Construction work on a new £7.5m Community Pavilion on the Hickings Lane Recreation Ground in Stapleford has started.
The pavilion will be a state-of-the-art, multi-use building, with a recreation and sports ground, that will replace some of the town’s out-of-date community facilities.
Due to open in 2025, it will bring local community groups together under one roof as a central hub for people of all ages to meet, learn, play, dance and keep fit.
It includes:
- Community café
- 2 function rooms
- 2 multi-use events and learning spaces
- Community centre space
- Enhanced and increased onsite car parking spaces and cycle storage
- Two cutting-edge 3G multi-sports pitches, a seven-a-side multi-use pitch, space for two five-a-side grass pitches or one seven-a-side pitch, plus changing rooms
The Steven Gerard Academy, which opens its first midlands academy at a temporary University of Nottingham base in September, will move to its permanent base at Hickings Lane in 2025 for all its football training and education.
Not only will the Academy improve the education, health and wellbeing of children and young people and create job opportunities, it will put Stapleford on the map as a centre of excellence for sport.
Work is expected to take around 12 months. During this time, access to the recreation ground will be limited to the Wesley Place, Church Street, Westcross Avenue, North East Hickings Lane entrances/exits, while the works are underway.
The community pavilion is one of six projects being delivered by the Stapleford Towns Fund Board, funded through the Government’s £21.1m Towns Fund investment.
Ian Jowett, Towns Fund Board Chair, said:
“This is an exciting moment for the people of Stapleford as work gets underway on this fantastic new facility for people of all ages to enjoy. The centre will be at the heart of our community, bringing people together in a building that will stand the test of time for generations to come.”
