This is the new sports pavilion that is set to be built on the Ransomes Sports Ground in Ipswich later this year.

The design for the new building has formally been submitted to the borough’s planners and is due to be discussed by the planning and development committee in the spring.

Money for the pavilion has been put aside in the borough’s budget and providing planning permission is granted work is likely to start in July – and take up to seven months to complete.

The new building will include changing rooms and showers as well as a communal space with kitchen and servery.

It will be traditionally-built and has been designed to blend in to the area – the sports field is surrounded by homes.

Local councillor Alasdair Ross said there had been extensive consultation with sports clubs which use the ground and with their governing bodies before the design was agreed.

He said: “We’ve spoken to Sport England, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Suffolk FA who all like what we are doing here.

“That should make it easier to apply for grants from those bodies for further improvements to the ground.”

The new pavilion will replace temporary changing rooms that were brought on the site after the previous wooden clubhouse – which dated from the late 1960s – had to be demolished because it had become unsafe.

The sports ground was originally home to the Ransomes Sports and Social club, but after that company’s workforce contracted in the 1980s its ownership was transferred to the borough.

For many years it was run by a separate social club on a lease from the borough, but two years ago the council took control of the management of the ground.

Although the sports ground is currently the base of football and cricket pitches, there are also disused tennis courts and a bowls green.

There are no immediate plans to bring these back into use – but if there is a demand from tennis and bowls players the council could apply for funding to restore the facilities in the future.