Chichester MP Jess Brown-Fuller has visited Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club to hear about the challenges facing one of the city’s busiest community sports clubs.
The visit took place on Thursday, 18 June, with Jess meeting members and coaches to discuss the club’s current facilities and the wider debate around sports provision in and around Chichester.
Chichester Priory Park Cricket Club has long been a key part of sporting life in the city. It provides adult coaching and training sessions for both men and women throughout the cricket season, which runs from April to September each year.
During the visit, Jess heard about the club’s struggles to access facilities suitable for the volume and variety of cricket it provides.
The meeting also focused on broader pressures facing sports infrastructure locally, including what more can be done to ensure grassroots clubs have the space and support they need to keep growing participation.
Chichester District Council has committed £996,835 to the complete redevelopment of the White Pavilion at Priory Park. The project was approved by Cabinet in May 2026 and will be funded through the Asset Replacement Fund, Section 106 contributions and the Community Infrastructure Levy.
The new pavilion will be built to England and Wales Cricket Board standards, with improved team and umpire changing rooms, accessible and gender-neutral facilities, and a social space with a kitchenette.
The visit forms part of Jess’s ongoing engagement with grassroots sport across Chichester. She has also previously met Centurions Hockey Club, where players raised similar concerns about the loss of suitable facilities.
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."
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