St Austell invited to shape new 3G pitch at Poltair Park

Poltair Park has been home to football in St Austell for well over a century. What happens on it next could come down to who turns up over two evenings this September.

Cornwall College St Austell is preparing an application for a new 3G pitch at the ground, and before a word of that application is finalised, the college wants to hear from the town itself. Two public consultation events are being held at St Austell AFC to gather views from clubs, families, coaches and anyone who might one day use the facility.

Two evenings to have your say

The consultation runs on Tuesday 22 September and Wednesday 23 September, both from 5pm to 7.30pm, at St Austell Football Club, Poltair Park, PL25 4LR. There’s no need to book. People can drop in at any point during either event, meet those involved in the proposal, and find out what’s being planned.

The college is hoping to hear from a wide cross-section of St Austell: local football clubs and teams, women and girls, disability and inclusive-sport groups, schools, community organisations, coaches, parents, young people and anyone who plays sport for fun rather than competition. The events will also gather information on how clubs currently use sports facilities, what activities they’d like to see, and how many people could end up using a new pitch.

What the college wants from the site

The plan is for a facility that supports football, community sport, physical activity and inclusive participation right through the year, not just during the traditional season.

“We want this proposal to be shaped by the people who could ultimately use and benefit from it,” said Laetitia Mayne, Deputy Principal at Cornwall College St Austell. “A new 3G pitch has the potential to create opportunities for young people, local clubs, schools and the wider community throughout the year. These consultation events are an important opportunity for us to listen and understand what St Austell needs from a facility like this.”

The proposal builds on the recently announced partnership between Cornwall College Group and St Austell AFC, a partnership that has already helped bring football back to Poltair Park and is aimed at creating further opportunities for the town.

The clubs already backing the plan

Support is coming from more than one direction. Tregorrick AFC and Charlestown Football Club are both supporting the consultation, while St Austell Rugby Club has backed the proposal too, citing the need for suitable winter training facilities for its youth teams.

Chris Knight, joint manager of St Austell AFC, said the club has seen how much sport matters locally and wants as many voices involved as possible.

“We’ve seen first-hand how much sport means to people in St Austell and this is an opportunity for the community to help shape what could come next at Poltair Park,” Chris said. “We want to hear from as many clubs, teams, families and local people as possible. The stronger the response, the clearer the picture we can build of what the town needs and how a 3G pitch could be used.”

How to have your say

Anyone unable to make either evening can still take part by filling in the community questionnaire. Between the drop-in sessions and the online form, the college is aiming to build as full a picture as possible of what St Austell actually wants before anything goes into a planning application.