COUNCILLORS have given the green light for a new cricket pavilion at The Bourne Green.

The new building, which will provide facilities for an array of sports, will replace the existing pavilion and has been funded by an anonymous benefactor.

It will be spread across three storeys with changing rooms in the basement, a meeting room, toilets and kitchen facilities at ground floor level and a first floor complete with bar, club room and a balcony overlooking the green.

The appearance of the new building is of a traditional village cricket green vernacular, featuring pitched roofs, red brick and a clock tower.

It will be considerably larger than the original one-storey pavilion - with an internal ground floor area rising from 1776 square feet currently to 1,948 square feet and a total gross internal floor area of approximately 4,165 square feet.

The application received overwhelming support from the community ahead of the February 3 meeting of Waverley’s western planning committee - with 393 public comments in support to just 27 objecting.

Andy Morse, a Bourne Green resident representing the three user groups of the existing pavilion - Bourne Cricket Club, Bourne Blades FC and the Farnham Runners - said at the meeting: “The great majority of our community believe a new a sports pavilion on the Bourne Green will make an aesthetic improvement and a significant lasting contribution to the physical and mental wellbeing of generations of future Bourne residents.

“We are families and club members who see the failings of the existing building which is currently owned and maintained by Waverley, and believe in the 21st century a new pavilion should cater for all.

"Our application is for the continuation of a sporting pavilion - the same user groups, same level of sporting activity, same club social events with any restrictions as agreed by the council.

“There’s no change of use, just an improved space for the use of the existing users in the only building we have for our 600-plus members aged six to 70.”

Another Bourne Green resident, Elizabeth Murley, also spoke at the meeting representing a small but determined group of objectors to the new pavilion.

She said: "The present pavilion is in its state of disrepair because the stakeholders have not had the time or funds to keep it up. What sense does it make to build a much larger edifice that would require more and better upkeep?”

And John Fraser, councillor for Upper Hale, sympathised with the objectors, commenting: “There is much to be admired in this design and I acknowledge the support it’s obtained. But it is in my opinion too large - it’s too high and it’s too far forward.”

Mr Fraser was the sole dissenting voice in the council chamber however, and the application was resoundingly voted through nine in favour to just one against.

Carole Cockburn, councillor for The Bourne, said: "I’m very sad there’s any feeling of dissension on this one because anybody who goes down to the Bourne Green on a Friday night will see a whole load of families doing what we’re told families should do, which is get out and about.

"I can understand people don’t like change, and it is slightly larger. But I think we have to accept that times have changed. There are so many young families living in The Bourne and the green is such a focus of so much of village life.”

Waverley deputy leader and councillor for Upper Hale, Julia Potts added: “It’s really hard for sports and leisure clubs now. They have an enormous amount of restrictions and guidelines meeting the FA rules and regulations on changing rooms and facilities - it’s an absolute minefield and is very costly.

“So the fact that they’ve managed to bring all of this together and we’re going to have something here for the foreseeable future, not just for one generation but that will last several generations, I have to say I really congratulate the group on what they’ve done."