Isle of Wight seaside town could get new sports facility

Sandown Town Council has applied to County Hall for planning permission to construct a football and netball pitch in the middle of Sandown's Sandham Gardens.

The proposed 'PlayZone' is a joint project of both the town council and the UK's largest sports charity, the Football Association.

It is described as a 'safe, inclusive and accessible' space for the community to gather, play sport and be active, according to a design document submitted by the Football Association.

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The development forms parts of the charity's PlayZones programme - a capital investment scheme using funding from the Premier League, The FA and the government through the public body Sport England.

Aiming to tackle inequalities in physical activity and facilities access, the charity hopes to provide over 240 PlayZones by 2025.

Investment is being targeted towards areas with the 'greatest need' and four priority groups: lower socio-economic groups, women and girls and disabled people and people with long term health conditions.

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Each facility is designed in partnership with local communities.

The charity's guidance paper said: "The spaces need to be inspiring, accessible, engaging and welcoming for all priority groups.

"As such PlayZones have been designed to be attractive, modern, and safe spaces that communities want to use, with branding and colour schemes to support that.

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"All PlayZones have been designed with 30m x 20m pitch dimensions and are based on a new build facility.

"For both site security and ball flight retention purposes, all PlayZones should be fenced in high quality, robust steel fencing that will last long into the future.

"Good quality lightning is essential to making PlayZones safe, allowing a variety of sports to be played and encouraging access in the evenings, all year round."

Sandown Town Council's application has provision for floodlight columns, sports fencing and a spectator area.

A public consultation on the proposal will end on December 20 and a council decision is expected on January 9.