Pavilion at NTR recreation ground – Battle Town Council

Pavilion update October 2022

As many of you will know, the Council has allowed a local resident to rent part of the Pavilion to provide for a refreshment Kiosk. This has proved extremely popular and has added to the Council’s desire to ensure the existing poor facilities are improved for sports groups, residents and visitors to the recreation ground.

We have submitted a second expression of interest to Rother District Council for Community Infrastructure Levy(CIL) funds and the results of this will not be known until March 2023. The Council has committed £110,000 from its own CIL funds and has a professional fund raiser assisting with applications to other sources of grant.

Due to the period of time since inviting tenders for the rebuild of the Pavilion, and the changes following the Covid pandemic, Council has agreed to re-tender for the scheme.

A full business plan is currently being prepared for consideration by Council.

An option to tax has been submitted which will allow for reclaim of the VAT element of the repairs. This will require VAT to be added to any charges for the hire of the Pavilion for a period of 20 years.

The Council will endeavour to ensure information on the project is available at the site in due course.

Results from Pavilion Consultation

Results from residents’ questionnaire about a new changing Pavilion, including meeting room and café at Battle Recreation Ground

Battle Recreation Ground (the Rec) is a focal point for residents for exercise, leisure and simply enjoying nature. Battle Town Council, in partnership with local organisations, is continually upgrading the leisure offer on site for residents. Recent developments include a health pathway and a cycle skills area. Other facilities on the Rec include two football pitches, tennis courts, pétanque terrain, a multi use games area, and a children’s fort, amongst others.

The Council now wishes to move on with stage 2 of it’s plan to complete the required facilities on the Rec. The development of a new Pavilion to replace the existing building, will offer changing and toilets for football teams and other sports users, a clubroom for both local organisations’ meetings and for new activities, such as a junior chess club, yoga and other aerobic sessions, and a café for users of the site.

The café is a much-requested facility amongst local residents, and has been for many years. It will provide a social meeting point for people using the pathway and cycle skills area, whether cycling, walking, or running – alone or with friends or family. The Pavilion will also provide storage below the changing area to store bikes for cycle training, football goals and other equipment. The Football Foundation has already earmarked the Pavilion as a priority project in the Rother Football Facility Plan, due to the use by the Battle Town Football Club teams as a home ground since 2005. It is expected that the majority of the funding will come from external sources.

In March 2021 Battle Town Council ran a consultation with a questionnaire for residents to seek their views on a new pavilion. The results can be found below.

Architect’s Drawing of the Proposed Pavilion