We are sharing updated plans for the Pavilion refurbishment and the Groundsman Compound — designs that aim to make Girton’s Recreation Ground safer, more inclusive, and future-ready. These plans were first shared widely at the Girton Feast on Saturday 12th July and have since been refined to improve our offering for sports users, sustainability, and wider community use.
Current Draft Plans
Current status of Girton’s Great Plan, Click here
Current Status – Presentation, Click here
Pavilion Floor Plans, Click here
Recreation Ground Layout, Click here
Compound as Operational Support for Village-wide maintenance, Click here
Labosport Report, Click here
Timeline Infographic to April 2025 (update awaited), Click here
What’s Changed Since the Girton Feast?
When we shared early concepts at the Girton Feast, we presented multiple options for the Pavilion — from quick wins to full-scale redevelopment. Since then, we’ve worked with designers, sports bodies and our sports users to refine these ideas into one integrated version that shows the full potential of the Pavilion.
This does not mean everything will be delivered at once. The design is modular and scalable, so even if full implementation proves unaffordable, the plan still provides significant value in phases. Sharing the complete vision now ensures:
- We consider all possibilities before cutting back.
- We avoid piecemeal decisions that waste money.
- We demonstrate ambition to funders, which increases Girton’s chances of securing grants.
Our priority remains community-first: we spoke to Recreation Ground users to make sure these plans support their needs and avoid disruption, while creating opportunities for everyone in Girton.
Why Vision First?
Before we commit to costs or any design for delivery, we need to understand what the community values most. By starting with a comprehensive vision, we ensure:
- Nothing is overlooked — if we need to scale back later, we do so with full awareness of what’s possible.
- Funding opportunities are maximized — external funders (Sport England, ECB, Football Foundation) look for projects that demonstrate ambition, inclusivity, and sustainability.
- Avoiding costly mistakes — planning holistically now prevents piecemeal changes that waste public money.
Estimates, funding options, and suggested phasing will follow before any groundworks begin.
What’s New in These Plans?
✔ Flexible community spaces — for clubs, classes, and social events.
✔ Modern sports facilities — compliant changing rooms, café/bar for community resilience and to increase income for our village, and spaces for football and cricket.
✔ Operational backbone — a secure compound for grounds maintenance, storage, and event support.
✔ Sustainability and accessibility — improved layouts for active travel, safe crossings, and biodiversity gains.
Safety First: Labosport Risk Assessment
We invested £1,800 in a professional Cricket Ball Strike Risk Assessment by Labosport — the same specialists who work with the ECB — because safety matters. This work was commissioned to make sure any future plans for the Recreation Ground consider player and public safety from the outset.
Labosport provided detailed trajectory modelling and advice as our ideas evolved, so every option could be tested against real-world safety standards. Their findings show:
- The current pitch would need significant mitigation (netting up to 10m and 8m high) for senior cricket to meet safety expectations.
- Other areas, such as Ten-Acre Field, have boundary distances that meet safety requirements without additional netting.
- Girton Cricket Club voted a ‘resounding yes’ at their AGM to the move which would give them a safer pitch and also importantly a full size standard pitch on Ten-Acre Field.
Full Labosport report available for download here: Click here
Community First
We wanted to talk and continue talking to our Recreation Ground users before finalising anything. These plans have been shaped to support their needs and avoid disruption, while creating opportunities for everyone in Girton — from formal sports teams to families, walkers, and social groups.
Who Are We Consulting?
These plans are being sent to:
- Cambridgeshire Cricket Board
- English Cricket Board
- Cambs FA
- Football Foundation
- Our community — because your voice matters most.
An Apology and a Promise
We apologise for the outdated version previously shown on the website. As we work through versions, our priority is transparency and community engagement. Sharing early drafts means you see the process, not just the final decision — and that’s how we build trust.
Phased Delivery – Coming Soon
We know there’s a lot of work to do, and we want to be transparent about how this will unfold. Rather than delivering everything at once, we are planning phased implementation. This approach helps us:
- Manage costs responsibly
- Secure external funding at each stage
- Minimize disruption to existing facilities
Why This Matters
- Sports participation is growing: Football and cricket teams in Girton have increased by over 20% in the past five years (FA/ECB trends and local club data).
- Community demand is rising: Play areas, safe crossings, burial space and social spaces are among the top requests in parish surveys.
- Funding is competitive: Projects that combine sport, sustainability, and community benefit are more likely to attract grants.
Listening to You
Our recent surveys show a growing maturity in community feedback — comments are thoughtful, constructive, and focused on balancing ambition with practicality. This has been invaluable in shaping these plans.
Examples of what you told us:
- “We want spaces for everyone, not just formal sports.”
- “Safety for children and pedestrians must come first.”
- “Please think about sustainability and long-term maintenance.”
How we’ve responded:
- Added flexible community spaces alongside sports facilities.
- Included safe crossings and active travel routes in the phased plan.
- Designed the compound and pavilion for efficient maintenance and future-proofing.
💬 What do you think? How do we balance ambition with practicality — and make sure Girton thrives for the next decade and beyond?