New sports hub to be built in village on edge of Norwich

The Sports Hub will be built near the A47 in Brundall, on a piece of land near the McDonald's and Shell garage roundabout.

It will include a floodlit 3G artificial grass multi-use pitch, parking and sports pavilion.

It will be funded through grants from the Greater Norwich Growth Board and other sponsors, as well as funding from developers building homes in Brundall.

Kevin Wilkins, Brundall Parish Council chairman, said: "Brundall is a big village with very little recreational provision.

"We have been trying for years to improve what we have."

He said it was hoped this would be the first step in a wider project to bring facilities to the village, with plans centring land near the memorial hall still in the works.

He said the council hoped the pitch would have a broad appeal.

"We're trying to make sure the sports hub is multi-use," he said, "for different ages, different sports - we want it to benefit all rather than just one sport or area of society.

"On this side of Norwich there's very little provision."

He said there was one final hurdle to overcome - the council has had to resubmit a revised planning application after slightly reducing the size of the pitch.

But he said, all being well, it was hoped it could open to the public towards the end of 2022 into early 2023.

"We are really pleased," he said. "We think it will be a great facility."

As of September the council took over the land, with money - partly given under a section 106 agreement, which obliges developers to contribute to facilities in areas where houses are built - now in the bank.

The decision to go ahead with the construction was made at a parish council meeting on November 3, the council said in a Facebook post.

Some replying to the news in the comments said they would have preferred to see a park space created which could be more widely used.

But the council has said it is looking at the future of land east of the memorial hall as more recreational space.