GUNNERSBURY PARK
A new dawn
for sport
The regeneration of
Gunnersbury Park is set
to transform tattered
changing rooms, bumpy
pitches and underused
spaces into an expanse
of modern outdoor sport
facilities – the largest in
west London.
E
aling and Hounslow councils
share ownership of the186acre site and Ealing’s cabinet
recently approved plans
to attract funding of up to almost
£9million specifically to utterly change
sports at the park for the better.
It will mean replacing tired
old buildings, upgrading pitches
and adding a whole array of
new features.
Some of the country’s
biggest sporting bodies
have shown an
interest in getting
involved in making
the plans a reality,
covering the sports of
tennis, football, rugby,
cricket and more.
Ealing Council’s
assistant director
of major projects,
Jonathan Kirby, said: “The
work, when complete, would
mean the park has the largest,
and arguably the best, collection
of outdoor sports facilities in west
London. There has been a lot of
interest from national sporting bodies in
getting involved, which is exciting.”
Proposals are being worked-up for new
artificial turf, all-weather pitches; fresh
grass pitches; a changing room block;
indoor sports hall; and tennis courts.
These will add to planned
improvements to the existing 10 football
pitches, rugby and cricket pitches,
cricket pavilion and a bowls green.
“About 80,000 people live around
the park, within a mile radius, but it can
also draw residents from all over the
borough,” said Mr Kirby. “It is amazing
to think the site was once enjoyed
solely as the home of one family but
should now become a modern place
of leisure catering for everyone
interested in sport.
“It represents another
step towards the overall
regeneration of
Gunnersbury
to make it a
destination fit for
the 21st Century.
”Transport
connections,
including major
roads, make it the
ideal location
for such a
significant sporting venue.”
If the funds are secured,
work could begin later this
year subject to planning
permission, which will be
determined by Hounslow’s
planning committee. However,
it is expected to then take
between 18 months and two
years to complete the work.
THE WIDER PLAN
The sports development project
is part of a wider scheme to
transform the park entirely by its
100-year anniversary in 2026.
Preservation and restoration work is
due to begi