Carterton residents say they feel they were left in the dark about plans for a “enormous” pavilion proposed for the town's recreation ground.

The new pavilion has changing rooms, a hall, smaller function/meeting room, disabled toilets and kitchen which could be used as a social enterprise cafe.

It is intended to replace a much smaller pavilion which the town council believes to be uneconomical to maintain.

Plans were approved by West Oxfordshire District Council in August.

But the Save Our Rec committee say the town has no need for more cafes or meeting halls and the land, which contains football pitches, a play area and bandstand, and which hosts community events, is “sacred” open space in the middle of the community.

Maureen Dean, chair of the group which has gathered a petition with just under 2,000 names, said: “Together with many people of Carterton we submitted objection comments to WODC. We as a group didn't find out about the final meeting until the last minute so didn't send anyone to speak, but I believe objections were raised and overruled.

“We don't have any political axe to grind but we do feel that council did not consult the townspeople adequately over the design and siting of the proposed new building.”

Mrs Dean said the group “in no way” wants to prevent improvement to the facilities on the Rec.

She said: “The plans have been updated recently to include 100 metres of access road and turning area in grasscrete.

“This is a play area and we have health and safety concerns regards a road. However surely such drastic changes should have required a second consultation?”

Carterton Town Council held a public consultation in 2019 and leaflets were delivered to households and an online survey set up.

The meeting was attended by four people but the majority favoured a new build in the same site as the existing pavilion.

The town council said in its planning application the position of the new building is close to the car park and away from the residential area so would allow functions to run into the evening and outdoors.

Cartertonian Kevin Rose addressed a public meeting: “It seems a vast sum of money and a huge project. Changing rooms yes, toilets yes, but none of the others are needed – they’re just a waste. If we let it go we will never get it back.”

The recreation ground was given to the parish in 1906 by William Carter.

In the conveyance Mr Carter said the land should not be built on. The town council said a copy of the conveyance was available at the public consultation.

Cllr Martin McBride told the meeting: “The condition of the pavilion was in a very poor state and we started to look at what would be an improvement for Carterton.

“Like many planning applications this isn’t cast in stone. Hearing the strength of feeling it may well be an option that we reduce it in size. And we could look at the orientation.”