Exciting news for Attleborough’s sports fans – a state-of-the-art 3G football pitch is expected to soon be built in the town after a joint funding bid was successful.
The grant worth around £1m has been approved by the Football Foundation, which is the Premier League, FA, and the Government’s charity that supports improvements to local grassroots sports facilities across the country. The bid was submitted by Sapientia Education Trust (which operates the Attleborough Academy) and Breckland Council, with support from project partner Attleborough Town Council.
The 3G pitch will be located to the rear of the town’s existing leisure centre, on Queen’s Square and attached to the Academy. Residents and visitors to the town of all ages and abilities will benefit from the new facilities, with the 3G pitch being available for community use as well as for the Academy students. The full-size pitch can also be divided into multiple smaller pitches to enable 11-a-side, 9-a-side, 7-a-side, and 5-a-side match play.
To support the delivery of the 3G pitch scheme, further match-funding of £500,000 has also been secured, with The Sapientia Education Trust, Breckland Council, and Attleborough Town Council all contributing towards that figure, along with S106 funds from local developers who have recently built housing in the town.
The 3G pitch installation forms part of Sapientia Education Trust’s, Breckland Council and Attleborough Town Council’s ongoing investment in Attleborough town centre, supporting regeneration by increasing footfall, enhancing wellbeing, and helping the high street flourish as a vibrant, healthy community hub.
It is in addition to the ongoing £2.6m expansion of the leisure centre, improving the existing sports hall and changing areas while also building an extension to create a larger leisure centre space, including a new community room for yoga sessions, fitness classes and other activities. Along with the new 3G pitch, will create modern sports and leisure facilities for the community in the heart of the town.
The next stage of the redevelopment of the existing centre will see the former sixth form centre (donated by the Academy) converted into additional changing rooms, dedicated to the new external facilities. This external part of the leisure centre will also gain new athletics & cricket facilities as well as additional grass football pitches, with other existing sport facilities proposed for future community use.
Residents can see what the next stage of the Attleborough leisure centre development could look like by watching a virtual tour video which is accessible on the council’s YouTube page and social media.
Cllr Tristan Ashby, Executive Member for Health and Communities, said: “Securing this funding is fantastic news for Attleborough and a win for local sports users. The new 3G pitch will provide a high-quality facility that can be enjoyed year-round by the wider community, sports clubs, and students, helping people be more active, more often.
“This development builds on our wider investment in leisure in both Attleborough and the wider district, supporting wellbeing, community participation, and a thriving town centre. I’m proud of the partnership working that has made this possible and look forward to seeing the lasting benefits it brings to Attleborough for generations to come.”
Jonathan Taylor, CEO Sapientia Education Trust, commented: “Attleborough Academy and the Sapientia Education Trust are delighted with the announcement that funding has been secured for the 3G pitch at the Academy.
“The new pitch and the development of the leisure centre on the school site not only have huge benefits for the wider community, but also help our pupils to forge lifelong habits that support their health and wellbeing.
“These developments place Attleborough Academy at the very heart of the community it serves and we look forward to welcoming old and new leisure centre and 3G pitch users to our site.”
