At a meeting on Thursday 16 February, Goole Town Council formally considered and unanimously approved the Business Case for redeveloping the town’s Victoria Pleasure Ground using a £3.5 million share of the Town Deal funding allocated to Goole by the Government. On Friday 17 February, the Goole Town Deal Board endorsed the Town Council’s decision to support the preferred option, as set out within the Business Case.

The next step is for the Business Case to be submitted to the Government so that the funding can be released. The agreed £3.5 million investment will fund the development of a new full-size, artificial 3G pitch, expanding access for football and rugby, a compact athletics track with jumps facilities and a community ‘kick-about’ court. A state-of-the-art, two-storey pavilion will provide modern, well equipped changing facilities and a café downstairs, as well as a hospitality suite on the first floor. The new layout will also significantly increase on-site parking (see the site plan below).

Speaking after Thursday’s meeting of Goole Town Council, Town Clerk Brian Robertson, said: “As the operator of the Victoria Pleasure Ground, Goole Town Council has developed a detailed and thorough Business Case that has been months in the making. The aim from the beginning has been to secure the future of the VPG and ensure that more children, young people and residents of Goole can benefit from the updated and expanded facilities. 

“The Business Case was produced for Goole Town Council by a team of specialist consultants with years of experience of designing community sports facilities across the UK. In keeping with the Government’s expectations, the Business Case gave us a shortlist of four different options to consider. 

“The process behind the development of the Business Case was long and complex. It involved consulting with existing user groups and the governing bodies for their sports, as well as other sports teams, groups and organisations that would like to be able to use the venue. During the last six months, and after carefully considering all of the research and feedback received during the development process, countless different designs were explored as part of a long-list of plans before the final shortlist of options within the Business Case could be presented for the council’s formal consideration and subsequent approval.

“The tax payers of Goole currently subsidise the Victoria Pleasure Ground to the tune of £32,000 per year – that’s just to keep it open and running in its current state. That figure will only continue to increase in the coming years as the site falls further into decline. If we were to do nothing at all, there would be a real risk of the facility closing in the not-too-distant future. Even by doing the bare minimum, the level of subsidy paid by Goole Town Council would have continued to increase year-on-year, meaning that local people would be asked to pay more and more every year to keep it running. Goole Town Council felt that this was not a legacy that they wanted to leave for the councillors of the future, or a financial burden that they wanted to inflict on local council tax payers for years to come.

“When considering the Business Case, Goole Town Council members were acutely aware that it would be impossible to give all user groups everything that they wanted. Whilst the council is sympathetic to Goole Youth Athletics Club’s desire to retain the 400-metre running track, the ultimate goal had to be to secure the future of the Victoria Pleasure Ground and make it financially viable and more accessible to as many different local users as possible, including the hundreds of children who currently have to travel out of Goole every week for football and rugby training. It was agreed that the preferred option within the Business Case will deliver the maximum benefit to the greatest number of local people.

“However, care has been taken to ensure that the venue will still offer athletics provision, which, although different from what exists currently, has been designed with consideration given to England Athletics’ Strategy. There will be a new 110-metre straight polymeric running track, as well as new jumps facilities. We appreciate that 400-metre tracks are required for athletics competitions, but these are not held in Goole. What the council has tried to do is balance the need for expanded facilities for other sports, which attract far greater numbers of Goole residents, whilst also retaining some provision for developmental athletics.

“The preferred option will increase the number of visits to the VPG by 376 per cent, from 13,000 to 63,000 per year and will enable it to become financially viable within three years so that Goole Town Council no longer has to subsidise it. Ultimately, the preferred option will bring more people to the Victoria Pleasure Ground and into Goole town centre. It was imperative that Goole Town Council seized the valuable opportunity that the Town Deal funding presented and councillors are confident that they have chosen the option that will deliver the best outcome for Goole as a whole, both now and for the future. The alternative is likely to have been the slow and steady decline of the VPG, leading to its ultimate closure and the loss of ALL sporting provision.”

Phil Jones, Vice-Chair of the Goole Town Deal Board, said: “To make it possible for a £3.5 million share of the Goole Town Deal funding to be allocated to the Victoria Pleasure Ground project, the Business Case that we’re submitting to Government had to demonstrate that the project would deliver on the objectives set out in the Town Investment Plan, which was developed to secure the funding offer for Goole in the first place. This meant clearly demonstrating the strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management cases for the site and how it will contribute towards delivering Town Centre regeneration. In short, this meant ensuring that the VPG is viable for the future, which ultimately means bringing in more users. This, in turn, will help support the broader regeneration of the town and the wellbeing of the people of Goole.

“The redevelopment of the Victoria Pleasure Ground will transform it into an ‘anchor’ destination that will benefit the town centre as a whole. When you consider it alongside the other projects that will receive a share of the Goole Town Deal funding, the VPG is an important piece in a jigsaw that will stimulate economic growth and contribute towards the reinvention of the town centre. 

“The Goole Town Deal funding came along at just the right time for the Victoria Pleasure Ground, acting as an important lifeline that will prevent it from closing altogether. The preferred option will not only deliver enhanced and expanded facilities for our semi-professional football and rugby teams but will benefit our local grassroots football and rugby teams, facilitate community fitness activities, give local schoolchildren more opportunity to take part in sports and exercise through the School Sports Partnership and provide alternative compact athletics provision. It will also provide Goole with a 160-seat conference and hospitality suite capable of hosting sporting and corporate events, wedding celebrations and other social gatherings. This will generate much-needed revenue to make the site sustainable for decades to come. People currently have to travel out of town for this type of facility.

“The Business Case is evidence-based and comprehensive. The huge amount of work that went into developing it and the detail within it has enabled decision-makers to make well informed decisions. From the start, the aim of Goole Town Council and the Town Deal Board has been to save the VPG and make it possible for more of the town’s residents to use it. Whilst we couldn’t accommodate every single wish of every user, we’re confident that this investment will give the people of Goole a facility that they can be proud of and, at the same time, breathe new life into the town centre.”

Anthony Whiteley, President of Goole Vikings Rugby League, said: “I speak for all at Goole Vikings RLFC when I say how excited I am for the redevelopment of the Victoria Pleasure Grounds. The new state-of-the-art facilities will provide a base from which we can grow and prosper as a club. In Rugby League terms, the facility will be one of the best amateur facilities in the country.”

Paul Challenger, Chairman of Goole Town Tigers Junior Football Club, said: “The plans we have seen will be a fantastic improvement on the existing ground and mean that many more children and adults in our great town can enjoy sporting activities at the site. VPG has the potential to be something that everyone in Goole can be proud of.”

Alan Wilson, Chair of Goole Association Football Club, said: “Football has been played at the VPG stadium for over 100 years and Goole AFC is proud to be part of this tradition. We believe that the Town Deal investment proposals for VPG will benefit Goole, attract visitors to the town and enhance links with local businesses.”