Posted on: Thursday 25 May 2023
A scheme to build a new floodlit all-weather community sports pitch for north of the borough has been given the green light.
The first sight of the project plan for a new floodlit all-weather community sports pitch planned for Abersychan Comprehensive School will be unveiled to councillors next week. The scheme will also see the an upgrade to tennis and netball courts with the playing surface replaced.
The council previously allocated £59,635 from its covid recovery fund in 2021 to undertake a feasibility study on developing a new floodlit all-weather community sports pitch on the Abersychan school site.
The Leader of Torfaen Council, Cllr Anthony Hunt, said: “I made a commitment before the last election that we would progress a new 3G sports pitch in the north of the borough to encourage more people to get active and help improve people’s health across north Torfaen.
“With the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) now signed off by the UK Government, I have asked the team to start to kick on with this exciting project. This will build on the work that took place last year and will help this project move forward at pace. The recovery fund was set aside to help the council’s response to a range of negative impacts on communities as a result of the pandemic and this scheme will provide huge health benefits.
“As a volunteer football coach myself, I know our grass pitches are frequently cancelled due to the weather so a new 3G pitch will give the school and community greater access to play all year round 7 days a week and during evenings in all weathers.”
The new pitch in Abersychan will be suitable for competitive football and rugby and will include dug out, floodlights, and improved changing facilities.
The council has now allocated £2.3 million in SPF funding to this project and construction work is due to start during the summer holidays in 2024 and is expected to last 26 weeks.
The 3G pitch is part of a wider investment in sports facilities in the borough with construction of 3G pitches due to start this year at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw in Trevethin and on the former school fields in Llantarnam. A separate programme of work is also due to start on replacing many existing sports facilities in Torfaen schools.
Councillors representing communities in the north of the borough have been invited to a briefing session on the 30th May at 10am in the Civic Centre, Pontypool to consider an outline of the project, its benefits and timelines.