Pickering plan better facilities

Bill McCall is also vice-president of Pickering Town Football Club

Pickering Town are close to finalising plans to improve the facilities at the multi-sport recreation ground site on Mill Lane near the town centre.

New dressing rooms are at the heart of the improvements, which will also benefit the cricket and bowls clubs.

Pickering recreation ground committee chairman Bill McCall told BBC Radio York: "The changing facilities are totally inadequate at the moment."

The plans will be submitted for the committee's approval on 11 November.

Architects are currently working on revised plans for the improvements, which involve two separate extension wings, one towards the cricket ground, the other alongside the bowling green.

In this day and age where we're talking about getting more fit and looking after ourselves, we should be providing these facilities

Bill McCall

The cricket ground wing involves roughly doubling the size of the dressing rooms which "are a bit past their sell-by date," McCall added, "and we're going to bring them up to the standard required.

"We're also adding a medical room, which is essential in this day and age where health and safety are involved, and we're building a laundry room.

"[In the other wing] the bowling club will have a changing facility for them, and that will look on to the bowling green."

The recreation ground complex has been owned by the people of Pickering since 1919.

"That's when it was the wish of the people that this was where they would play their leisure and recreation," McCall explained.

"We have keep-fit classes, embroidery classes, it's a great place for dominoes, dart, pool, we've got everything.

"That's good, especially in this day and age where we're talking about getting more fit and looking after ourselves, we should be providing these facilities."

The committee are also working with the local Lady Lumley's school, which is a sports college, "to bring the whole community together."

If all goes to plan, the committee expect to go for full planning permission for the two wings early in 2010.