Isle of Wight sports teams of all ages look set to benefit from a £114,000 revamp of the Queensgate astro-pitch in East Cowes when it reopens to the public today (Monday 24th April).
In a bid to keep the pitch onside it now meets football’s world governing body FIFA standards.
Well past its best
The original pitch was a 15 year old multi-use games surface which was well past its best.
The old surface was ripped up before work began to upgrade the outdoor space in Beatrice Avenue with an all-weather 3G pitch that can be enjoyed at the grass-roots level of the sport.
Jones-Evans: Positive benefits for health and well-being of residents
Cllr Julie Jones-Evans, Cabinet member responsible for leisure, described the new facility as a huge asset to the Island community and a game-changer for around 30 local teams who use it on a weekly basis.
She said,
“I am so pleased to see this popular facility has been completely transformed with a brand new 3G pitch that I’m sure will provide positive benefit to the health and well-being to many of our residents.
“We are all aware of the benefits of exercise both physically and mentally so we want to encourage as much participation as possible — this new facility will help us to achieve just that while also providing a fantastic incentive to encourage greater outdoor participation for all within the community.”
Multiple uses
The pitch is fully floodlit and can be used for eight-a-side football or split into two five-a-side pitches.
Funding for the project came partly from financial contributions from developers — so-called Section 106 contributions — for community facilities.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
