Five sports grounds in the borough to have refurb
North Acton Playing Fields is one of five sports grounds in the borough to have secured funding for improvements.
Half a million pounds will go towards renovation of the fields, this will include a multi-purpose community hall extension to the current pavilion. There will also be a café.
Work is due to start in September, but money is being sought from Sport England to enhance the facilities further and Ealing's cabinet has approved a proposal to find a partner organisation to help make the most of what is on offer.
As well as money from the council, grants totalling £320,000 from the London Marathon Charitable Trust have also been secured – which will go towards schemes at Osterley, Perivale and William Perkin. Meanwhile, a £250,000 Football Foundation grant has been awarded to the work at Northolt High.
Councillor Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council, said: “By bringing in funding from a range of sources, including applying to sporting bodies, and working in partnerships, the council is helping to regenerate and maximise the potential of currently underused facilities. The improvements will mean more people can enjoy good quality sports grounds and pitches, and we can continue to build on the legacy of the 2012 Olympics which has seen the council find ways to invest in sports across the borough. The physical benefits of being active are well known, but sporting clubs and outdoor activities are also a vital part of the community’s social network.”
Northolt High School
A contribution of £50,000 from the council has been approved by cabinet, complementing a £250,000 Football Foundation grant, to put in a new and improved artificial grass pitch.
It will allow sports to be played in all weather. The council is looking to enter a community use agreement with certain local clubs to be able to make use of the pitch at the weekends. It is already used on weekdays in the evening.
Osterley Cricket Pavilion
The refurbishment of the club pavilion in Tentelow Lane, Southall, and a renovation of its pitch will help secure Osterley Cricket Club’s long-term plans at the site and protect the future of the ground.
The building is in a desperate state of repair and needs upgrading. It is not of a sufficient standard to deliver cricket programmes – meaning it is underused. The new facilities will enable its plans to develop new junior, female and adult cricket teams, which are supported strongly by Middlesex Cricket Board. Once the work is complete, the aim is to offer opportunities for local schools and other organisations to become involved.
Cabinet approved a future contribution of £60,000 from the council. The London Marathon Charitable Trust has granted £70,000, and the club has raised a further £50,000. The work will be carried out in two phases, with the second phase starting later in the year when more funding is raised.
Perivale Park Athletics Track
The council’s cabinet approved a total of £264,000 towards new changing room facilities at the site in Stockdove Way, Perivale.
It will benefit local residents of all ages and abilities because the track is used by everyone from young people taking part in fun after-school athletics clubs to older adults who enjoy a sociable Tuesday morning run, jog and stretch class. The local athletics club will also benefit from the improvements when hosting summer events and the borough’s schools will use them for sports days and athletics competitions. Subject to approval, the changing rooms should be ready by autumn this year.
Meanwhile, the London Marathon Charitable Trust has awarded £100,000 towards the cost of eventually repairing the running track, renovating the throwing cages (for discus, shot putt etc) and provide more equipment in the weights room. More money is required, but the aim is to complete this work by Easter 2016.
William Perkin High School playing fields
Cricket, football, rugby and other sports would benefit from work planned at the school’s site in Oldfield Lane North, Greenford.
Under the term of its original planning approval, when the old GlaxoSmithKline site was converted, the school’s sports facilities were to be used by the community and local sports clubs as well as the school’s students.
Therefore, the council’s cabinet has agreed to contribute £500,000 towards a £1.4million plan to build a new, two-storey pavilion with changing rooms – plus an all-weather, full-sized artificial football pitch and improved grass pitches, and floodlit netball and tennis courts.
Meanwhile, £150,000 has been granted by London Marathon Charitable Trust. The aim is to complete the work in 2016 once the remaining funding is secured
19th February 2015