An ambitious plan to redevelop a Wymondham park with a £1m artificial grass pitch has been announced.

The proposal for a '3G' all-weather pitch at Kett's Park was met with approval at a town council meeting at Wymondham Central Hall on Tuesday, where councillors voted to proceed with the plan.

According to an initial schedule, work on the pitch could start in August and the project could be complete as early as November.

The pitch could be used for football, tennis and rugby as well as other sports.

The new facility would have flood-lighting, and other areas of Kett's Park and its drainage would also be improved as part of the project.

Joe Mooney, town mayor, said: 'Personally I think it's an excellent proposal and if it comes to fruition it would create an excellent sporting facility in Wymondham.'

Fellow councillor Doug Underwood also praised the plan, and said: 'We should make sure it's available to everybody, including low-income families.'

Cllr Lee Hornby called it a 'great opportunity' for Wymondham's booming population. He said: 'We're going to have another 10,000 people here in the next six to 10 years and this will be a great facility.'

South Norfolk and Wymondham Town councils will each pay £9,500 for the project's preliminary surveys and feasibility studies.

South Norfolk is to apply to the Football Foundation for a grant of up to £500,000 towards the project, and the rest of the cost would be paid for by that council, probably incorporating developers' contributions.

Wymondham Rugby Football Club is also planning to build an artificial pitch as part of its redevelopment, but town clerk, Trevor Gurney, said he understood the club would not go ahead with that it if the Kett's Park pitch was built.

South Norfolk had originally looked at installing an artificial pitch at Wymondham High School, but the site layout meant it would have been impossible without compromising the provision of other sports at the school.

Another recent South Norfolk-led project has seen an artificial pitch installed in Long Stratton, and the council also hopes to have one in Diss as well.

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