BOWERHILL is now home to brand new state-of-the-art facilities as the newly-refurbished pavilion was unveiled to the public this week.

Melksham Without Parish Council has worked for 15 years to save the playing field at the site and in July 2010 they were officially handed over all responsibility.

In the last year, Herman Miller relocated their manufacturing and logistics centre to Portal Road resulting in them building a new sports pavilion in place of the 1940s one they had to demolish in their construction work.

At the unveiling, the public were given the chance to look around the new changing room facilities which includes four changing rooms and two official changing rooms.

The pavilion also has a new kitchen and lounge area, this is available for use by local community groups.

The site used to be the home of the Bowerhill Youth Club, and the parish council hope that the new facilities will see the club up and running once more.

Melksham Without Parish Council chairman Richard Wood said: “It is an important part of recreational activities in Bowerhill and it needed a catalyst for it to work and that was the fact that Herman Miller wanted to build their logistics plant on Portal Road which would mean the old one would have to be demolished. As a result of that they have now replaced it with state of the art facilities.

“It is great that it is finally up and opened because it has been in the making for such a long time.

“The opening was brilliant because everyone who has worked on it came along and we were really impressed by the facilities because it was designed by architects who built the Herman Miller building.”

The pavilion used to be the home of the Bowerhill Youth Club and with the new community spaces, it is anticipated that they will be able to reconvene at the space with other groups.

Graham Dean, director of UK Operations at Herman Miller, said: “I am delighted to be here for the opening of the new Bowerhill Sports Pavilion. The successful development of part of the RAF Melksham site into Herman Miller’s new manufacturing facility would not have been possible without the cooperation and support of the local community.

“The new building gives Melksham Without Parish Council a purpose-built facility which will provide more space as well as accessible changing facilities, for many years to come.”