Floodlighting, a hard-standing viewing area and new fencing would all be installed as part of the plans for the synthetic pitch.
The designs form part of the government’s Inspiring Active Places Strategy, aiming to build new sports facilities and upgrade existing ones to try to increase sport participation and achievement in the Island.
As part of the strategy, significant refurbishments will be made to Oakfield Sports Centre – which is also set to become the home of netball in the Island.
The centre is also expected to host a number of sports which are being decanted from Fort Regent as part of the strategy.
Earlier this year, the first set of plans for Oakfield were submitted. They included the provision of a ‘frame and fabric’ type structure to help provide indoor sports such as basketball, baseball, badminton, trampolining, five-a-side football, cricket nets and changing facilities.
As part of the originally-submitted designs, the existing sports hall would be converted to provide a gymnastics venue and new extra parking spaces would be created.
Space and Place architects, which has submitted the plans on behalf of the government, said the newly-proposed 3G pitch would allow for increased usage in comparison to the existing grass pitch.
In their design statement they say: ‘It is estimated that the new pitch will be used for 36 weeks per year intensive use with the remaining 16 weeks to be of less intensive use.
‘Evening use from 6pm until 10pm by community and sports groups. Average 26 users per hour. This is a new addition over the existing pitch which has no evening use.
‘Weekend use assumed to be hours of 8am till 8pm but will mainly be for single fixtures (two or three per weekend) with 50 people present at each fixture.’
