The initial phase of urgent works to fix the community 3G football pitch at Scarborough Sports Village has commenced, with contractors removing the existing surface this week.

North Yorkshire Council pledged in June last year to safeguard the pitch's long-term future at the home of Scarborough Athletic Football Club and Scarborough Ladies Football Club by backing a programme of repairs. A site survey carried out last year uncovered serious and unexpected structural problems dating back to the facility’s original build in 2017 for the former Scarborough Borough Council, which must be rectified before a new surface is laid.

Due of the severity of the issues, the pitch has been unavailable for competitive fixtures during the 2025/26 season. The council has committed to completing the repairs in time for matches to resume in August this year, at the start of the next season.

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The removal of the current playing surface will be followed by stabilisation and drainage works in the coming weeks, ahead of installing a new pitch.

Executive member for leisure, Cllr Simon Myers, said: "This marks a very important moment in this project and one that I'm sure is welcomed by all users of the pitch, including Scarborough Athletic and Scarborough Ladies, their members, supporters and the wider football community.

"We are absolutely committed to ensuring that the pitch is repaired to an excellent standard, and that it is done so as swiftly as possible to minimise the impact on everyone.

"We know how important this is for not only the clubs and their supporters, but the wider communities in Scarborough and beyond. That's why it's great to start the new year on the front foot, and I look forward to seeing the progress over the coming weeks and months.

"We are continuing to work closely with the main contractor, Willmott Dixon, the football clubs and other key stakeholders to ensure that this project maintains this positive momentum and is completed on time, ready for the 2026/27 season."