A COOKHAM cricket club had its plans unanimously re-approved for a new clubhouse after the pandemic delayed works.

Cookham Dean Cricket Club, which was founded in 1881, had plans approved in 2019 to replace its 80-year-old clubhouse with a new one.

The approved scheme was a single-storey building to provide changing rooms, a disabled toilet, kitchen, bar, dry stores, and storage.

It would also have multi-functional studio rooms for activities such as fitness and mobility classes to draw more community groups to the clubhouse.

The planned building would measure 342sqm in gross external floor area and would measure 5250mm from ground level to the top of the ridge.

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However, despite having planning permission granted, works did not commence on the site largely due to the global pandemic, resulting in permission expiring next month.

This means a new application has to be submitted and approved for the works to start. The Cricket Club submitted plans with no alterations to the previously approved scheme.

Councillors sitting on the Maidenhead development management panel unanimously re-approved the plans on Wednesday, April 20.

Bisham and Cookham ward councillor Gerry Clark (Con) said: “I have known that the cricket club has for some years been looking at ways in which it can improve its facilities for the benefit of local residents and offer a community benefit in terms of increased space and resources.

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“The encouragement of young people, ladies and girls partaking in teams’ sports is really important and something we should get behind.

“Cookham Dean Cricket Club has been playing cricket for over 100 years and they need facilities to take them forward for the next 100 years.

“I am absolutely pleased to see a design which I think is in keeping and proportionate. I think it provides the appropriate level of facilities within the new proposal and I am sure it will be welcomed by the majority of residents, if not all residents, who see the cricket club as a community benefit.”