Sports clubs in the Wokingham Borough are being asked to help produce Wokingham Borough Council’s sports pitch strategy by building a picture of what is currently available, what demand there is and how this demand can be met.
The borough council has already bought Grays Fruit Farm, off Heathlands Road in Wokingham, which will be used to meet the increased demand for outdoor sports pitches that will be caused by the new homes coming to the south and north of the town.
It is now expected that these pitches will be needed sometime in 2019. The council is also committed to a major and outdoor sports hub at Ryeish Green and there will also be new pitches provided as part of the developments at Arborfield. The sports pitch strategy will help the council decide the details of what sort of pitches are needed and how these can meet the needs of the borough’s diverse sports clubs/communities. Local clubs should be contacted by their governing bodies in order to contribute to the study.
Executive member for environment Cllr Angus Ross said: "Sport is important in many people’s lives and, as our borough’s population grows, we are committed to making sure people have access to great facilities. We know some local sports clubs already have long-waiting lists and we know about some pitches that are not as good as they could be – but the sports pitch strategy needs a comprehensive view and that is why we have contacted all clubs and really need to hear from them."
Any outdoor sports club interested in the sports pitch strategy should contact the council’s sport and leisure manager Bev Thompson on (0118) 974 6254.
