'Market Drayton deserves it - it has been underfunded for years' - Clubs and groups respond after plans to transform sports facilities unveiled

Active Market Drayton's 'initial priority' is to develop a new multi-sport all-weather pitch at The Grove School - suitable for hockey - and to revamp existing sports, ancillary and social facilities at Greenfields Sports Ground where Market Drayton Sports Association (MDSA) is based.

Greenfields Sports Ground could see a new two-storey clubhouse with changing facilities built, new tennis courts and various-sized pitches, including a 3G senior football pitch, installed.

Meanwhile, proposals are for the existing rugby pitch to remain while the training pitch to the side will become sole use for rugby.

The cost of the project is estimated at more than £6 million.

Chair of Active Market Drayton, Ian Nellins said Market Drayton has been "neglected" and that the project should have happened several years ago.

A business plan will now be constructed before fundraising for the project will begin.

Chairperson of the MDSA, Grant Robertson represents clubs who use Greenfields Sports Ground including Market Drayton Town F.C. and Market Drayton Rugby Club.

He said: "I think it is fantastic and there is a lot of positivity. There are some challenges for us to overcome but I think that there is a collective need for improvement for the whole community and this is just one phase of it.

"We are in dialogue all the time and this is an evolving beast.

"There are senior councillors on board. Five years ago we thought we were going to have something done and we didn't have any of these people onboard.

"This will happen, and Market Drayton deserves it. It has been underfunded for years."

Active Market Drayton has been working in the past year to develop the plans and consulted with different sporting organisations in the town about their preferences.

Sports development officer at Shropshire Council, Sean McCarthy added: "The current facilities are in poor condition and need improvement.

"We have consulted with the clubs, and there will have to be some give and take. Not everyone will agree.

"We want to build something better. We don't want to be the people who put whizzy plans together and don't make things happen.

"We know the challenges that they face at Greenfields and doing nothing isn't an option."

Members of Market Drayton Netball Club were originally frustrated to find that they had not been mentioned or included in the plans.

However, Active Market Drayton has now welcomed the club's input and said the club will be included in proposals.

Chairperson at the club, Ali Thompson said: "We are now included in the conversation, yes, but we originally weren't.

"We run our club at The Grove School, we train inside and then go outdoors where courts are in poor condition. We just want to be heard because we are a thriving netball club and have more than 70 members of training who turn up for training each week and we just need more Netball facilities in the town.

"The plans are nice and shiny but don't include Netball whatsoever.

"In an ideal world, the sports hall at The Grove would be turned into a two Netball court building. We just need more space.

Meanwhile, there were also concerns from former president of the rugby club, Glyn Hardy.

He said Greenfields Sports Ground's existing clubhouse is not big enough for the number of children they have attending their sessions, and claimed that the new facility would be smaller and "stop the club from moving forward".

But, the current president of Market Drayton Rugby Club, Paul Savill welcomed the proposals.

"We have been waiting a long time for investment in facilities in market Drayton and that is the headline really," he said. "We are at a point where we can push on to have an improvement.

"As the MDSA and the member clubs, we have got to sit around the table, push on and see how it develops. But it is long overdue to come to this town.

"There is still an awful lot to work on but we are further along than we have seen before.

"Each member club will have thing that they can bring to the party. There are things to talk about, hurdles to meet, fundraising to be done, but we are part of the conversation that is the most significant thing."

Meanwhile, Nick Allsop from Market Drayton Town F.C. shared his own concern, but is excited by the plans overall.

"If it can be put into practice then it is very exciting," he said. "I just worry about the administration of the 4G pitch down at Greenfields and what the use of the one at The Grove School would be because you can't play football on that. I don't want to knock it because they are trying, but it is probably 15 years too late. It has been spoken about for a long time."

Pupils at The Grove School are also going to benefit from the upgrades if they go ahead.

And, Governor Richard Kolbe said the project is long overdue.

He said: "The Grove School and children need enhanced facilities to play sport. They have needed this for as long as The Grove School has existed and since it was built."

Tim Manton who represents Market Drayton Town Council in the Active Market Drayton group said fundraising is going to be essential and urged the community to get behind the project and do their bit to help.

"This has got to happen for Market Drayton," the deputy mayor said. "We have come a long way to this point and have a long way to go, particularly with the financing of the project, but there is money out there.

"We just have to make sure we get the funding in so we can get it done. This is a facility for the future, the elderly, the community and children. What it will do it put Market Drayton on the map.

"It is not going to be perfect for everybody but we just have to get on with it."

And, Mayor Roy Aldcroft was delighted to see so many people attend the meeting at the Town Hall, adding: "All clubs are represented and that is important and that they feel involved in the whole project. It is not just about the members of the clubs it is about the member's families as well because children will be growing up and needing those facilities in the future.

"It is about now and the future. The plans look fantastic and we have some fairly professional people involved.

"We are saying 'okay this is going to take time and a lot of money' but it is an investment for the future.

"I am very optimistic about it, this is really a full frontal attack on all of the issues that have surrounded this for years like the funding, the clubs getting together and saying what they want, the designs sorted out and giving people something they can see as a vision. That is what will gel Market Drayton together, hopefully to make a big enough noise to get lots of money."