Deputy Mayor opens facility recently refurbished by Limonta Smith at Stepney Green

Limonta Smith (a joint venture partnership between Smith Construction (Heckington) Ltd and Limonta Sport) have recently completed major refurbishment works, to create a state-of-the-art 3G artificial grass pitch at Stepney Green Park, which was officially opened by Councillor Oliur Rahman, Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlets Council.

The refurbished site, situated in Stepney Green Park, is the first full size 3G AGP to be built in Tower Hamlets, and will significantly boost the range of opportunities for the local community to participate in sport. The new 3G pitch replaces a sand-dressed surface that was no longer fit for use.

Smith Construction was awarded the contract via The FA, Football Foundation and The RFU Framework, following a grant of £451,180 from the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund, which made the project possible.

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation said, ‘The Football Foundation is responsible for managing and delivering the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund, which is funded by the Premier League, The FA and the Government, via Sport England. This outstanding 3G AGP is an example of the positive impact that this funding is having on our grassroots game. First-class facilities like this are crucial to creating more opportunities for local people to enjoy regular sports.’

Works began to refurbish Stepney Green Park in April, with works taking around nine weeks to complete. Limonta Smith removed the existing sand-dressed surface and shock pad, and installed a new stone layer and macadam. The fencing and floodlighting were also replaced to create a safe facility to be utilised throughout the year. The surface chosen was a Limonta Infinity 55 football surface. Re-designing of all surround pathways to be DDA compliant was also included in the project.

Tower Hamlets is a borough with a strong footballing tradition and they believe this new facility will be extensively used by the local community. The site is particularly focused on increasing participation for women, girls, disabled players and mini-soccer teams. Strong partnerships are already in place with local amateur football clubs and community sports trusts from West Ham and Leyton Orient, who are strongly committed to developing football in the area.