WOKINGHAM’S Cantley Park is set to get a £1.6 million pound upgrade.
Proposals revealed by Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) bosses could see a new 3G pitch, an upgraded pavilion with a cafe and a cricket wicket added to the site.
READ MORE: Dad walks free from jail after trying to set ex-wife on fire
There are more than 500 football teams in Wokingham borough and demand for playing space is growing, according to WBC bosses.
Cantley Park’s 3G pitch will be the fifth in the borough, should permission be granted when a planning application is submitted in March 2020.
Cllr Parry Batth, leisure boss at WBC, said: “Cantley Park is the largest park with playing pitches that are used by so many people from across the whole borough but it needs modernising to ensure its fit for purpose.
READ MORE: Flood alerts in Wokingham
“These proposals, if agreed by the executive, would be fantastic for local teams, who would no longer have to travel outside the borough for matches or training.
“But these enhancements would not only benefit the football community but all our borough residents.
“Visiting the park, whether to exercise, meet friends, walk the dog or simply relax, is good for our health and wellbeing.”
The upgrades will be funded by £528,000 in developers contributions and £472,000 in loans, with extra cash potentially coming from the Football Foundation if a grant funding application for £600,000 is successful.
READ MORE: This is how care home will look after multi-million -pound revamp
As well as the new sports facilities, a new play area and forty more car parking spaces are also planned for the site.
Cantley Pavilion is said to be in a state of disrepair with the pitches also in “poor condition”.
If planning permission is approved, work would start in summer 2020 before a second phase to upgrade the grass pitches begins in spring 2021.
WBC bosses believe £120,000 could be generated in income every year should the plans be made a reality.
The council’s top team is expected to agree to the plans in principle at a meeting on Monday, December 23.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here