A brand-new artificial grass pitch (AGP) to boost grassroots sport in Witham has opened at Lift New Rickstones.
Over £906,000 was invested to deliver the floodlit, all-weather 3G AGP, thanks to funding from The Premier League, the FA and Government’s Football Foundation and Section 106 funding secured by Braintree District Council from developers.
The pitch, managed by Lift New Rickstones, is available for community and school use, and is already seeing regular bookings.
This forms part of the council’s project to deliver four new pitches in Braintree and Witham to significantly improve outdoor sports facilities for existing and new residents, with a £1.2million investment from Section 106 funding. This comes after public feedback asking for more pitches due to increased demand and the growing popularity of casual and small sided football.
Councillor Gabrielle Spray, Cabinet Member for Planning at Braintree District Council, said: “It’s great to see this fantastic new grass pitch open its doors to the community in Witham. This is a brilliant example of how investment from new developments is directly benefiting both new and existing residents, giving everyone greater access to the sport facilities they’ve told us they want. We are committed to utilising the planning process to bring in as much Section 106 funding as possible, so they can be reinvested in projects like this to benefit our communities.”
Lift New Rickstones interim principal Simon Cox, said: “The new 3G pitch is a fantastic addition to our school and wider community. It provides our students and community members with a high-quality space to learn, train and compete. This project began many years ago, and I’d like to recognise the late Simon Gibbs, our former principal, whose vision and dedication played such a key role in making it a reality and our lettings manager, Ben Moore, who has been integral to the whole project. The opening of the new pitch reflects our commitment to giving every young person in Witham the very best opportunities to thrive in a safe environment."
Nick Emery, Head of Development and Investment at Essex County FA, said: “Grassroots football plays a vital role in strengthening local communities, and developments like this expand access to playing opportunities, helping more people to enjoy the many benefits of the game. We were delighted to work closely with Braintree District Council to deliver this 3G AGP as part of a wider portfolio of projects across the district. It will make a significant difference to the thriving grassroots football community of Witham, and the surrounding areas.”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government – to transform the quality of grassroots facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country. Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities. We’re delighted that the local community in Witham will now be able to enjoy all these benefits thanks to the new facilities at Lift New Rickstones.”
People can book the pitch online.