Work is getting underway on a new sports centre at Manhood Community College in a partnership between Chichester District Council and West Sussex County Council.

A turf-cutting ceremony will be held at the site on 4 March at 10.30am when the Chairman of the County Council, Margaret Johnson, the Chairman of Chichester District Council, Councillor John Ridd, and the teams behind the £2m-plus scheme will launch the project.

The new build comprises four-court sports hall and storage facilities, reception area, office, first aid, community/teaching room, changing rooms and outdoor multi-use games area (four court) with synthetic pitch surface and floodlighting.

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West Sussex County Council is covering 50% of the project cost; Chichester District Council is providing £1m; and the Community College is also making a cash contribution to the scheme.

The project is a key objective of the District Council's corporate improvement plan 'to provide leisure facilities for Selsey' and is the second facility of two to be delivered. The first, the Selsey Centre, was opened to the public in May 2007.

Cllr Nick Thomas, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Sport at Chichester District Council, said: "It is tremendous to see work start on this particular project as the sports centre will provide increased opportunity for all sorts of leisure activities in Selsey. The District Council's corporate improvement plan highlighted this need, and the sports hall will go a long way to meeting it. We are delighted to work with West Sussex County Council on such a vital scheme."

The new sports facilities will be managed by the Community College and will be open to the local community outside school hours.

The contractor is W Stirland, with project management by RLF (Brighton).

(CD/JM)