Sevenoaks celebrates start of Greatness Pavilion construction

Published: 28 October 2025

Construction of the exciting new Community Sports Pavilion at Greatness Recreation Ground has now begun. At a Sod Cutting Ceremony on Tuesday 28 October, the project team came together to celebrate the start of the build.

Project team at Greatness Pavilion Sod Cutting Event Project Team at Sod Cutting Ceremony

Sevenoaks Town Council and Sevenoaks Town Football Club are working in partnership to deliver this important project that aims to bring economic, social, and environmental benefits to the local community.

Paul Lansdale, Chairman of Sevenoaks Town FC said, “It's massive for us and really exciting - it has taken us 11 years to get to this stage, so a major step forward - not only for the club, but also for the town."

Building contractor Longley commenced preparatory work on site earlier this month. The building is due to be completed by August 2026.

Cllr Canet sits on digger at Greatness Pavilion sod cutting Cllr Canet at Sod Cutting Ceremony

The Mayor of Sevenoaks, Councillor Tony Clayton, commented, “This is a triumph for everyone who has worked so hard to get the pavilion project off the ground. Years of careful planning, fundraising, and hard focus on the practical details have brought Sevenoaks Town Football Club and the Town Council to the point where we will see a ground which matches the progress made by the club.

With over 1200 players, across senior men’s and women’s teams, youth and older people’s teams aged from 5 to 75, walking football and powerchair, this club is a huge part of the local community. Almost 200 volunteers help it succeed. This new pavilion will support future success – both for the club and for local residents who will be able to use it.

I’m particularly proud of the partnership between the Club and the Town Council which has put together a strong case for financial support from the Football Foundation, and from Sevenoaks District Council’s funding contributions from developers. Direct funding from the Club and Town Council ensure that we’ll get a stadium that belongs to the community and is run by the Club. The Town Council has funded features of the building which ensure environmental sustainability.

This pavilion is another major investment by Sevenoaks Town Council, after Bat & Ball Station and the Community Centre, to improve northern Sevenoaks. The Town Council has also set aside money for new play equipment for Greatness Recreation Ground, and we’ll be looking at how to reduce the impact of additional traffic, and encourage active travel to access the new ground.”

Mayor of Sevenoaks and Chair of Sevenoaks Town FC Mayor of Sevenoaks and Chairman of Sevenoaks Town FC

This £2m plus project has been funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, Premier League Stadium Fund, Sevenoaks Town Football Club, Sevenoaks Town Council, and Community Infrastructure Levy contributions.

The pavilion will include modern changing rooms, a kitchen, small gym, as well as a café and refreshment areas.

Image of Football Pavilion plan Offset Architects' image of Pavilion

To keep up-to-date with the construction of the building, read Longley’s regular progress reports on our website here.