Sports project on the starting blocks (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Sports project on the starting blocks

8:25am Saturday 18th August 2007

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Building work on the Beversbrook Sports Project in Calne could be under way as early as next month.

The town council hopes to select a contractor within weeks to undertake the first steps of the project.

The £1.75 million development will see land at Beversbrook transformed into sports pitches for football, rugby and cricket and a building for meetings and changing facilities.

Town clerk Ann Kingdon, who has been working on the project since it began six years ago, met prospective contractors for the first project this week to discuss the plans.

She said: "There are a lot of factors to consider and no building work will start until we are very clear of exactly what we need."

The land at Northeast Calne has already been surveyed and mapped out so builders can avoid oil and water pipes.

Work to level and drain 72 acres of the total 92-acre site to the north east of the town will begin soon and if it runs according to schedule the whole project could be complete by the end of next summer.

The development will include two full size football pitches, two junior pitches, three mini-soccer pitches, a rugby pitch and a cricket square.

The site will also have an eight-room changing block and car parking for 75 cars and some coaches.

The grant application for £1m was made to the Football Foundation in April last year but the foundation needed more detailed information on the project before deciding whether the grant would be awarded.

In February it was finally announced that the council would be awarded the money and work could begin appointing project managers and contractors.

The council has raised £685,000 through fundraising events and donations including a £1m grant by The Football Foundation and £75,000 grant from North Wiltshire District Council.

The project has now been split into two sub-projects and two agencies will be taken on to complete the work.

The first sub project is based on the provision of the sports pitches and the second for the changing and conference facilities and car parking.

Mrs Kingdon said: "We are thrilled that the project is coming along nicely and obviously the funding from the Football Foundation gave us what we needed to get the ball rolling. This has been a long time coming."

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