Edwinstowe Cricket Club says £57,000 investment will help 'unleash' its players

Edwinstowe Community Cricket Club’s player base has grown “dramatically” over the last six years, chairman Mike Wigglesworth says, and it was in need of improvements to meet their needs.

Using developer contributions from the development of housing at Thoresby Colliery, the club has installed solar panels on the clubhouse to reduce its energy bills and will be creating new training facilities later this year.

The new training area will be equipped with artificial turf and netting designed for practising batting and bowling techniques.

Mr Wigglesworth told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the club has been expanding over the last six years, including getting 54 women registered to play, and its facilities were in desperate need of investment.

The club, based in Forest Corner, also has around 135 young people playing cricket.

He said the solar panels are helping to reduce costs, while the new training facilities will soon help players hone their skills.

“The cricket club has grown dramatically over the last six years, which is bucking the trend,” he said.

“We only have a mobile net cage on our ground, and we’ve been waiting to put a facility on there for some time.

“It has taken 20 months to get all the necessary permissions to do it.

“We are due to start in September, which is when the season ends. But it will be ready for next year.

“The kids who are playing hard ball, those who are 11, 12, 14 and 14, have been held back on their development due to the lack of practice facilities.

“This will unleash a lot of very, very good youngsters to hone their skills.”

A delegated decision document, published by Newark and Sherwood District Council, states the funding will be coming from developer Section 106 contributions.

Developers typically provide money towards community projects to make their planning applications more acceptable, in turn helping to reduce pressure on local services through their improvement and expansion.

In total £57,732 has been provided towards the improvement of the facilities at the club.

Money is coming as a condition for the development of hundreds of homes at the new Thoresby Vale estate.

“The Section 106 receipts held under this agreement have to be spent on community and sporting facilities in the vicinity of the Thoresby Vale site, Edwinstowe, in accordance with the S106 agreement,” documents add.

“The Thoresby Vale Working Group was established to receive, consider and recommend suitable projects for investment to the district council.

“These proposals were agreed unanimously as suitable schemes for S106 contributions by the Thoresby Vale Working Group at its meeting on May 28, 2025.”