Goole Town Council, which is leading on the redevelopment of the Victoria Pleasure Grounds, has, this week, shared a further progress update with the Goole Town Deal Board.

The first phase of work, which involves the installation of the new artificial grass pitch, a multi-use games area (MUGA) and athletics facilities, is due to be completed before the end of July. The new artificial grass pitches and running track are now in place, although some of the painted line markings are yet to be applied, but this work is scheduled for the end of the week commencing July 21, weather permitting. Performance testing of the playing surface will also take place during that week, before the official handover to Goole Town Council.

Once the artificial grass pitch has been installed, the spectator area is ready and both have passed the relevant inspections, it has been agreed that the town’s semi-professional football club, Goole AFC, and professional rugby side, Goole Vikings RLFC, can play their home games at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds. This arrangement has been made to ensure that neither team incurs a financial or operational penalty from its respective governing body for not being able to fulfil its home fixtures for the 2025/ 2026 season.

However, with construction work still taking place elsewhere on the site to create a new two-storey pavilion and enhanced parking facilities, use of the Victoria Pleasure Grounds will continue to be limited until the project is completely finished in spring 2026. Due to the need to carefully manage health and safety on site, particularly in relation to children and young people, grassroots sports teams and community groups will continue to train and play their matches elsewhere until then.

The Goole Town Deal Board allocated more than £4.6 million to the redevelopment of the Victoria Pleasure Grounds, with a further £2.2 million coming from the Football Foundation.

The sports ground is owned by East Riding of Yorkshire Council (having formerly belonged to Boothferry Borough Council), but is leased to Goole Town Council for a 30-year period. Fears for the venue’s long-term viability prompted the Goole Town Deal Board to prioritise its redevelopment as part of its strategic proposals to reinvigorate the town centre by allocating it a share of the town’s £25 million in Town Deal funding. 

Welcoming this latest progress update, Phil Jones, Chair of the Goole Town Deal Board, said: “This is fantastic news for the town as a whole. Goole Vikings RLFC and Goole AFC will soon be able to play their home matches on the new pitch, which is a major boost for the local economy, and, when the second phase of the project is complete early next year, hundreds of local children will also be able to enjoy these new facilities. There are children being born locally now who will benefit from this facility for many years to come.”

As the main contractor for the project, Scunthorpe-based Britcon is responsible for the redevelopment of the site, with the exception of the artificial grass pitches and athletics facilities, which are being installed by S & C Slatter, a specialist contractor linked to the terms of the Football Foundation’s funding award.