COUNCIL chiefs have agreed to ‘appropriate’ part of The Bourne Green in order to accommodate a new cricket pavilion.

Waverley Borough Council granted planning permission to replace the green’s current pavilion with a larger, two-storey building in February after a mystery benefactor stepped forward to fund the project.

However, the issue is complicated by the fact the Bourne Green is a registered village green and is therefore protected from development by UK planning law.

To overcome this the council’s executive committee has agreed to appropriate the pavilion land - a similar process to a compulsory purchase order - and then award a long lease to the Bourne Asset Community Group responsible for the building works.

Waverley agreed to advertise its intentions in a local newspaper and consider any objections received before going through with the land appropriation - the details of which will be confirmed in due course.

Due to the sensitivity of building on a registered village green, the lease arrangements are also likely to require the consent of the Secretary of State before construction of the pavilion can commence.

Full council members welcomed the initiative, Farnham Bourne councillor Carole Cockburn said: “Bourne Green must be one of the most well used facilities in Farnham. It’s such an important part of village life and the benefits of this will be quite extraordinary.

“We are just so lucky we haven’t had to spend 10 years fundraising and have been gifted it. It will be well used for many decades to come.”

Farnham councillor Pat Frost hoped the legalities could be sorted out as soon as possible, when the scheme got the green light.

“I understand it could take 10 years to try and get the lease sorted out,” she said. “We must make sure we get on with it and get it done and dusted so we can get on and build it.”

Waverley Leader Farnham councillor Julia Potts said: “Waverley has been working on this for about three years. Officers are aware of the time frame and are working exceptionally hard to meet it.”