Last month marked
the beginning of a new era for sport at both Homerton College and St Mary’s
School, Cambridge, with a special turf-cutting ceremony to launch their
ambitious new Long Road development.
Representatives of
the school and the college gathered to cut the first sod of soil, commencing
work that will transform the existing facilities at Long Road.
The ambitious
development project, delivered by SIS Pitches, will provide two new 3G pitches,
three netball and tennis courts, an athletics track and field facilities, plus
a new pavilion with a kitchen and changing rooms.
Alongside
exceptional new
rowing facilities on the River
Cam for St Mary’s oarswomen, Long Road will greatly enhance opportunities for
students to discover, experience and excel in a wide range of sport, delivering
St Mary’s commitment to encourage sport
for all, and enabling Homerton to boast among the best sports facilities in
the University.
As well as
benefiting St Mary’s girls
and students of Homerton College,
the new Long Road facilities will also be accessed by members of the wider
community, as part of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Health and Well-being
strategy.
Working with
Ingleton Wood Martindales Ltd., the Long Road scheme has been
designed to minimise its environmental impact and the site’s overall carbon
footprint. Measures include:
- Installation of solar panels
- Energy efficient lighting and
floodlights
- Protection of key wildlife
corridors – particularly important for bats
- Planting additional trees in
the space
- Dedicated conservation areas
for enhanced outdoor learning
- Anti-flood provision in the
drainage scheme
With work now
underway by SIS Pitches, the UK’s largest one-stop shop for synthetic pitches,
it is anticipated that students will be able to enjoy the enhanced facilities
from September 2020.
"The works
involve the construction of full size hockey and football/rugby artificial
grass pitches, as well as athletics facilities and natural pitch works which
will completely transform the Long Road site into a hub of sporting
excellence," explained Joe Shaw, Sales Manager, SIS Pitches.
"The appeal of
the project was clear from the outset, with the opportunity to provide world
class sports facilities to students along with the commitment of SIS Pitches to
reduce our Carbon Footprint during the facility construction which aligns closely
the intended environmental legacy from this project."
