Mid Suffolk district council planners grant approval to £2.4m Stowmarket health, education and leisure (SHELF) facility

Plans for a major sports and leisure facility to help tackle health inequalities in Stowmarket have been rubber-stamped by planners.

Mid Suffolk District Council has granted planning approval for the £2.4 million Stowmarket health, education and leisure facility (SHELF) scheme, marking a major milestone in the project.

The development is set to replace outdated facilities near Stowmarket High School and Chilton Fields, including a state-of-the-art sports pavilion, modern sports hall and 3G artificial pitch.

The facility would also include an improved rugby pitch for Stowmarket RUFC, community running track, cricket nets and multi-use games area (MUGA).

The project has been developed by Suffolk County Council, Stowmarket Town Council, Stowmarket High School, primary schools, Stowmarket Leisure Centre, clinical commissioning groups, Active Suffolk, sports clubs, Sport England and ward councillors.

Alongside the facility, walking and cycling routes would be created to encourage healthier lifestyles across the community, after more than a quarter of children in Stowmarket were described as obese or overweight, with 79 per cent of these found to remain obese in adulthood.

The works are set to be completed in three phases, starting with the pitch improvements, mini athletics circuit, MUGA and walking trails.

The next phase would be construction of a pavilion, sports hall, parking areas and play area.

The final phase would include the wellbeing hub, which is subject to a reserved matters submission.

Plans for the SHELF scheme have been in development since 2022.

In January, members of the district council’s cabinet approved the full business case for the first work package. This was considered alongside a recommendation to put £450,000, a portion of which would come from the council’s reserves, towards the scheme, with the remaining funding from external sources. This was also approved.