Goole Borough Council, in conjunction with the Goole Borough Deal Board, have announced that their funding application from the Football Foundation has been accepted.

It has secured more than £2.2 million for plans to regenerate the town’s Victorian Recreation Area.

The Football Foundation, Premier League, Football Association and Government will provide 31% of the total £7,266,385 cost of the project.

The centre of football in Goole for over 100 years, the Victoria Pleasure Ground (commonly referred to as the VPG) is home to the town’s semi-professional football team, Goole AFC (Goole Association Football Club), who play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, and Goole Vikings Rugby Club, a semi-professional rugby league team who play in the Yorkshire Men’s League.

Many local sports clubs and groups also use VPG.

The land is owned by East Riding of Yorkshire Council (previously owned by Boothferry Borough Council) and is leased to Goole Borough Council for a period of 30 years.

It is no longer fit for purpose and urgently needs investment if it is to remain open. Goole Council currently provides a subsidy of £32,000 a year to VPG to keep the venue open and running.

Concerns about the long-term sustainability of the land have led the Goole Town Deal Board to prioritise the redevelopment of the site as part of its strategic proposals to revitalise the town centre, by allocating a share of the town’s £25m Town Deal fund.

During the pandemic the Government made some early allocations of funds to towns involved in the Town Deal process, and these had to be spent by a strict deadline.

Some of this money was used to install energy-efficient floodlights at the Victoria Pleasure Ground, helping to reduce the venue’s running costs. This new lighting will also be included in the redevelopment plans.

Councillor Barbara Jeffreys, who represents Goole Borough Council on the Goole Town Deal Board, said: “This is fantastic news for the Victoria Recreation Area and the town as a whole.

“The funding award we received from the Football Foundation has been a huge undertaking and its success demonstrates the strength of our shared commitment and vision to secure the long-term future of VPG and enable it to serve many more people and organisations.

“The best news is that our local sports clubs will soon have sports facilities that we can all be proud of, along with the hundreds of children and young people who are part of the various youth teams in Goole.

“The late Councillor Josie Head, along with Cllr. David Jeffreys, were great ambassadors for the VPG and I am proud that we are now close to making their wishes to secure its future a reality.

“In effect, this allocation of grant funding means we can deliver a sports stadium that is far superior to anything we originally envisioned.”

Goole Town Deal Board Chairman Phil Jones said: “We have been trying to get match funding from the Football Foundation for the VPG project from the very beginning but until now this has not been guaranteed.

“The Board is delighted to learn that Goole Borough Council’s grant application to the Football Foundation has been successful and everything is now in place for us to continue.”

Cllr Anne Handley, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, added: “This is another major investment in Goole.

“We are delighted that the Football Foundation has recognised the huge potential of regenerating the VPG and the many benefits it will bring to so many local people and the wider town centre.”

A business plan developed for the site predicts that the proposed improvements will be financially viable within three years of VPG carrying out the improvements, after which Goole Council will no longer need to provide subsidies.

Goole Town Deal developed the business plan for the Victoria Pleasure Ground in conjunction with Goole Town Council and specialist consultants Steve Wells Associates.

The construction permit was obtained in 2023 and the works are planned to start this year and be completed in 2025.