'Market Drayton deserves far better than this': MP battles to help upgrade 'unfit' sports pitch

Just one in five rugby training sessions were able to go ahead last winter at the Greenfields Sports Ground because the drainage issues are so bad, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has said after a visit to see the facilities this week.

Speaking to parents and players at the junior football training, as well as Sports Association organisers, the MP heard about the limitations of the current facility – which is often overcrowded and struggles to cope with demand in the town.

Greenfields is home to Drayton’s football, rugby and tennis clubs but the site is no longer fit for purpose due to a variety of problems including parking, potholes and flooding. These issues have all got worse in recent years while new homes have been built next to the playing fields.

Market Drayton’s population has ballooned over the past ten years, with extensive development on the outskirts of town. This has contributed to problems residents face in seeing a GP, putting strain on local services, and led to community campaigns to protect important green land at Damson Wood.

This is despite the Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 agreements seeing Shropshire Council paid millions from developers, money which should be reinvested in the community.

The news is not all bad, with a Premier League fund and Marches Energy Support Grant seeing new £70,000 floodlights installed. But there are still major questions over the future of sports facilities in the town.

Last month, Shropshire Council said it would look into ways to improve under-pressure sports facilities at Greenfields after plans to move to a new site across town were put on hold for ‘at least ten years’.

Ms Morgan will be meeting with Shropshire Council officers to discuss this issue later in August.

She said: “Market Drayton deserves far better than this. Just one in five rugby training sessions were able to go ahead last winter because the drainage and flooding is so bad.

“Sports clubs are at the heart of their communities across North Shropshire’s villages and market towns and they need facilities fit for the 21st century.

“This is particularly the case as hundreds of houses have gone up around town putting pressure on local infrastructure - from roads and GPs to sports pitches. Despite the millions paid to Shropshire Council in CIL money, many residents in Market Drayton feel they have not seen the benefit.

“It was very useful to visit the site again with my colleague Tom Dainty to see for ourselves the issues that the sports teams are facing.

“We need this to be sorted, and I’m going to be doing all I can to secure the funding that we need to ‘sport it out’ in Market Drayton.”