Davenham Cricket Club submits plan for new practice facility

Davenham Cricket Club has applied to Cheshire West and Chester Council for permission to build a new training facility.

If approved, the club would install three new practice wickets at their site off Hartford Road.

Karen Gallagher, junior co-ordinator at Davenham CC, says the development has become a necessity due to the club's packed schedule.

She said: “Davenham Cricket Club prides itself as being a part of the village community supporting four senior and six junior teams together with a women’s soft ball team, All Stars and Dynamos.

“Last season through the main summer months there were games on most evenings and at weekend making it more difficult for enough genuine practice sessions to go around.”

The club has decided to make a serious investment following a busy summer (Image: Davenham Cricket Club)

She added: “Our current practice facility has been in place for 16 years and although it has been refurbished a few years ago it falls short of what is required.

“The new facility will be a three-bay enclosed facility constructed to English Cricket Board (ECB) guidelines and will allow practice sessions to go ahead even when games are being played on the square.

“This will open up new opportunities for further development in our women’s and girls’ teams and be available to the local community. 

“This is a serious investment by the club aided in part by a grant from the ECB and we are working towards a crowdfunding initiative to support our funding efforts. 

“We very much look forward to having this facility available for the start of the 2024 season.”

What the new facility could look like (Image: Dura-Sport)

The application was made to CWAC earlier this month and residents have until Wednesday (November 8) to submit any comments.

If approved, the work will be completed by ECB-approved contractor, Dura-Sport, who have previolsy constructed similar facilities at both Warwickshire and Lancashire county cricket clubs.

A design specification report included in the application explains that while the project may be expensive upfront, it has been designed as such that future costs are kept to a minimum.

It reads: “Approaching 30 years of product and industry knowledge allows us to advise and offer modern designs and fixing methods combined with the most durable materials of the very highest quality available.

“Whilst initial outlay is understandably a large investment, the facility has been designed and specified using products of the highest quality and durability.

"Our aim and policy is to offer each client a state of the art facility, complete with extended lifespan and reduced ongoing maintenance and replacement costs.

“Under normal circumstances only the playing surfaces and netting will ever need to be replaced whilst the remainder of your facility will remain in situ, and these items can be patch repaired in most instances to save complete replacement costs.”

The full application can be found on the CWAC planning portal by searching the reference 23/03162/FUL.