Vale of the White Horse District Council’s plans to build a new 3G artificial turf pitch near Faringdon Leisure Centre have been approved.
The new pitch will be able to be used for football, hockey, non-contact rugby, circuit training and lacrosse. Currently, residents in the Faringdon area must travel more than 10 miles if they wish to use an artificial pitch.
In addition to the pitch itself, the proposal includes lighting so it can be used in the evenings plus 40 extra parking spaces. It is a joint project between the district council and leisure centre contractors Better and will cost £750,000.
Cllr Charlotte Dickson, Cabinet Member for Leisure at Vale of White Horse District Council said: "We are delighted to be able to offer this new 3G facility in the town as it would benefit many people across the local area and promote community spirit and interaction by providing facilities for team sports.
“This investment clearly highlights our commitment to ensuring that leisure activities are available for all our residents and it provides a real boost to what we already have on offer at Faringdon Leisure Centre."
Ben Whaymand, Partnership Manager at Better said: “This is yet another major leisure project in our partnership with the council to continually improve the leisure centres we operate on their behalf. The local community will benefit significantly from the 3G pitch in addition to the offer already at the leisure centre. This is further extending the offering to the public to take part in more sporting activities in the local Faringdon area.”
The plans for the pitch at Fernham Road were approved at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday 31 January. It is expected work will start on the pitch in the summer.
