Extra playing fields to be provided across Milton Keynes as legacy to city’s football stars

Additional playing fields are to provided across Milton Keynes as a lasting legacy to home-grown football stars Leah Williamson and Dele Alli.

The commitment to providing additional facilities follows a successful motion from the leader of the Conservative Group Cllr David Hopkins.

In his motion to Milton Keynes City Council, Cllr Hopkins, member for Danesborough and Walton, highlighted that grassroot football teams, such as Woburn and Wavendon FC, are struggling to find playing fields to accommodate their expanding youth football teams. He told the council it had the chance to rectify this issue via the upcoming Plan: MK 2 which sets out the council's strategy for meeting the Borough's needs until 2031.

Mr Hopkins told the meeting this commitment to grassroots football, and the numerous invaluable benefits it provides young people, would be a fitting legacy to local football stars Leah Williamson and Dele Alli.

Cllr Hopkins accepted amendments from the Liberal Democrats and the motion was passed unanimously. Cllr Hopkins said: “Youth soccer offers numerous benefits to our young citizens, including increasing cognitive brain function and increasing confidence and self-esteem and, most of all, it is fun.

“But the real issue is that as the population of our fabulous city grows, the level of demand for soccer pitches grows and we simply are not meeting that demand. A legacy must be created from now on using the council’s strategic planning powers across MK, in tribute to, and, as a lasting legacy of the success of Leah Williamson and all our local lionesses and lion cubs of the future.”