Football’s coming home to Standish as work kicks off on new pitches
Work to deliver improved community football pitches in a Wigan township has officially kicked off during the World Cup.
Fields at Ashfield Park and Southlands Recreation Ground, known locally as The Rec, in Standish are being remodelled and re-seeded to create safe, high-quality playing surfaces.
Better drainage will also make the pitches more resilient to wet weather, so they can be used by local sports clubs and the community for more of the year.
Coun Chris Ready, Wigan Council’s cabinet portfolio holder for communities and neighbourhoods, said: “Football is the world’s favourite sport, loved by billions, but it would be nothing without its grassroots.
“So, while we’ve all currently got World Cup fever cheering on the Three Lions, we’re also really excited to continue to invest in our local facilities so residents can enjoy the beautiful game here at home.
“We’ve already delivered top quality football hubs at Laithwaite Park and William Fosters in Ince over the past few years, but improving park pitches like those at Ashfield Park and Standish Rec is just as important.
“Whether it’s providing high-quality surfaces for clubs to play their fixtures, or simply ensuring our young people and families have safe, clean spaces to have fun and be active, these pitches mean a lot to the local community and we can’t wait to see the end results.”
The upgrades to the four pitches at Ashfield Park follow recent investment in an improved children’s playground and new outdoor gym equipment.
Access to the play area, paths and woodland will be unaffected throughout the works, which are expected to take around a month, though there will be periods where the pitches are temporarily fenced off for safety or to protect the grass.
Once complete, and dependent on weather, it will take up to 12 months for the new grass to fully establish.
Contractors Talbot Farm Landscapes will be overseeing maintenance during that period.
While designed for football, the pitches could also be used for other sports – particularly during the summer months.
Recently a former Standish councillor Ray Whittingham said he was impressed by the improvements but said more needed to be done, suggesting a wet pour surface be used around the equipment, railings installed around the play area to keep dogs at bay and more benches be provided for visitors.