Improvements to an 'intensively used' sports club which has not seen investment 'for decades' may finally be on the way.
Witney Town Council has applied to West Oxfordshire District Council for refurbishment of the clubhouse at West Witney Sports Club off Burford Road.
The planned upgrades would include separate toilet and changing facilities for men and women, a new lift giving disabled access to the first floor, new showers in each changing room and improvements to the upstairs bar.
External improvements include new rendering, cladding and new windows.
The club is used by a host of organisations including Witney Tennis Club, Witney Swifts Cricket, all the Tower Hill football teams, Witney Parkrun and it is also the site of the town's shooting range.
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A planning statement says the building dates from the mid-1940s and is need of “extensive refurbishment" "to bring it up to current requirements".
“The changing rooms, which are intensively used, need modernising and refitting”, it states, while "the central heating and much of the plumbing is in need of a complete refit".
There is no disabled lift to the first floor and the disabled toilet is “a freestanding external cabin”.
Access will remain the same and the plans will create no additional traffic movements on to Burford Road, the application states.
West Witney councillor Thomas Ashby said: "This space has not seen significant investment for decades so I know this will be of huge benefit to all sports people, children and adults across the town.
"Once this work is complete in a couple of years, this will see West Witney have two modern sports pavilions to suit the needs of the whole community.
" It provides the sports clubs with modern facilities, but also provides them with a modern social space, it’s just terrific.
"I’m absolutely thrilled by the news and I know sports teams are too.”
A new sports pavilion is also set to built at Windrush Place in 2024 to serve the two new full-size football pitches already built.
The building, which will be designed and constructed to the Sport England standard specification on land off Centenary Way, is a planning obligation under the outline permission granted for the estate.
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There will also be a car park for a minimum of 60 cars.
West Witney councillor Jane Doughty said: “The new pavilion on Windrush Place cannot come soon enough.
"All the local councillors and residents here have been pushing these developers to deliver community facilities for some time.
"The plans have been approved which is great, so to see two modern facilities within our council ward is going to really, really exciting.”
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