Jess Brown-Fuller Visits Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club as Council Commits Nearly £1 Million to Pavilion Rebuild

On Thursday 18 June, Jess Brown-Fuller visited Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club, meeting with members and coaches to hear first-hand about the challenges facing one of the city's most active community cricket clubs, and the wider debate over sport facility provision in and around Chichester.

Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club has long been a cornerstone of sporting life in the city, offering adult coaching and training sessions for both men and women throughout the season, running from April to September each year.

 Jess Brown-Fuller visited Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club, meeting with members and coaches to hear first-hand about the challenges facing one of the city's most active community cricket clubs.

Chichester District Council has committed £996,835 to the complete redevelopment of the White Pavilion at Priory Park, approved by Cabinet in May 2026 and funded through the Asset Replacement Fund, Section 106 contributions, and the Community Infrastructure Levy. The new facility will be built to England and Wales Cricket Board standards, providing improved team and umpire changing rooms, accessible and gender-neutral facilities, and a social space with kitchenette.

During the visit, Jess heard about the club's struggles to access the right facilities for the volume and variety of cricket they provide, and the broader pressures on sport infrastructure in and around the city, including what more can be done to ensure that community clubs like CPPCC have the space and support they need to keep growing participation at a grassroots level.

The visit is part of Jess's ongoing engagement with grassroots sport across Chichester. Having previously met with Centurions Hockey Club, where players raised similar concerns about the loss of suitable facilities across the area, Jess has been consistently making the case that community sports clubs deserve better support, and has already raised the issue of grassroots facility provision with the Minister for Sport.

Speaking after the visit, Jess said:

"Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club is a fantastic community asset, and it is clear that the passion and commitment of everyone involved is not matched by the facilities currently available to them. 

"The council's decision to invest nearly £1 million in rebuilding the pavilion is exactly the kind of commitment these clubs need, and I welcome it. It also underlines what I have been hearing time and again from grassroots sports clubs across Chichester: dedicated volunteers and players doing everything right, but let down by facilities that are not fit for purpose.

I will continue to push for proper investment in sport infrastructure across our constituency, because these clubs are not a luxury: they are vital to the health and wellbeing of our community."