Plans which could see a new games area installed at a school are not linked with a market town’s levelling up bid.

Fakenham Academy and the town council have confirmed that the school's application to North Norfolk District Council for permission to build a multi-use games area (MUGA) is to help fulfil its PE curriculum, and has nothing to do with the council’s application for levelling up funding which would see a 2G pitch developed in the town.

The MUGA would be built behind the school on Field Lane.

It would support sports such as small-sided hockey, tennis, and netball, while also supporting wider sports at recreational levels.

The pitch would be funded by the Sapientia Education Trust if it is successful.

Jonathan Taylor, CEO of the trust, said, “The plans for the MUGA is to replace facilities which are no longer fit for purpose.

“We are planning to decommission the space there and replace it with a better unit.

“Our pitch would not be as big as the hockey pitch that the town council is proposing.

“The application at the moment will be primarily for school, to help us to meet PE curriculum demands.

"We are looking forward to working with Fakenham Town Council to support their applications for Fakenham moving forward.”

The application also includes plans to build a mesh fencing system to enclose the facility, and a hard-standing path to allow for clean and safe access to/from the MUGA facility.

In documents supporting the application, it does say they would open the pitch up for community use on weekends and bank holidays.

The document goes on to say that the school fields, which are used for PE lessons, are left unusable due to weather conditions in the winter months.

It says that “areas become largely cut up; adversely impacting the performance and usage thereafter.

“This restricts not only PE activities but also the local community potential.

“The considered solution to this problem is an outdoor sports facility, in this case, a MUGA which would allow for sports to be played more frequently, regardless of weather conditions as they are more resilient than natural grass.”

You can view the application, or make comment on it, by going to NNDC’s planning portal and looking up reference number PF/22/1679