Funding of £1million for a new pitch at Southwick Football Club has been agreed by Adur District Council.

A match-funding agreement –approved by the council’s cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday, March 12 – will see a total of £1million over two years to support the new 3G pitch and facilities at Old Barn Way.

The agreement will see match funding between the council and the Russell Martin Foundation (RMF), with £300,000 from each in 2024/25, and a further £200,000 each in 2025/26.

The foundation was founded by the Southampton Football Club manager, who is from Brighton.

The total cost of the project is around £2.4 million, with this £1 million being the direct contribution by the council and RMF.

It is hoped the remaining £1.4million will be funded by the Football Foundation through a bid to the Football Foundation Grant Funding Agreement by RMF, and to be used jointly by the council and RMF should it be successful.

The Football Foundation indicated in November last year the project would need a further £1million to complete, increasing from initial estimates of £600,000 due to rising construction costs.

Council funding will be drawn from its capital programme over the two years, with the RMF having to fundraise next year for its 2025/26 contribution but could require a loan from the council to meet any remaining gap in funding.

Plans for the site were approved by the council’s planning committee in December last year, and will see the existing clubhouse rebuilt with expanded facilities, a cafe, a new 3G football pitch, new floodlights and railway netting, with the RMF as the developer.