The Borough Council allocated developer contributions to fund improvements to the community ball games area located within the grounds of Four Lanes Community Junior School. The previous ball games area had been removed for safety reasons.

A brief was issued to play companies to prepare a scheme of possible improvements which were targeted at the 9-13 year old age group. The brief incorporated comments from the school, users of the ball games area, Chineham Parish Council and the community centre’s Joint Management Committee (JMC).

Seven potential schemes were returned to the Borough Council in April 2011 and from that, one was chosen. The ball court was built after further extensive consultation with potential users, local residents and the Parish Council. It provides 5-a-side football, netball, basketball and mini-hockey facilities as well as a football target practice area, all located within a specially designed 3m high boundary fence with a special noise dampening system. The new ball court was opened by the Mayor in the summer of 2012.

Four 6m high floodlighting units were also proposed to enable the ball court facility to be used throughout the year and provide an opportunity for the Community Centre to apply a hire charge should local community groups wish to pre-book the facility. The floodlights were subject to obtaining the appropriate planning consent and this was turned down by Hampshire County Council in October 2012.