Marlborough Cricket outlines ‘wish list’ as sports jostle for council cash

Marlborough Cricket has a “wish list” for its home, including indoor bowling alleys and shifting the Horton Park pavilion to make room for a full sized pitch – but they’ll have to compete with various other sports also looking for upgrades.

The Horton Park pavilion, off Redwood St, is owned by the Marlborough District Council and home to Marlborough Cricket.

A masterplan for the pavilion was presented to the council in 2018, but before any movement could be made on this, a “reserve status” over former netball courts on the site had to be lifted to allow land at the pavilion to be sold.

A report prepared by council’s projects and contracts manager Maighan Watson said the Department of Conservation lifted that recreation reserve status in December 2020.

Cuddon Engineering purchased 0.45 hectares from the council in December 2022. But the council retained about 0.56ha for “future community use and possible development of Horton Park”.

It came after the council approved funding of $2m for the Horton Park pavilion redevelopment at a budget meeting in 2021, but for the budget year 2027-28.

Marlborough Cricket also indicated a “willingness” to undertake fundraising of up to $800,000 to support the development of a new cricket facility at Horton Park.

Marlborough Cricket then presented an updated concept for Horton Park to the 2021-22 annual plan. Those plans included a new indoor training facility with a bowling alley, a rebuild of the pavilion and a new car park, estimated to cost $4.8m at the time.

Meanwhile, an independent quantity surveyor estimated the cost to redevelop the current pavilion would be $5.76m, and was therefore not a cost-effective alternative.

Watson told councillors at an assets and services meeting on Tuesday last week, Marlborough Cricket wanted to move the building slightly north, which would enable them to have a full sized cricket pitch, and potentially host international games.

She said there was potential for the new building to be shared with another sporting code, and to hot desk office spaces. The entrance to the pavilion could also be moved to Houldsworth St.

Council property and community facilities manager Jamie Lyall reiterated to councillors they wanted to see the pavilion used in collaboration with other sports codes.

“And a good example of that is Lansdowne Park, where really the new sports hub there is home to Marlborough Netball, Harlequins Rugby, Tasman Rugby … and all of those parties are working really well together.

“I think the result is a better community facility all round.”

Blenheim ward councillor Jamie Arbuckle asked if it was a “no-brainer” to rebuild rather than upgrade the pavilion.

“[Is] the existing pavilion to fix up just a dog?”

But Lyall said the challenge for council would be getting enough funding, and they would need to work through what might be “acceptable” for the new pavilion. He said the current plan was probably a “wish list”.

“It may be that a future pavilion is not two-storey. But that’s a decision for further down the track.”

Assets and services chair and deputy mayor David Croad said the council was aware of a lot of “competing interests” as part of the long-term plan for sporting facilities.

“We’re aware of the A&P ground upgrades that have been in the channel for quite some time,” Croad said.

“[And] we’ve obviously recently workshopped and had to annual plan the extension to Endeavour Park pavilion.

“In my opinion the long-term plan is where this belongs, so that we can get things prioritised.”

Upgrades to Blenheim’s A&P Park, on the corner of Maxwell Rd and Alabama Rd, were first pencilled in the council’s 2015-25 long-term plan at a budget of $1.7m. That plan signalled the project would be delivered between 2019 and 2020.

However, a masterplan was finally in the works for that project in the last financial year, with the project expected to take place this current financial year, according to council parks and open spaces officer Robert Hutchinson.