A NEW £2.2m home for Sandbach United FC has moved a step closer after Cheshire East Council secured an £825,500 grant from Sport England and the Football Foundation.

The FA has granted a further £200,000 under Sport England’s Whole Sport Plan.

The combined total grant of just over £1m will be match funded by the council and supported by the club’s own fundraising.

The development, off Hind Heath Road, will include a new changing room pavilion, grass pitches, all-weather pitches and floodlights.

work is expected to start later in the year and it is hoped to be completed by next August.

The facilities will be available to other sports club and organisations across Cheshire East.

Councillor Andrew Knowles said: “To secure this funding is a real achievement for both Sandbach United and Cheshire East Council, especially in the current economic climate.

“A lot of hard work has been put in over many years to get the project to this stage and the whole community is set to benefit through the many junior and adult teams run by Sandbach United.”

Andrew Timms, chairman of Sandbach United, said: “The confirmation that the Football Foundation Grant is now in place to assist with the development of the Abbeyfields football facility is tremendous news for Sandbach United Football Club and the local community.

“This valued support was vital for the project and, now that we have it, we can deliver a flagship facility that will be enjoyed by the people of Sandbach for many years to come.

“We can now look forward to getting on with the construction and hopefully it will be finished by next summer.

“We are indebted to our funding partners, Cheshire East Council and the Football Foundation, without whom, this facility wouldn’t have been a reality.”

The Football Foundation is a charity, funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government via Sport England, that invests money into grassroots sports.

Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “I want to congratulate Cheshire East Council and the Cheshire County FA for their hard work in securing the funding for this project. “When it is complete, this development will be a major sports hub for the Cheshire community – one of thousands across the country that the Football Foundation is supporting with money provided by our funding partners: the Premier League, The FA and Government via Sport England.”

For more information on about Sandbach United visit www.sandbachunited.co.uk.