Dear member
Some members may be aware of the plan to establish another cricket square on the field directly behind the current playing area.
This email provides all members with an update of the current situation regarding the Goosecroft Extension and the committee will share more information with members as it becomes available.
The Goosecroft Extension is a Parish Council project to facilitate additional sports capacity by extending the existing site (basically to the south of the existing site) to include 3 additional football pitches and a cricket square comprising of 5 grass pitches and a non turf pitch (astro).
Sulham Estate initiated the project several years ago by offering the site to the Parish Council.
The Parish Council engaged a Sports Turf/Ground specialist to produce a specification for the works to create the ground. The specification is now in place and has been used to obtain a likely cost estimate from various contractors.
Planning permission to change the use of the area from agricultural to leisure is also now in place.
Government Grants to part-fund the project were withdrawn in September 2024, so the only funds currently available are from Parish Council reserves.
The Parish Council is in negotiations with Sulham Estate over the lease for the land.
Until a lease is secured the Parish Council cannot obtain any additional sources of funds.
So, currently the main areas of work being undertaken are....
- Agreeing the lease
- Upgrading the mains water supply to the whole site, to overcome existing water pressure problems and also to provide sufficient pressure and capacity for irrigation of the Goosecroft Extension.
Once legal and funding issues are resolved the project should take 2 to 3 years to completion and cricket is playable.