PLANS FOR a £350,000 pavilion on an Oxford estate have finally been rubber-stamped.

Work is set to start on the new Barton Pavilion over the next few weeks, and building will be ready for the new football season.

In 2008, community leaders complained to Oxford City Council that the current pavilion was in a poor state of repair.

Some residents complained that paint was chipping off the walls and the inside smelt of urine.

Training sessions even had to be cancelled when the electricity box controlling the floodlights stopped working.

Funding was approved for the pavilion last year and planning permission was given by the council’s north east area committee on Tuesday.

It would be on the same site as the existing building in Barton Village Road recreation ground.

Built to the latest Sport England and Football Association standards, the pavilion will have changing rooms, toilets, a bar area and a large community room for use by all.

Mark Lygo, the council’s executive member for sport, play and school liaison, said it had been a long time coming for the area.

He said: “This new facility will be an excellent building for the local community to use for sports as well as community use.

“The community has waited a long time for this to happen and I am delighted that we have been able to approve the planning permission.

“This is the first step in re-building the pavilion for the community to use.”

The council put in £210,000 and the rest came from developers which had to contribute cash as a condition of getting planning permission from the council for citywide schemes.

Sue Holden, secretary of Barton Community Association, said the new pavilion would mean a lot to the people of Barton and surrounding areas.

Mrs Holden added: “We have been without a main social venue for a long, long time now.

“This is really great news.

“The pavilion will be accessed not just by the sports clubs, like Headington Amateurs and Barton United, but we will have a brand new facility for the whole community.

“It has been a long time coming, but it is absolutely fantastic news.”