New musical pavilion approved for town park

A new "space age" musical pavilion will be built at playing fields in a town.

Stevenage Borough Council's planning committee unanimously voted in favour of granting permission for the pavilion at their meeting on 4 August.

It will be built at the King George V playing fields near the bowls club and the former tennis courts, which are set to become a Football Foundation PlayZone.

The £40,000 project cost has been met by a ring-fenced Towns Fund grant from the Government, aimed at levelling up parts of the country.

Senior planning officer Linda Sparrow said the new pavilion has been "designed to create subtle sounds from the rainfall, and to provide informal shelter and seating".

A system of tuned tongue drums will be used to create ambient noise that changes with the weather, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Nigel Williams described the pavilion as a "lovely piece of shelter", while councillor Lynda Guy said she would like to see a similar pavilion built in St Nicholas Park.

The pavilion project is part of a four-strong series of artworks that have been granted planning permission.

They include The Sleeping Legionary and The Stag and Flight Trace at Fairlands Valley Park.

The council hopes to have all the artworks in place by the end of 2026.

Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.