SPORTS and leisure firm, LK2 Architects, has led a unique partnership between Middlesex FA, The FA, DCMS, Premier League, London Marathon Charitable Trust and Ealing Council to deliver one of the first Football Association Parklife schemes at Rectory Park in Ealing, West London.
The £4.8 million development – based on a 16.800 sqm. site at Rectory Park in Northolt – has now started on site and will become a leading sport and leisure facility, alongside new headquarters for the Middlesex FA.
The LK2 design includes two full size Third Generation Football Turf Pitches (3G FTP), six changing rooms and 160 sqm. of community, social space. The park also includes two cricket squares, a model fly zone with landing strip and a trim trail which will be able to access these community facilities.
The main objective of the scheme is to provide Ealing residents with community accessible facilities that will improve sport-participation rates and support the interests of the community.
Gary Johnson, director at LK2, said: “This was a challenging development due to the mix of uses and facilities that needed to be incorporated, alongside the requirement for the building to be sympathetic to its surroundings. We are delighted to see this scheme start on site and we cannot wait to see it reach completion.”
The Parklife Football Hubs Programme will provide significant investment into community facilities across the country over the next five years, with the Middlesex development marking the start of the programme, in London. The national funding partners’ aim is to create a new, sustainable model for football facilities using artificial grass pitches on community hub sites.
Stuart Allen, development manager for Middlesex FA, added: “LK2 has a really strong reputation working with other associations in the country and the wider Football Association, so working with them was an easy choice. The team has been pivotal in bringing partners together through an initial feasibility study in addition to developing a fantastic proposal for the site.
“Our vision is to rejuvenate and utilise Rectory Park for the benefit of the local community, providing sports provision to the local and wider area. Middlesex FA is investing a significant amount of capital into the site through internal allocation and partnership funding from a variety of sources.”
