New PlayZone Now Open for Bookings in Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary Town Council is pleased to announce that the new Ottery St Mary PlayZone at Strawberry Lane is now open and available for bookings.
Located at Strawberry Lane, Ottery St Mary, EX11 1RG, the PlayZone provides a modern 20m x 30m 2G surface designed to support a wide range of sporting and recreational activities. The facility includes markings for football and netball and can also be used for a variety of informal sports, fitness activities and community recreation.
The PlayZone has been fully funded thanks to a £238k grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, together with Section 106 developer contributions secured for community sports provision. The project has enabled the Town Council to fulfil the long-standing requirement within both the Section 106 agreement and the Neighbourhood Plan to provide a community-use multi-use games area (MUGA) for the parish.
PlayZones are designed as inclusive, multi-sport facilities that allow communities to take part in a range of activities within a single space. The Ottery St Mary PlayZone has been developed as a community-use facility, supporting football, netball and a variety of informal sporting and recreational activities for residents of all ages. Information about the PlayZone’s size, layout and multi-sport design was shared with stakeholder groups and formed part of the planning application and approval process. The facility delivered reflects the approved PlayZone design, including the integrated goals and netball hoops that form part of the Football Foundation PlayZone model.
The Council recognises the valuable contribution made by local sports clubs throughout the development of the project and hopes the PlayZone will provide an important venue for training, participation and community sport for many years to come. While the facility is not intended to be a specialist competition-standard venue for any single sport, it has been designed to maximise opportunities for casual and recreational use by the widest possible range of community users.
The PlayZone is open daily between 8.00am and 10.00pm and is equipped with floodlighting, enabling year-round use during darker months. The facility has also been designed with accessibility in mind and is wheelchair accessible, helping ensure as many members of the community as possible can enjoy the space. A limited amount of parking is available on site.
Users can book the PlayZone through the ClubSpark online booking platform, with sessions available from £10 per hour. Each booking generates a unique access code, providing secure and convenient access for users. Organisations wishing to make a regular or recurring booking are encouraged to contact Ottery St Mary Town Council directly via email at playzone@otterystmary-tc.gov.uk or ring 01404 812252 to discuss their requirements.
Residents wishing to learn more about the PlayZone, including booking information and frequently asked questions, can visit: https://book.footballfoundation.org.uk/OtteryStMaryTownCouncil
To find out more about the Football Foundation PlayZones programme, visit their website: https://footballfoundation.org.uk/playzones-programme
The Mayor of Ottery, and East Devon District Ward Councillor Cllr Vicky Johns said “We are delighted to see the new PlayZone open and available for the community to enjoy. This facility represents a significant investment in opportunities for sport, recreation and wellbeing in Ottery St Mary. By securing Football Foundation funding and making use of Section 106 contributions, we have been able to deliver a high-quality community facility that will benefit residents for years to come. The PlayZone has been designed to provide affordable, accessible and flexible sporting opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, and we look forward to seeing it used by local clubs, families, young people and community groups alike.”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said:
“I hope this fantastic PlayZone will be a great source of pride for the local community in Ottery St Mary who helped shape and deliver the project, without whom it simply wouldn’t exist.
“Thanks to the funding we receive from our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Football Foundation will be delivering over 200 PlayZones like this one across the country.”
