The Coddenham Centre (TCC), Coddenham Community Shop (CCS) and the Bowling Green

Against a backdrop of projects over the last 18 months to resurface and extend ‘the courts’, improve the community’s storage and revamp the children’s playpark, TCC’s team and trustees were looking for a quieter time in the months ahead. Due to the likelihood that grant availability would be significantly diminished from 1st April 2027 as a consequence of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) we accepted that ‘quieter time’ would have to be postponed if we were to attempt to deal with the outstanding matter of what to do with the bowling green.

LGR is now paused, so grant availability may be rolled forward into the next financial year. However, with an area which needs maintenance but from which TCC derives no income and which continues to deteriorate, having started a process, it makes good sense to see it through, certainly to the point of deciding what to do.

As a component of our decision-making process, we sought input from residents and users of TCC via a survey and spoke to representatives of other parish organisations. In the case of the latter, we asked if any organisation viewed TCC as a possible contingency site if their current premises were no longer available. Discussion with representatives of the Coddenham Community Shop (CSS) has resulted in an in-principle agreement for TCC to offer CSS an extended period lease for a plot on part of the current bowling green to site a new shop/cafe building owned by CSS. We are at an early stage and there is a lot of work to do, but both parties believe that an accommodation can be reached to benefit both CSS, TCC and, vitally, the community.

With the planning assumption that CCS will occupy part of the current bowling green, the TCC team and trustees are considering what to do with the rest of the site, informed by the survey results. We applied five criteria to additional facilities:

• Being complimentary to TCC’s other activities
• In keeping with the neighbourhood, which will now include CCS
• Able to be 100% funded
• Maintenance free or maintenance covered by fees TCC can charge
• Project capable to being undertaken alongside TCC’s normal activities and other essential projects

The current bowling green is approximately 30m x 30m (900m2). Roughly half – that nearest the car parking area – will be occupied by CCS and provide space for TCC to spill out to support its own events. Outside of these times, the flat area will continue to be available to be enjoyed by young bike riders. This then leaves the area nearest ‘the courts’ available for potential development.

We are grateful to everyone who took the time to complete our survey – we have a lot of valuable data to work with. However, it is only sensible to hold fire on what to do with the rest of the bowling green once we have clarity as to what CCS would like us to accommodate, as well as the impact of any future landscaping work. If all goes to plan, we will be able to consider options properly at the end of March 2027.