WORK started today on a £2.7 million sports pavilion on the site of the former Widnes Recreation Club which was gutted in an arson attack.

The single storey development will include outdoor football and rugby pitches, a floodlit multi-use games area and cricket pitch plus 10 changing rooms, six officials’ changing rooms, a community room and kitchen.

Halton Council has pledged to provide first class amateur sports facilities at the Liverpool Road site, once home to countless local teams.

Halton Clr Phil Harris, board member for sport, said: “The high quality facilities that will be provided on the site will support our local amateur sport teams and provide a base for new community activities.”

The site is an important community sports facility in Halton which has historically provided community sports facilities and pitches. In developing the site, multi-sport has been a prime consideration.

In addition to increasing participation, the project aims to use sport to regenerate and revitalise the wider community, helping to address issues relating to health, anti-social behaviour, education and environmental improvement.

The council’s sport and recreation team already offers and facilitates a number of services that will be delivered to support this project, such as a community sports coach scheme, a sports volunteer programme, coach education and development workshops and sports leadership courses.

The site is centrally located in the town on a major public transport route and forms the northern part of a much larger sports park area.

Globe Construction from Warrington will deliver the project.

As part of the development, Globe will be working with the neighbouring Ditton Primary School on projects around construction. They will go into the school with their mascot, Ivor Goodsite, and take pupils on site visits.

Neighbouring residents will receive letters advising of intended works, working hours and contact details if there are any problems.

Globe has delivered projects from £200,000 to £8m across both the public and private sectors in the north west.

The company has successfully completed commercial, industrial, education, residential, retail, leisure, health and community schemes.

Globe has worked with St Modwen, Bruntwood, Lancaster University, Morecambe FC and Derwent Holdings.