its long-established lease, the cricket club is unlikely to be able to maintain the level of cricket provision for youngsters and will be unable to bid for vital funds from the English Cricket Board and others.”
He said that over the summer, the club provided sporting opportunities for more than 100 local children as well as running family Friday evenings at the pavilion.
Mr Sheldon added: “Like most clubs, we need funding from sports bodies to support our sporting and community provision.
“Because the council did not renew our lease two years ago, it has meant the club has been unable to bid for much-needed funding for junior cricket from the English Cricket Board.
“Another period of delay will make our provision for youngsters unsustainable.”
The club has four teams in the Thames Valley League and has a growing women’s and girls’ section.
• What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley or email letters@henleystandard.co.uk