Buxted Park Cricket Club receive £12,000 in funding to improve sports facilities

The funding comes from the Sports Infrastructure Fund; a new funding programme launched in October 2024 by Wealden District Council. The programme will invest up to £600,000 over the next three years to enhance and improve outdoor sports pitches and facilities throughout the district.

Heathfield Park Cricket Club has received £16,000 from the council’s Sports Infrastructure Fund which will contribute towards the installation of new cricket nets at the cricket ground on School Hill, Heathfield. Buxted Park Cricket Club has also received £12,000 to install hybrid cricket wickets at Buxted Park and Maresfield Recreation Ground.

These sites are widely used by many members of the community. The practice nets at Heathfield are old and no longer met Cricket Board standards, making urgent replacement necessary to allow play to continue. Without financial support from Wealden council, the quality of the site and its facilities would have declined further. This would have reduced the availability of facilities, leading to fewer teams — particularly junior and Sunday-friendly teams – and would have reduced the availability at this site.

Hybrid cricket wickets is a relatively new technology and should help to protect and improve the existing playing surfaces at Buxted Park and Maresfield Recreation Ground.  The funding meets the recommended actions of the Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy by supporting community-use and the enhancement and protection of the long-term future of cricket at these sites.