THE FOOTBALL Foundation has granted the council more than £600,000 to build new sports facilities at Cantley Park.
The project will include a 3G artificial pitch with floodlights, and the current pavilion will be refurbished with new changing facilities, a viewing balcony and café.
The £616,619 grant from the Premier League, The FA, and the government’s Football Foundation will be added to the council’s £1.6 million investment to make the project a reality.
Work will begin in January, with the aforementioned work in the first phase, and improvements to the other existing grass pitches in the second half.
There will be 39 more parking spaces, bringing the total to 164 — and will include four larger spaces for minibuses as well as four electric vehicle charging points.
The artificial sand-dressed pitch and 12 tennis courts will be unaffected by the works.
Over the last few years, the number of football teams in the borough has grown to 534, but there isn’t enough training space.
To meet the demand an additional nine 3G pitches are needed for local teams. Cantley Park will be the fifth 3G pitch built in the borough.
“It’s fantastic news we’ve been awarded a Football Foundation grant for our enhancement project at Cantley Park, and we’re very grateful for their support,” Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure.
“This grant will give our local footballers the chance to play football each week at improved facilities. It will also mean they no longer have to travel outside the borough for matches or training, which is crucial if we want to tackle the climate emergency.
“Cantley is a very popular and well-used park. It’s not just a place for football but also home to hockey, cricket, archery and tennis, to name just a few. It’s loved by many who spend time there exercising, walking the dog or meeting friends.”
Robert Sullivan, interim chief executive of the Football Foundation, said the organisation is committed to transforming the face of grassroots football facilities.
“Working with our partners — the Premier League, The FA, government and Sport England — we’ll be investing in more than £1 billion worth of local facilities across the country during the next decade,” he said.
“We believe we can transform lives and strengthen communities by unlocking the power of pitches and this is another project that brings us closer to that ultimate goal.”
