Construction work will begin on two more 3G sports pitches – for school and community use in Beddau and Penywaun – as the Council’s investment in ‘all-weather’ sports facilities continues.
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The new facilities will be built at Bryncelynnog Comprehensive School and Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun, with works getting underway on Monday, October 29. These are the 12th and 13th‘all-weather’ surfaces to be delivered in recent years, as the Council continues its ambitious aim to provide residents with a 3G pitch within three miles, no matter where they live in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The new facility in Beddau will be fitted with a shock pad, making it suitable for rugby training as well as football, and will also include a full-size athletics track around its perimeter – which comprises of a six-lane 400m track and a 100m straight.
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Work on the new 3G pitches for Beddau and Penywaun follow a number of completed projects this year. New facilities in Church Village and Abercynon were opened in February 2018, while another was installed at Ferndale Comprehensive School for September 2018 as part of 21st Century Schools investment. Porth Community School will also benefit from a new pitch shortly.
The Council has recently appointed South Wales Sports Grounds as the contractor for both the Beddau and Penywaun projects, and both are due for completion during spring 2019.
Councillor Joy Rosser, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, said:
“I’m very pleased that works will begin shortly to build brand new 3G sports pitches at two more of our schools – as pupils at Bryncelynnog Comprehensive School and Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun will become the latest to benefit from improved outdoor leisure facilities during their Physical Education lessons, from next spring.
“The announcement follows a new 3G facility opening in Ferndale last month thanks to wider 21stCentury Schools investment, which is transforming educational opportunities for our young people.
“New pitches for the use of local schools have also been delivered recently in Church Village, Tonypandy, Tonyrefail, Pontyclun and Aberdare – while another in Porth nears completion.
“The new facilities for Beddau and Penywaun have been made possible thanks to funding from #RCTinvest and the Council’s School Modernisation Capital Investment Programme, and I’m looking forward to seeing each site begin to transform over the coming weeks and months.”
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Heritage Services, said:
“It is excellent news that construction will soon get underway on the new 3G sports pitches in Beddau and Penywaun, which were agreed by Cabinet last year – as part of a wider commitment to deliver a 3G sports pitch within every three-mile radius across Rhondda Cynon Taf.
“Once the latest projects are completed, the Council will have delivered 13 new ‘all weather’ surfaces in communities across the County Borough – as it continues to deliver upon its commitment to local sports clubs to improve outdoor leisure facilities.
“New 3G pitches have many advantages to grass surfaces – they can be played on no matter the weather, and they do not deteriorate, therefore allowing clubs to continue to train and fulfil their fixture schedules through the winter season. We recently saw the benefit of this following Storm Callum, where games on grass surfaces were called off, but our 3G pitches were still available.
“The new facility in Beddau will be further equipped with a new purpose-built athletics track, as part of the Council’s commitment to improve athletics facilities across Rhondda Cynon Taf. The new £3m Ron Jones Stadium was officially opened in Aberdare this month – complete with first-class facilities, spectator stand and changing rooms – while the Council will also improve the current athletics facility at King George’s Park in Clydach Vale in the future.”
