TORRIDGE District Council has announced it will spend approximately £825,000 on new facilities to benefit communities across their area — including Holsworthy.

The council is seeking to create three new ‘play zones’ which they say aim to ‘bring communities together’ and seeks to address a reported physical inactivity deficit compared to other parts of Devon.

Holsworthy will be one of three areas where the ‘PlayZone’ will be installed, along with Bideford and Great Torrington.

The funding towards three new PlayZones was approved at Torridge District Council’s full meeting on Monday, October 14. PlayZones are described as being safe, inclusive, and accessible outdoor facilities that bring communities together through recreational forms of football and a range of other sports activities. Funding has been made available from the Rural England Prosperity Fund.

Councillors voted to support the provision of three, 20 metre by 30 metre multi-use game areas which will be located at Stanhope Park, Holsworthy; Polyfield, East-the-Water, Bideford and at the former Tennis Courts site, Gas Lane, Great Torrington.

According to a recent Active Lives survey, Torridge is the most inactive area of Devon. It is hoped that the introduction of these new PlayZones will help support changing this data for the better.

At a cost of approximately £275,000 per PlayZone, each site will be different depending on location and surface required. Community engagement work has already been undertaken and recognises a wide range of user groups that would benefit from having access to these safe, inclusive, and welcoming facilities. Meanwhile, desktop survey works and meetings with design teams are currently being undertaken to understand the works required at each site. A full application is underway and will be submitted in December 2024.

Active Torridge has been identified as the suitable partner to manage each site, with Torridge District Council managing the maintenance in line with the current agreement with Active Torridge for its existing leisure facilities.

Councillor Lyndon Piper, lead member for leisure, Torridge District Council said: “The delivery of these three new PlayZones is fantastic news for our district. ‘North Devon & Torridge Playing Pitch Strategy’ update recognises the need for more outdoor sports facilities to help support local sports clubs, leisure providers and. Last winter was the wettest winter on record and saw and unprecedented number of sports unable to be played due to wet pitches. These facilities would help facilitate some training and outdoor activity for all age groups, whilst protecting grass pitches.

“The Football Foundation (Sport England) is providing 75 per cent of funding towards each site/project. This opportunity doesn’t come along often and as a Council we are looking to utilise this funding to provide much needed community sporting and activity facilities across the district.”