Cricket club looking to rise from the ashes (From Bucks Free Press)

Chesham Cricket Club looking to rise from the ashes

4:33pm Thursday 11th October 2012 in News By Andy Carswell

A CRICKET club left devastated by an arson attack has submitted plans to replace its destroyed clubhouse.

Arsonists struck at Chesham Cricket Club last year, burning a pavilion that was opened by former England Test hero Fred Trueman to the ground.

It has had to make do with using temporary buildings ever since, but the club says this is hampering their activities and ability to attract players.

The club, based in Amy Lane, was granted planning permission for an upgraded clubhouse in 2008, but the scheme was mothballed as funds could not be found to complete the building work.

Earlier this year the club was given a grant of £50,000 from the Olympic Legacy project to help fund a new clubhouse, paving for way for a planning application to be made.

The previous plans were approved on appeal, with a planning inspector saying it was not an inappropriate development for Green Belt land. Copies of the plans state the new scheme would be smaller than the proposals that were approved four years ago.

Members of Chesham Town Council said at a recent planning meeting they welcomed the proposals as "an important community amenity" to help a club that was founded in 1848.

A decision on whether to approve the plans is likely to be made by Chiltern District Council later this month.