Derby City Council has partnered with leisure developer Alliance Leisure to build a grass roots football hub on the Derby Racecourse site.
The council has submitted a planning application with the leisure development specialist to add three full-sized, floodlit 3G pitches alongside the existing 3G, for the Derby Junior Football League and the Derbyshire Girls and Ladies League. It would allow the site to host more than 250 matches a weekend.
The plans also include another 200 car park spaces and improving access to help traffic movement around the local neighbourhood. There would also be a café space and flexible community spaces.
The project is part of a national Hubs programme led by the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation to boost grassroots football.
The city council said people had told it they wanted a community hub in that part of Derwent with a broader range of facilities.
The planning application will be considered by the council’s planning committee, accompanied by a range of technical documents covering matters such as community engagement, noise, traffic generation, car parking and ecology.
Subject to planning, work could start in early 2023.
Will Gardner, Alliance Leisure business development manager, said: “We are looking forward to delivering this project by bringing together specialist partners who can create a relevant community asset for the local area.
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“Alliance Leisure pride ourselves on delivering quality facilities and the Football Hub will be no exception.”
Coun Jerry Pearce, city council cabinet member for Streetpride, Leisure and Public Spaces, said: “The aim of this scheme is to upgrade and improve facilities for grassroots football in Derby.
“We look forward to this next, important stage.”
Lee Rider, senior delivery manager at the Football Foundation said: “The foundation is supportive of the council’s plans for the racecourse site and believe that the impact locally will be significant for both sport and wider users of the park when complete.”
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