163 projects have benefited from a total of £7.8million of
investment
New playing fields developed from former wasteland, waterlogged
pitches and disused playing fields brought back into use are among
the latest projects to benefit from Sport England’s Protecting
Playing Fields fund.
54 playing fields across the country will share £2.4 million of
National Lottery funding to create 165 high-quality sports pitches
that will be protected from developers for at least 25 years.
The Protecting
Playing Fields fund is part of the £150 million Places People Play legacy programme
that is bringing the magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games
into communities across the country. Every sports facility that
receives funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire
mark – celebrating the link to this summer’s Games.
Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said:
“Thanks to these investments, generations of young people all over
the country can look forward to playing sport on great sports
pitches. Playing fields are vital sporting resources for local
communities so it’s vital that we provide both investment and
protection.”
Overall, 163 projects have benefited from a
total of £7.8million of investment from the three rounds of
Protecting Playing Fields funding, with 504 pitches and
nearly 1,900 acres protected and improved, and 57.4 acres of land
purchased. Many more playing fields are also set to benefit from a
further £4 million of funding over the two remaining rounds of
Protecting Playing Fields, with the fourth round opening
for bids before Christmas.
Minister for Sport, Hugh Robertson MP, said:
“Good facilities are vital to keep up the momentum from the London
2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and encourage people to get
involved in sport. This investment from the National Lottery will
improve and protect playing fields and boost community sport up and
down the country.”
Among the projects to receive funding offers
of between £20,000 and £50,000 are:
- Hapton Parish Council in Burnley has been awarded £50,000 to
regenerate the local recreation ground for sporting use. At the
moment, villages have to make a 20 mile round-trip to play.
- With £49,980 of funding, Tadley Rugby Club in
Berkshire will turn wasteland beside its existing pitches into a
much-needed new rugby union pitch and training area. There is
currently a shortage of playing fields for the local community to
use.
- Calderdale College in Halifax will use
£50,000 of lottery funding to bring its existing pitch up to
competitive standard for rugby league and football. This work will
help the further education college complete its work on its sports
facilities development, providing first-class facilities for both
its students and the local community.
With £31,570 of funding, Orpington FC in Kent
will bring sport back to Goddington Park after three years with no
sport taking place. The club will make improvements to six football
pitches and create areas for mini-football, mini-rugby and recreate
a cricket square and outfield.
With all 54 playing fields protected for 25
years, 30 of them are set to become Queen Elizabeth II Fields after
agreeing to dedicate their playing field in “perpetuity”.
This is thanks to a partnership with Fields in Trust (FIT) which is
running the Queen Elizabeth II
Fields Challenge as part of the programme to mark the Diamond
Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Alison Moore-Gwyn, Chief Executive of Fields
in Trust, said: “Much-needed grants provided by Protecting
Playing Fields have been instrumental in the continued success
of the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge. The partnership between
Fields in Trust and Sport England is helping to ensure that fields
are not only protected for future generations but can also support
greater participation in sport. In combination these two elements
can make a positive contribution to a healthier and more active
nation.”
Protecting Playing Fields builds on
the work Sport England already does to safeguard playing fields as
a statutory consultee on all planning applications affecting a
sports playing field.