Strategy for investment in Mid Sussex sports facilities

The Playing Pitch Study for 2019-2031 covers 30 council-owned sites and 19 community owned sites used for football, tennis, hockey, bowls, rugby, cricket and athletics.

Among the suggested improvements are:

A new pavilion for the Ardingly Recreation Ground;

Improving the pitch quality at Balcombe Cricket Club;

Improving the pitch drainage at East Court Recreation Grounds, East Grinstead, and potentially using the site as a football hub;

Adding floodlights to the tennis courts at Horsted Keynes Recreation Ground;

Supplying netting to Crawley Down Cricket Club;

Rebuilding the pavilion at Ansty Recreation Ground;

Refurbishing the pavilion at Haywards Heath Recreation Ground, in Clair Park;

Improving the tennis courts in Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Each project was categorised as short, medium or long-term, taking 1-5 years, 6-10 years and 10+ years to deliver, with costs ranging from less than £50,000 to more than £250,000.

At a district council scrutiny committee meeting, members were told that most of the work would be paid for using S106 funds – money paid by developers to keep the district’s infrastructure up to scratch.

As of June 30, the council held £3,759,457.34 of S106 funds which had been allocated for sport. Of that, £993,048.61 had already been committed to projects.

John Belsey, cabinet member for environment and service delivery, told the meeting: “There’s still a lot of work to do to be able to deliver on this study.

“It’s clear from the report, which is over a ten-year period, quite how long some of these actions are going to be in the pipeline for.”

It certainly won’t be a quick job.

Mr Belsey said money still needed to be found for many of the projects and he was ‘cautious not to raise everyone’s expectations, as very substantial work is still required’.

Some work is already under way.

Grants have already been awarded to community led projects at Ansty, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath, Lindfield, East Grinstead and Crawley Down to redevelop sports club houses, changing rooms and playing pitches.

Officers are also working on projects to improve cricket and tennis facilities in Burgess Hill and Ashurst Wood.

This was the council’s second attempt at a Playing Pitch Strategy.

The first, adopted in February 2015, was not approved by Sport England because there had only been limited consultation with sports’ National Governing Bodies.

This new study, which cost the council £15,750 in consultancy fees, has been endorsed by both Sports England and the National Governing Bodies.

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