WORK TO improve facilities at Cantley Park is underway, after contractors started on the pavilion last month.
Local firm Morris & Blunt Ltd has started to remove the internal walls, to create new changing facilities, a viewing balcony and café.
Work on the 3G pitch has also started, with the council appointing synthetic manufacturer Tiger Turf and sports surface construction company, McArdle Sport Tec, to the job.
Heras fencing has been placed around the area for the new pitch and contractors have started to strip the pitch.
They will also be forming the bank for the new parking bays.
Soon, access to the pitches adjacent to the houses will be closed for safety reasons and signage will be displayed to let park users know.
As part of the scheme, an additional 39 parking spaces will also be created, bringing the total to 164, including four larger spaces to accommodate minibuses.
It is hoped this will alleviate parking issues on the site and in neighbouring residential areas. Four electric vehicle charging points will also be installed.
“I am delighted work has started this month on the improvements at Cantley Park,” Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure said.
“While this investment in Cantley is great news for our footballing community, it also brings a lot of benefits to the wider community.
“The park is so well-loved by many who not only come to play sports, such as cricket, hockey, archery, and tennis as well as football, but also to walk their dogs and take part in their daily exercise.
“The new 3G pitch is a great addition to our fantastic sporting facilities on offer in the borough and is another great example of the council investing in our communities to improve people’s health and wellbeing.”
In recent years, Wokingham has seen a rise in the number of football teams and there are currently 534 active teams across the borough.
Cantley Park would be the fifth 3G pitch built in the borough to help meet this demand.
It will also mean they no longer have to travel outside the borough for matches or training.
Last year the borough council successfully bid for a £616,619 grant from the Premier League, The FA, and the government’s Football Foundation.
The council is investing £1.6million into the project.
