Portsmouth football Hub: Progress on new multi-million pound facility in Cosham is welcomed as lease is agreed

At Tuesday’s (September 5) cabinet meeting, councillors signed-off the agreement for Hampshire FA to run the King George V playing fields centre until 2039, saying it would help boost uptake in the city.

“I’m really keen on sport in this city and the sports economy,” councillor Lee Hunt, the cabinet member for resources, said. “It’s been one of the joys of being part of this council to see how much we have invested into sport.

“And now with this massive investment we’re seeing this new facility come up. This means that more people can play football for more of the year.

“Having only recently seen the success of the England women’s team and how well they have done, we see that this sport is for everybody and to see our city right at the forefront of it – at the grassroots level – is phenomenal.”

Hampshire FA operates similar facilities across the county, including the Front Lawn Community Hub in Havant, Stoneham Football Complex in Eastleigh and Winklebury Football Complex in Basingstoke.

The Cosham football hub will include the replacement of the pavilion and the construction of two all-weather pitches. The new pavilion will host changing rooms, public toilets and a cafe.

The pavilion is due to be completed in November with a “soft opening” taking place the following month. The entire project is expected to be finished in January.

However, the reduced size of the playing fields has forced the council to cancel the annual Cosham fireworks display, a move that has drawn criticism from some councillors.

But councillor Matthew Winnington, the cabinet member for health, said improved provision would be a boon for the city’s health.

“Having good partners running sporting projects is really important and so are these good facilities,” he added. “But it also shows they want to partner with us and that shows the really good work we’ve been doing as a local authority.”