Work starts on a £611k all-weather pitch at Moulsecoomb leisure centre

Work has started on a new £611k 3G pitch at Moulsecoomb Community Leisure Centre. Football and rugby players will be able to use it from next spring, the council said.

The Football Foundation, which is backed by the Premier League, the FA and the government, is putting in a £410k grant. The rest comes from the council’s Section 106 developer funding, with a contribution from Coldean Colts FC, the project’s partner club.

The council bid for the money after the Women’s Euros in 2022, when Brighton & Hove was a host city and England’s Lionesses played at the American Express Stadium on their way to the title. The city was a host again for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, which England’s Red Roses went on to win. The council says women’s participation in rugby has soared since.

When the pitch opens for bookings, priority will go to clubs and groups running women’s football and rugby sessions, including Hove Rugby Club and Coldean Colts.

Councillor Alan Robins, the council’s cabinet member for sport, recreation and libraries, thanked the Football Foundation for the grant. “Providing opportunities for our residents to take part in sport is a huge priority for us, and this new facility will undoubtedly nurture talent and change lives,” he said.

Robert Sullivan, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities.”

The centre is run by Freedom Leisure² on behalf of the council, and has its own car park.