New 3G pitch hailed as 'huge' for village

Sports clubs and a school say a new 3G pitch will be "huge" for their prospects.

The pitch, costing more than £1m, at Farmor's School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, is expected to open later this year, with a planning application expected to be submitted this month.

As well as providing an all-weather playing surface for the school's football and rugby teams, other local sides will have access and say they will have to cancel fewer games as a result.

Around 45% of the cost has come from a Cotswold District Council infrastructure levy, with the rest being raised by the school through grants, donations and fundraising.

Staff at Farmor's School currently have to fill in rabbit holes with mud before sessions, but hope the upgrade will provide a more even, predictable surface.

Year 8 pupil Holly, who plays in the Southampton FC Women's academy, said: "When you play on astro, it's flatter and you don't get the bumps, so you can play better generally."

She added: "When I come back to playing on the grass here, it can be really boggy and you can't do anything with the football."

Year 11 pupil Lily agreed, saying: "Compared to normal grass, they are a much, much nicer surface to play on, because they're flat, they're even, they're smooth and there's no risk of games getting cancelled because they're flooded or frozen."

The pitch will also be loaned to Fairford Youth Football Club and Fairford Rugby Club.

The youth football club, which has more than 300 players, has been forced to send some teams to train as far away as Swindon because bad weather often leaves its own pitches unusable.

Chairman and coach Adam Sloman said: "It's going to be huge for the club."

"We've had matches cancelled for five, six or seven weeks at a time – the kids miss out and they lose their match sharpness when they're not training or playing."

He added that a better surface improves the quality of play, explaining: "Having a good level playing surface makes a big difference - the ball runs more true and you're able to pass properly and play high quality football."

For Fairford RFC, the pitch is the first step in a wider project that could eventually include a new clubhouse at Farmor's School.

Player Richard Lewis said their current facilities are extremely limited: "There's no water, there's barely a toilet, no car parking. We have a pitch and that's about it."

He added: "This is more than just a project for a pitch."

The club also hopes access to all-weather facilities would mean it could run more girls' teams.

The school hopes the pitch will replicate the success seen at Cinderford RFC, which opened its own £1m 3G pitch last summer.

The facility can host rugby matches up to international under‑20s level and has transformed the club from hiring other venues in bad weather to becoming a hub other teams use.

Chairman Martyn Walby said the pitch has strengthened the club's role in the community and doubled youth participation.

"We had 150 players using this pitch on one day recently. This time last year, that simply wouldn't have happened."

He said previously sessions were often cancelled: "It would be 'oh no, sorry, training is cancelled, there's too much water on the pitch', and that would have been that."

He added: "It means parents are bringing their children to play here, we've started opening other facilities like a café, and it means it's all going in the right direction."

There are, however, environmental concerns surrounding the installation of 3G pitches.

Sport England has previously raised concerns about Cinderford AFC's 3G pitch, over the risk that materials from the surface could leak into nearby waterways.

Rubber crumbs from artificial pitches can often end up in landfill after being thrown out with household waste, or in the waterways after being flushed down drains.

However, the pitch has since been approved after Sport England withdrew its objection. Cinderford AFC said it would install catchment pits and kicker boards to prevent artificial pitch materials from escaping into the surrounding environment.

Sport England said it would work with partners and stakeholders to explore alternatives to rubber infill used in third‑generation artificial grass pitches, as well as improved recycling options, following concerns about plastic pollution and waste.

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