Progress made on new £3.2m sports facility in Kirkby
Progress is being made on a new £3.2m sports facility in Kirkby with the appointment of a contractor.
The new Kingsway Park Sports Hub is largely being funded by the Government through its Towns Fund programme, as well as the Football Foundation charity.
Ashfield District Council says work will include demolishing a section of the existing pavilion building, and creating new facilities and changing areas for sports clubs using the park.
An underused cricket green will be removed and five new football pitches will be created with the support of the Football Foundation, while the current derelict bowls green building will be replaced.
A car park will also be extended and EV charge points will be installed.
According to council documents published this month, the authority has now secured funding from the Football Foundation charity, totalling £250,000, and a contractor has been appointed ready to begin work.
Seddon Construction Ltd has been appointed as the principal contractor.
The documents say: “Seddon Construction Ltd have been working with the projects design team to agree contract value and progress pre-construction requirements, including planning conditions.”
Work is due to start at the park in this summer, the council says, and is expected to be completed by spring 2026.
The pitches will be available for matches a year after grass seeds have been planted.
Coun Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), leader of Ashfield District Council, previously said: “We are lucky in Ashfield to have so many wonderful parks and open spaces and we are committed to keeping these facilities up to date for our residents.
“These are well used buildings and this work needs to be carried out. We know that our clubs will greatly benefit from a brand new pavilion and the new pitches and it will ensure future generations of young athletes will be able to benefit from them.
“We have also heard your calls for more parking spaces as we know it gets very busy, particularly on match days, and these plans include a brand new car park.
“We know that having work being carried out on the park will be an inconvenience but we are asking residents to bear with us so we can get these much-needed improvements completed.”