WORK on a new £500,000 sports pavilion that will change the lives of teams in South Oxford has begun.

The new building at Grandpont Park will provide a permanent home for Hinksey Park Football Club and a facility for local schools and clubs.

It comes after years of campaigning from the football club, which has had to play without proper facilities for a long time.

The nature park has been home to the club – which has more than 200 members and 10 teams – for almost 10 years, but there is nowhere to change nor any toilets.

But now contractors from Beard Construction, the company chosen to build the pavilion, are to start work.

Hinksey Park FC chairman Jim Smith said: “This is all extremely positive. A contractor has been appointed and building work is going to start very soon.”

The news comes after plans for the new building were approved by the city’s West area planning committee in August.

Council leader Bob Price, who represents Grandpont as part of his Hinksey Park ward, was pleased workmen were on site.

He added: “The recreation ground is very heavily used by the football club which has grown to be one of the most successful and popular in the city. “The new pavilion will be a real fillip for the club and make it much easier for them to run training sessions and social events.

“I am very pleased that the city council is starting out on a programme to improve all our sports pavilions around the city, and providing improved facilities for the many people who take part in amateur sport.”

City council spokeswoman Louisa Dean said the development was part of a wider revamp scheme.

She said: “The programme involves improving 12 existing city council-owned pavilion facilities and the new build at Grandpont.

“There is £3.1m budgeted and the scheme is due to be completed by summer 2016.

“Sport England’s £26,500 funding will help us improve the quality of the existing Grandpont recreation ground pitches by undertaking drainage works at the site.

“These works are planned to be complete by April 2014.”

As part of the pavilion project, a new building will be built at Blackbird Leys, as part of the expansion of the leisure centre.

Rose Hill will also get a new facility as part of plans for a £3m new community centre on the estate.

The council will also revamp pavilions at Bury Knowle Park, Headington, and at Cutteslowe Park in North Oxford. Beard Construction built the Edward King Chapel at Ripon College, Cuddesdon.