Chris Boardman MBE recently visited Five Acres in Berry Hill to view and discuss the regeneration of the site.

The chair of Sport England and national active travel commissioner was invited to the site by members of Forest of Dean District Council, West Dean Parish Council and Five Acres High School.

Mr Boardman, an Olympic champion and Tour De France veteran, was shown design plans and toured both the site and Five Acres High School to gain a better understanding of the planned development and how it will benefit the Forest of Dean community.

Wendy Jackson, regeneration manager at Forest of Dean District Council, said: "It's been fantastic to present our ambitious plans for Five Acres to Sport England and to be able to show Chris Boardman around the wider site, to gain a better understanding of Five Acres and the surrounding area, and how this new facility will benefit the people of the Forest of Dean.

"As a council, we're working hard with residents, businesses, sports and social organisations to ensure that the facility will be accessible for all and cater for a wide range of sports and community activities.

"I'd like to thank West Dean Parish Council, Five Acres High School and the Forest of Dean Gymnastics Club for their assistance on the day and look forward to continuing our work together to inform the design process."

The new Levelling Up funded facility at Five Acres will be completed in phases. The initial phase will focus on dry-side sport and leisure facilities through the re-purposing of the Speedwell building, which will connect through to a new multi-purpose four court sports hall/ performance space, party rooms/ dressing rooms and separate changing rooms - all with car and cycle parking, including EV chargepoints.

Chris Boardman MBE, chair of Sport England and national active travel commissioner, said: "The plans for the new facility at Five Acres look incredible and will be a real asset to people in both the local community and further afield.

"Sport has a way of bringing people together like nothing else and the regeneration of this site will be such an important part for people of the Forest of Dean. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the council, school and local clubs who took time to show me around the site and I look forward to learning more about the development and working together in future."

The council is currently working with sporting organisations to help with funding for facilities like the 3G pitch and is inviting football and rugby clubs from across the district to get in touch to join a 3G pitch group, helping to establish the number of potential users and highlight the benefits of the pitch to clubs from across the Forest.

If any football or rugby clubs would like to get involved in the 3G pitch group, contact regeneration@fdean.gov.uk for further information.