Football is being given a major boost in Stafford with the creation of a new all-weather floodlit pitch.
Work has started on the new facility, which is being built as part of an £800,000 improvement programme at Rowley Park Stadium.
Councillor Mike Smith, of Stafford Borough Council, said: “This phase of the modernisation is absolutely crucial to the future of Rowley Park as one the best sporting venues in Staffordshire.
“Like most areas of the country, the borough has a shortage of football pitches, and this shortage is compounded when many pitches are not useable because of the weather or dark nights.
“The new synthetic 3G pitch at Rowley Park will be usable all year round and during inclement weather. This has the potential to benefit thousands of people every year.
“Increased revenue will be reinvested in leisure facilities within the borough. That includes plans to improve the athletic facilities at Rowley Park, so we are using the popularity of football to benefit people participating in a wide range of other sports.”
Jim Arnold, former professional footballer and Stafford Borough Council’s sport and leisure manager, said: “It is vitally important to the development of our aspiring young players that we have state of the art playing facilities in the borough.
“Our young players need high quality playing surfaces with suitably sized pitches and goals to enable them to develop their skills. The new facility can be split into smaller pitches to accommodate junior players and the provision of floodlights will enable us to use the facility every day, which is not practical on grass pitches.”
The project will also include improvements to the changing facilities and refurbishment of the tennis courts.