Olympic inspiration for Market Drayton sports pitch campaign

Sports facilities costing more than £500,000 are on the cards for Market Drayton in a bid to leave the town with a legacy following this summer's London Olympic Games.

Campaigners want to create a floodlit artificial pitch to be used by the whole community. A business plan has been put together and the Grove School has been identified as one of the possible locations for the pitch.

Civic leaders in the town say there is a big demand for improved sports facilities. They said they expected demand to increase following this summer's Olympics.

Campaigners, who have been lobbying for better facilities for many years, identified two deficiencies when looking into the current ones in the area – lack of an outdoor pitch and a sports hall.

But following the creation of the business plan, they now say an indoor hall, which is estimated to cost about £1.45 million, is no longer viable.

Alan Hargreaves, who is behind the plans, addressed last week's Market Drayton Local Joint Committee about the scheme. He told the meeting that currently the town's hockey clubs had to travel about 15 miles to Keele to be able to play.

He said: "The need for the improved sports facilities came out of the town plan.

"The indoor sports hall is not seen as a viable proposition at the moment.

"But the floodlit artificial pitch is a viable proposition, not least because, with the school, it becomes a dual purpose facility.

"It would be used by the school during the day and the community during evenings, weekends and school holidays.

"It would be a wonderful acquisition for the town. Progress is now in the hands of the school and Shropshire Council, which owns the land.

"Progress will depend on the co-ordination and efforts of the school, supported by local and county officers, the major funding agencies and the national, regional and local hockey representatives."

Jane Radbourne, headteacher at the Grove School, said: "We are interested in creating an artificial pitch.

"It is clear that this would only be a possibility if the school could raise the funds. We are continuing to work on this."