Football team to return home as sports hub approved

Cornwall Council's strategic planning committee agreed to plans for a new sports hub

A Cornish football team is set to be able to return to its home city after planners approved the building of a new sports hub.

Truro City Football Club, has been playing its home games in Taunton this season - its third new homeground since 2018 when their ground at Treyew Road was sold to make way for a new Lidl supermarket.

On Thursday, Cornwall Council's strategic planning committee agreed to allow the council’s development arm, Treveth, to build the Truro Sports Hub.

Plans included a main pitch to serve Truro City, with a capacity for 3,000 fans and potential to increase to 4,000, and a community pitch.

The main pitch would be completed this year and with plans for the community pitch to be completed in 2025, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Work has already started on the site, which will replace the failed 10,000-seater Stadium for Cornwall bid, so Truro City FC could be back home in time for the next season.

Both pitches would be floodlit and there would be a 72-space car park.

The ground will also be adaptable for other sports such as rugby as well as public events and entertainment.

The main pitch will be completed this year with the community pitch to follow in 2025

Councillors heard a joint statement from Truro City and Threemilestone football clubs, which said: “We believe this to be a unique opportunity to deliver an outstanding and sustainable sports facility for the people of Truro and surrounding areas.”

Temporary buildings would provide the necessary initial infrastructure to secure Football Association (FA) certification of the ground.

The FA-compliant pitch and building work has been estimated to cost £4.46m.

Truro City FC has provided £2.03m from the sale of its former ground and £2.43m of funding came from the Langarth Garden Village budget.

The community pitch and associated work including car parking would be funded through £800,000 of Football Foundation grant funding and around £1.74m of Langarth capital.