THIS is what the new Barton Park sports pavilion will look like.

The Oxford Mail can reveal plans for the sports facility that will serve the new Barton Park estate – Oxford's biggest housing development in a generation –as well as the existing neighbouring Barton community.

It will also be home to two football clubs.

The pavilion will be built on land next to the old Barton recreation ground, the home of the Phoenix Sports Association, made up of Headington Amateurs FC and Barton United FC.

The new single-storey building will feature a kitchen, bar, function room, viewing terrace and changing rooms.

Barton United chairman Mick Beesley, of Bayswater Road, said he was pleased with the designs by David Morely Architects.

He added: "We are quite impressed with the overall vision of the building.

"The architects have been meeting with us and are trying to design something that will get us the best use of the space.

"There are going to solar panels. It's a state-of-the-art the building."

The pavilion will house the two senior teams and 11 other teams of the football clubs, which include a women's side and children age groups from under-eights to under-16s.

It will serve the development's new sports ground, which will feature a new turf sports pitch, multi-use games area and all-weather and floodlit pitch aimed at serving people from both Barton and the under-construction Barton Park.

Barton United moved out of the Barton Recreation Ground in April after more than 25 years and are currently using Bayards Hill Primary School and Sandy Lane as their bases.

Headington Amateurs have managed to secure facilities off Horspath Road at the Horspath Sports Ground, which reach the requirements for them to continue playing in division one of the Hellenic League.

Previously the Phoenix Sports Association raised concerns over the plans for the sports ground as it was unclear if it would meet the same requirements.

Donald Light, chairman of the third biggest club in Oxford, said he was still unsure if the Amateurs will be able to play in Barton Park, but welcomed the pavilion plans.

Mr Light, of North Way, added: "The plans for the pavilion are really good, it's just the pitch requirements we are still concerned about.

"The pitch won't be fenced off and there's no plans for a stand. The rest of the training facilities are good."

The sports facilities are part of a wider 885-housing development, a new primary school and a shopping square on land east of Barton.

Housebuilders Hill Ltd will lay the bricks for the first 237 homes in the coming months and 40 per cent of the total number of homes built will be affordable.