Bradford Council holds ambitious intentions to further enhance sports facilities throughout the district. After inaugurating a new £6 million sports village in Wyke last year, the council eagerly aspires to provide additional top-tier outdoor sports amenities for local residents. These intentions are laid out within a report scheduled for consideration by the council’s Executive during a meeting on September 5th.
The council is actively seeking multimillion-pound grant funding from national sports governing bodies to execute a variety of projects. A potential sum of approximately £14 million could be secured, with the Football Foundation alone offering a significant contribution. This substantial funding would materialise if the council sanctions an additional £1.081 million in expenditure. These funds would play a pivotal role in supporting significant developments at the Marley Activities and Coaching Centre in Keighley. Similarly, enhancements at the Myra Shay Recreation Ground, various football and cricket sites, council-maintained grass pitches, and approximately 25 Play Zones would also benefit. Moreover, plans encompass the establishment of a second 3G pitch at Wyke Sports Village.
Bradford stands as one of the original six councils in the nation chosen to contend for funding through the Football Foundation’s Hubs Programme pilot.
Furthermore, the Council has been designated by the England and Wales Cricket Board to spearhead two pioneering pilot projects. The first entails a £1.2 million investment to upgrade the existing practice wickets at Park Avenue Cricket Ground. The proposed state-of-the-art covered facility, equipped with heating and illumination, would enable year-round practice. The second initiative, also at Park Avenue, involves a maintenance and machinery bank project aimed at empowering clubs to independently uphold their facilities. This initiative is expected to bolster participation and diminish the frequency of cancelled matches.
Notably, Bradford has also been handpicked by the Lawn Tennis Association as part of a nationwide effort to enhance current courts. A financial injection of £732,000 has been allocated across the district for this endeavor. Additionally, the council expresses intentions to establish a Padel Tennis Centre in the area.
Furthermore, the Council is poised to augment the roster of rejuvenated children’s play areas by an additional 29 locations as part of the Playable Spaces Investment Programme.
The ongoing year has witnessed the successful refurbishment of children’s play areas in Attock Park, Brackenhill Park, Peel Park, and St Ives Country Park.
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive member for Health People and Places said: “Access to good sports facilities, wherever you live in the district, is key to our ambition to support people’s Health and Wellbeing. It is great to see our plans to maintain and improve our outdoor pitches move forward.
“Wyke Sports Village has been a great success. It didn’t just deliver a great new facility into the District but also showed that we can deliver these type of projects, Sports governing bodies have recognised that and this has opened up new opportunities to funding across the district which we are excited about.”
