£700k investment in Clowne sports pitch receives planning approval

Plans to build a new full size pitch at a Clowne leisure facility have been given the go-ahead by Bolsover District Council’s planning committee.
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The Council and the Football Foundation have come together to invest £700,000 that will see a full size floodlit 3G astroturf football pitch.

The new build will replace the existing five-a-side pitch and two grass pitches at Go! Active, which in recent years have suffered from waterlogging in the winter.

The proposal will now be submitted to the Football Foundation board in October for final approval.

If the planning permission is approved, the pitch will be based at Go! Active leisure centre in Clowne.If the planning permission is approved, the pitch will be based at Go! Active leisure centre in Clowne.
If the planning permission is approved, the pitch will be based at Go! Active leisure centre in Clowne.

In 2018, a Local Football Facility Plan produced by the Football Foundation and Derbyshire FA showed local demand for the installation of the 3G pitch somewhere where it could be part of an existing facility which could handle bookings.

Bolsover District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, Coun David Downes, said: “This is exciting news and we are just waiting for the final approval so we can get started.

“The current pitches are not fit for purpose anymore as we have huge problems with postponements due to inclement weather, so this new facility will enable us to provide football all year round.”

Once built, the large pitch can be split down into two 9x9 pitches, two 7x7 pitches and four 5-a-side pitches helping to provide people with more football opportunities.

Coun Downes continued: “We have a huge demand for people wanting to play football, but don’t have the facilities.

“By investing in this new pitch with its multiple markings, it will give us the ability to split it down into smaller pitches meaning we can provide more opportunities for people to get active.”