A new public café could open at St Chad’s Park under plans to refurbish a long-standing cricket pavilion in Barking and Dagenham.
Barking and Dagenham Council has submitted proposals to modernise the pavilion, home to the Aztecs Cricket Club in Chadwell Heath, with improved facilities including upgraded changing rooms, showers and a café open to both visitors and local residents. The refurbishment aims to help secure the future of community cricket in the borough while creating a new space for the wider public to use.
According to planning documents, the existing pavilion no longer meets the standards required by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The plans state that the improvements would support the continued growth of cricket in the borough and strengthen a facility that has served local sports clubs for decades.
Aztecs Cricket Club, which was established in 1986, currently leases the council-owned pavilion and uses it as the base for its men’s, women’s and junior teams.
Under the proposals, the café would replace the building’s current activity room and could either be operated directly by the club or leased to an independent operator.
Council documents suggest the café would create an additional income stream to help support the club financially while also providing refreshments for players, spectators and members of the public visiting the park. The refurbishment also includes improvements to the building’s exterior, with painted brickwork, alongside the installation of a new digital clock and cricket scoreboard on the pavilion’s existing clock tower.
The project follows a decision by Labour councillors in January to allocate £175,000 towards urgent repairs and refurbishment works.
The scheme is one of 12 community improvement projects sharing £2 million in funding across the borough.
Most of the funding comes from a £1.5 million Pride in Place grant awarded by the Government, with the remaining money provided through strategic Community Infrastructure Levy contributions paid by developers.
Other projects receiving funding include £670,000 for enhanced street cleaning, including a new grab lorry to remove fly-tipped waste, and £75,000 to refurbish Leys Pavilion in Dagenham for community boxing organisation BoxUpCrime.
The planning application is currently open for public consultation.
