Fakenham Academy granted planning permission to build new sports pitch, a Multi Use Games Area

Youngsters will be able to enjoy their favourite sports throughout the year after a new pitch is built at their school.

Fakenham Academy has been granted permission by North Norfolk District Council planning bosses to construct a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA).

The school’s application was put together by Lutterworth-based Notts Sport Ltd, who will now help to put down a synthetic playing surface and mesh fencing.

It will only be available for use between 8am-6pm from Monday to Friday out of respect for residents who live close to the Field Lane school.

The school currently uses grass playing fields for the majority of its outdoor Physical Education lessons, but this can prove difficult when conditions get colder and wetter.

A planning statement submitted as part of the application read: “Inclement weather conditions leave the playing fields unusable for large periods of the winter months where areas become largely cut up; adversely impacting the performance and usage thereafter.

“This restricts not only PE activities but also the local community potential. The considered solution to this problem is an outdoor sports facility, in this case a MUGA, which would allow for sports to be played more frequently, regardless of weather conditions as they are more resilient than natural grass.”

The pitch - which will be green in colour - will implement a ‘GEN2’ design which the school hopes can allow for the likes of small sided hockey, tennis and netball to be played.

The surface is also considered by Sport England to be suitable for football, and a proposed timetable would see community groups granted access to the pitch at weekends and on bank holidays.

Plans will see Fakenham Academy’s existing playing fields maintained, with the new MUGA pitch built adjacent to them.

North Norfolk Council’s Playing Pitch Strategy said it “recognised that Fakenham Academy could have facilities better utilised by the local community.”

The PPS also recognised that tennis players have limited access to existing sports facilities at the site.