We write on behalf of the entire membership of Hazlemere Bowls Club to urge the Parish Council to reconsider its recent decision to remove the name of Ken Williams from the pavilion at Hazlemere recreation ground. We find this renaming both inappropriate and disrespectful, bearing in mind the vast amount of time, effort and money that Ken Williams put into the recreation ground and the sports clubs involved. 97% of our members live within the HP15 7 postal code area of Hazlemere and some of them, along with several members of the current council, remember Ken Williams very well and all that he did for the Hazlemere community.

You must be aware that the plans for the current building were passed as a Sports and Social Pavilion and not a village hall, that changing rooms and balconies were included as facilities to enable both the participation and viewing enjoyment of all sports and, indeed, that the building was meant to replace the very dilapidated old pavilion, built by Ken Williams in the first place.

As for the history between the bowls club and Ken Williams, both he and Les Taylor, with a few others, were heavily involved in the process of bringing the sport to Hazlemere but unfortunately both died in 2002 just before the funding requests they were dealing with were finalised, and the Parish Council subsequently stepped in with S.106 monies (£92185) in order for the green to be built as a community project – a gesture that therefore cost the council very little.

The pavilion itself is a wonderful memorial for a man who gave so much to Hazlemere and to rename the building after just four years is totally inexplicable as well as un-necessary, even more so if, as the Parish Council claim, it was recommended by an out-of-town law firm who know nothing of the history of the man himself and Hazlemere.

We respectfully urge you to think again – not only on behalf of the Bowls Club but all other sports in the area and certainly, a great many local residents.

It would be appreciated if this letter can be read out at the next Full Council meeting in October. – D G Roberts, Chairman, For and on behalf of Hazlemere Bowls Club