Delta-Simons joins the Victoria Embankment - Meadows Recreation Ground line-up

29 Jul 2015

Construction

Ecology

Delta-Simons joins the Victoria Embankment - Meadows Recreation Ground line-up

Delta-Simons has signed up to support a ground-breaking construction project which will help to boost sport in the Nottingham community.

Delta-Simons is one of more than 50 local partners which will be helping to build a brand new dedicated cricket clubhouse on Victoria Embankment at the Meadows Recreation Ground.

Called the Field of Dreams Project, the new clubhouse is the vision of the Trent Bridge Community Trust to leave a true legacy from the Investec Ashes Test Series at Trent Bridge in 2013 and 2015. The new clubhouse will drive the trust's aim of maintaining cricket's status as the sport of choice for the city of Nottingham and the wider county.

The four partners behind the scheme are Nottingham City Council, Trent Bridge Community Trust - representing Nottinghamshire Cricket Club, & Nottinghamshire Cricket Board, city architects Maber and construction giant Willmott Dixon.

Tracey Francis of the Trent Bridge Community Trust said: "This is a hugely exciting, visionary project which will really benefit the local Nottingham community by boosting sport for all in the city.

"We are building a brand new dedicated cricket clubhouse to be used for cricket in the summer and junior football in the winter. At a time when we know that fewer people are playing cricket at community level, our aim was to protect the future of cricket and ensure that cricket continues to be played at the Meadows Recreation Ground for the next 100 years."

Delta-Simons provided a bat survey for the site. Paul Bennett, Unit Director at Delta-Simons, said: "We are delighted to be part of the Field of Dreams Project which is all about creating a brand new clubhouse which will help house two ‘homeless' cricket teams – and offer football training facilities."

Work is expected to start on site within weeks on the brand new clubhouse which will create four changing rooms, toilets, showers, disability access, rooms for officials, kitchen area, and external viewing area.

The build is expected to take 24 weeks with an official launch as part of the Ashes Test Match Series in early August 2015 by England and Australian players.

The total project cost is £750,000, £432,000 of this being made up of grants from Sport England – along with £125,000 from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), £80,000 from WREN and £61,000 from Nottingham City Council. An additional £5,000 will be met by the fundraising efforts of the Trent Bridge Community Trust. Nottinghamshire Cricket Board will contribute £1,000 and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club will add £6,500 into the pot.

Around £360,000 will come from the goodwill of Nottingham architects Maber which is designing the scheme and Willmott Dixon which is building it and supported by its supply chain partners.

The project has attracted massive support from other local partner organisations and supporters – 50 in all. They include: project managers Faithful & Gould, engineers Curtins, engineers Couch Perry Wilkes, Jewsons, Derry Building Services, local builders merchants Taylor Maxwell, Midland Building Products, J Wright Roofing, & AR Signs.

"Each of these partners has worked through their supply chain partners, and have extended the partnership to some 50 partners getting involved in the project. Each partner has either given their skills, services, expertise or goods free of charge or at or below cost price," added Tracey

"We are truly grateful to Delta-Simons and all our partner organisations, as it simply wouldn't have been possible without their industry expertise, their time - and their money."

Coun Dave Trimble, portfolio holder for leisure and culture, said: "The new cricket clubhouse on The Meadows Recreation Ground will provide a superb resource for the local community and will encourage the continued playing of cricket by local clubs. It's important that we offer high quality, modern facilities which are designed in keeping with the local surroundings to enable people in Nottingham to take part in and enjoy sport."

The original plan had been to refurbish an original pavilion at the embankment which had been in a state of disrepair for two decades. But because the pavilion was so dilapidated, and because it would not have met disability access requirements nor governing body specifications, it had to be demolished.