Sporting facilities opened in new Devon town

Astro turf and grass pitches are among the facilities at the Sherford Sports Hub

Sports pitches that will be available to hire by the public have opened in a £1bn new Devon town.

Facilities at the Sherford Sports Hub opened on Wednesday and include all-weather and grass football pitches and tennis courts and are being managed by the Argyle Community Trust, Plymouth Argyle's official charity.

As part of the opening, the charity said a "community launch week" was being held during the half-term holiday from 28 October to 1 November, with people invited to try the facilities out.

Building work in the new town started in 2015 and once finished, it will have 5,500 homes for about 12,000 residents.

Richard Harrison from Taylor Wimpey, which is part of the Sherford Consortium - the partnership building the town - said the sports pitches marked "another important milestone".

Mr Harrison said: "We believe these top-tier sports and recreational facilities will inspire many to pursue an active lifestyle and bring the new and existing local communities closer together."

Lewis Coombes, head of facilities at Argyle Community Trust, said the charity was proud to be running the hub.

"We know that city-based sports clubs, community groups, and local residents are going to really value these spaces so we are looking forward to engaging with them to fulfil their needs and promote availability and accessibility of the facility," he said.