RADCLIFFE Football Foundation is working in partnership with the council to develop a funding application for a ‘state of the art’ 3G football facility.

The newly established foundation will also work alongside the national Football Foundation and Lancashire County FA on the bid, which they hope will help to ‘improve the lives of the Radcliffe community through sport’.

Studies are now well under way at Redbank Playing Field in Radcliffe to confirm its suitability to house the new facility.

The project aims to create a full-sized 3G all-weather flood-lit pitch, additional car parking and a new football changing pavilion that will meet latest FA standards.

3G pitches are made up of synthetic grass filled with cushioning rubber as a performance infill. The surface allows for superior grip, smoother play, improved shock absorption and high-quality ball performance.

Paul Hilton, Radcliffe FC chairman, said: “The creation of the Radcliffe Football Foundation is the next step on our journey to deliver real outcomes for the people of Radcliffe. The pillars of the foundation are, the advancement of amateur sport, personal wellbeing, activity participation and Community sport.”

“Radcliffe FC has a long and proud history as part of the non-league family of clubs in the Greater Manchester area, and it’s fantastic to be working with the council and partners on this exciting project.”

Bury Council has already set aside a total of £500,000 funding for the 3G pitch project and will seek additional funding from other partners too.

Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, added: “I’ve spent many a enjoyable Saturday afternoon at Radcliffe watching football and this new facility, subject to external funding, will be a fantastic addition to the sporting landscape in Radcliffe, which we have major plans to improve as part of our significant multi-million pound regeneration programme for the town centre.”

It is planned that consultation with the local community will take place from April with plans for a public drop-in consultation event, to be held at Radcliffe FC’s Neuven Stadium, where the master plan for Redbank playing fields will be available for residents to view.