Flashy floodlit all weather pitches, a posh new sports pavilion and two football pitches will all be on site at the Riverside Community Sports Pavilion, in Woodston.

The news is a huge boost for people in the area who successfully fought to get the pavilion installed on a site, which was originally earmarked for new changing rooms only.

As revealed by The Evening Telegraph last November, the L-shaped development will plug the 2.7 hectare gap between the eastern extent of the British Sugar estate and Wharf Road.

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But what was only hoped for at the time has come to fruition after Peterborough City Council decided to invest the remaining £800,000 needed to foot the bill for the pavilion itself.

The rest of the money for the development has been contributed by housing developer Barratt, which built the houses on the nearby Sugar Way site.

Inside the new pavilion, which is a first for the area, there will be room for four team changing rooms and an adjoining hall, bar area and kitchen.

The hall will have the capability to be screened into two separate sections and will be able to accommodate activities such as pre-school classes, sports coaching and indoor sports.

Woodston councillor Matthew Lee has been leading the drive for the pavilion development after he was called upon by chairman of the Riverside Residents Association, Gary Thompson, four years ago.

• What will be on the site:


• The new Riverside Community Sports Pavilion will be 500 sq metres, including bar and kitchen.


• There will be two football pitches; one adult, at the front of the development off Candy Street, and one junior, parallel to the Nene Valley Railway at the back of the site.


• The artificial all weather pitch will be situated next to the junior football pitch and will be big enough for three tennis courts/five-a-side football pitches.


• Parking spaces for more than 40 cars will also be on the site.

Today, Cllr Lee, who is also city council cabinet member for community services, spoke of his delight at the news and said that the facilities would be open by early Summer 2009.

He said: "It all started on the front door step of Gary Thompson's house in April 2004, when he told me that instead of changing rooms, they wanted a community hall as well.

"It's a boost for the area and I'm really pleased. It's taken four years to get to this stage and it will be the third community centre in the ward."

Mr Thompson added: "It's been obvious since we moved to this side of Peterborough that the area needs this pavilion here. We are looking forward to when it opens."

Programme consultant at the city council Paul Steventte confirmed that a contract with a developer will be signed "shortly", with work on the site is due to start later this year.