Town set to get first all-weather football pitch (From Oxford Mail)

Town set to get first all-weather football pitch

6:00pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News

A £400,000 scheme to create Didcot’s first all-weather football pitch could kick off in the autumn.

Didcot Town FC, based on the Ladygrove estate, is working on the scheme with South Oxfordshire District Council and Didcot Town Council. The new artificial pitch would be on Didcot Town FC land at Loop Meadow, next to the club’s training pitch.

Staff at Willowbrook Leisure Centre on Ladygrove, which is run by the town council, are likely to be asked to handle bookings for the pitch, which will also be available to members of the public.

Talks between the club and the town council stalled last year, but are now on again and Didcot Town FC chairman John Bailey said he hoped an agreement would be reached next month.

The club has been considering creating a football academy and the creation of the all-weather pitch would help young players.

Mr Bailey said: “If an agreement is reached next month then work will start in August. It will take 10 to 14 weeks to complete.

“The all-weather pitch will be a full-size soccer pitch which would be divided up and there will be floodlights.

“This will be amazing for Didcot, which seems to the the last to get everything.”

Bill Service, South Oxfordshire District Council cabinet member for leisure, said: “It’s good news that talks are progressing. The council earmarked about £300,000 for this pitch about two years ago and is seeking other grant funding from organisations like Sport England.”

Mr Service added the new pitch would be used for football only.

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