Major sports facilities for Ilfracombe to be unveiled next week

EXCITING plans for major new sporting facilities in Ilfracombe will be unveiled at a public exhibition on Tuesday of next week (January 19) at 6pm. It is being held at the Lantern Centre in the High Street and gives people the chance to see and comment on

EXCITING plans for major new sporting facilities in Ilfracombe will be unveiled at a public exhibition on Tuesday of next week (January 19) at 6pm.

It is being held at the Lantern Centre in the High Street and gives people the chance to see and comment on a scheme for Ilfracombe Town Football Club to move from its old Marlborough Park home to a new purpose built stadium and pitch at nearby Killacleave playing field.

After Tuesday the exhibition will continue to run in the foyer at the Lantern for another week to give everyone a chance to see the proposals.

In exchange for Killacleave, Ilfracombe Arts College will take on the club's former home, which will be developed with a state-of-the-art floodlit artificial pitch and associated facilities.

The project is being led by Devon County Council together with the football club, college and Football Association, with sports consultants Sports Solutions GB appointed as project managers.

The facilities for Ilfracombe Town FC will enable it to support more youth teams as well as girls and ladies football.

The new artificial pitch at Marlborough Park will be used by the college during the day but will also be available for hire in the evenings and weekends for rugby, hockey, netball, five-a-side football and other community sports organisations.

It is hoped to submit a planning application for the scheme in the near future.