New era for Neston Cricket Club

Feb 20 2008 by Staff Reporter, Neston News

PLANNING permission has been granted to one of Wirral’s premier sports clubs for a redevelopment of its clubhouse.

Neston Cricket Club in Parkgate has won approval from Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council during a meeting last week and now has three years to begin the redevelopment.

Andy Wallis, club president and a member for more than 20 years, said: “We want a clubhouse which sustains Neston Cricket Club as a venue for quality sport.”

The key features of the new clubhouse will be a two-storey partial extension, resulting in a first floor function room.

The current tea room will be replaced by a modern setting as well as improved bar facilities and an outside balcony providing a viewing gallery overlooking the front cricket pitch.

Andy continued: “These new facilities that the clubhouse improvements will provide will help to generate the income required to recycle value into maintaining the club, its cricket pitches and tennis courts.

“We have absolutely fantastic facilities at Parkgate and these are very exciting times for the club.”

In addition to this project, the club was also granted planning permission last August to build an Astroturf pitch on the site.

However, Andy was keen to stress that a decision on which project is built first has yet to be decided.

He said: “The club has the ambition to do both but it is now up to members and the club as a whole to decide how to go about it.

“I hope to see progress on elements of a scheme to improve the club by the end of the year, and it could be on either project.

“The council has given its permission, so the project is in our hands. It is up to the members now.”

Further information about the plans can be seen on www.nestoncricketclub.co.uk