A NEW state-of-the-art sports facility in Hagley has been given another boost after Bromsgrove District Council’s cabinet agreed to provide further funding for the build.

The new pavilion, which will be based on the village playing fields, will see the existing building demolished and replaced with modern changing rooms for West Hagley Football Club as well as other activities taking place on the fields.

At a meeting of the council’s cabinet this month, it was agreed that a further £3,324 of New Homes Bonus (NHB) funding would be approved to be spent on the new village facility.

About £46,000 in funding has now been agreed from sources including Veolia Environmental Trust, Severn Waste and Tesco Bags of Help, on top of the NHB cash, while a further £100,000 of funding will be provided by the Football Foundation.

Peter Rowbottom, who as part of Hagley Residents Action Group originally petitioned the district council to pass on New Homes Bonus money to local villages, said: “This is more good news for Hagley with additional funding for the new pavilion from the New Homes Bonus scheme.

“I would like to thank Bromsgrove Council for approving this extra money, and also Hagley’s district councillor Steve Colella for asking the NHB panel for the additional funding.

“With £46,000 pavilion funding now secured from other sources, this will also release extra money for the parish council to spend on other village facilities which were identified in its own strategic plan.”

Cllr Colella, leader of Hagley Parish Council, hopes to have the new pavilion up-and-running by spring 2017.

He added: “I am pleased that the NHB grants have continued to support community projects across Hagley and the rest of the district of Bromsgrove.

“We are currently providing the last bits of details to the Football Foundation before they can make their contribution to the project.

“We would have liked to have had the building work already started, but the process is taking longer than we expected.

“We are hoping that it will be finished early in the New Year and at least by spring, but the sooner we get the go ahead, the sooner we can sort out the contractors.”