Cottingham gets its new sports pavilion at last! (Haltemprice and Howden)

Cottingham gets its new sports pavilion at last!

August 17, 2010 3:02 PM

Clllrs Katrin McClure, Gary Cooper & Win Knight

Gary with Cottingham Lib Dem Cllrs Katrin McClure & Win Knight at KGV

Lib Dem Parish Councillor Gary Cooper with the East Riding Council's chairman David Rudd, opened the rebuilt sports pavilion in Cottingham on Thursday 12 of August.

Gary said, "The facility was rendered unusable as a result of an arson attack over three years ago. The front of the building, the office and changing rooms were ruined. The hall itself suffered extensive smoke damage."

"Its been a very long three and a half years and there were times when I wondered if it would be possible to reopen it in the renewed state it is in now. But it has been done and it is fantastic. After shadowing the East Riding Council for nine months, the community trust of local Cottingham residents will run it."

"We hope to extend the facility still further with larger changing rooms, a multi-gym and a social room. At last the village has a sports pavilion it can be proud of."

"On the day the weather was perfect to start with but then the heavens opened and about 100 people made a dash for the hall entering through the emergency exit. The new floor immediately became very wet and covered in muddy footprints, so to prevent it being ruined I commandeered a bucket and mop and set to work. Hopefully the slight damage near the emergency exit will be temporary. The downpour revealed the fact that the drains were not working properly as a small lake rapidly built up outside the pavilion and it had to be swept back to prevent water entering the building," said Lib Dem councillor Win Knight.