Chairman Gary Smart has described the decision to give Faversham Town’s new 3G pitch plans the go-ahead as a boost for the whole town as well as the club.

The Lilywhites are now liaising with contractors Velocity Sports to plan the construction of their artificial surface - with work due to begin the week commencing May 22 - with a view to it being ready for the 2023/24 season.

“It’s massive,” said Smart.

“You look at Margate, Chatham, Whitstable, Herne Bay and Sheppey and, when you go to their grounds, it’s like a billiards table.

“We didn’t have a game cancelled away from home last year. But our games - with the 23s and Strike Force using the pitch as well as the first-team - we had some called off.

“Our scholarship programme, we’re up to about 14 signed up at the moment. That means they will be educated at the club and playing on the brand-new pitch.

“We have our Kent Youth League sides, disability teams and girls’ football.

“For the community, it’s huge, as well as for Faversham Town Football Club.

“We started getting this ball rolling if you like about October. We had a couple of contractors give us their thoughts. We were not experts - but we certainly are now!

“We had it pencilled in for this time of the year which is a bit of a shutdown.

“We had a bit of a panic with Swale Borough Council delays, but we’ve got there, and we were half ready anyway.”

Smart says, in the perfect scenario, the estimated £750,000 3G pitch could be ready in around two months’ time.

He said: “Around July 15 will be the best-case scenario.

“Worst case will be the first week in August.

“But we’re going to have to liaise with the league, Strike Force and the FA. If we get drawn at home in the FA Cup, there will be a little bit of talking to do.

“But that will allow us to ensure the pitch is right and ready to go on.”

It’s not only Town who will benefit, either, with Southern Counties East Division 1 Faversham Strike Force set to groundshare at Salters Lane until at least 2025 after missing out on promotion through the play-offs last month at the end of their first campaign at the ground.

Smart said: “We’ve had some really positive help from Gary [Axford, manager], Stuart [Benfield, assistant] and Lee Suter [club development officer].

“They have signed up for another two years on the groundshare.

“At the moment, they train at the Abbey School, but they can train there [on the new 3G pitch]. It gives more playing and more training use.

“Strike Force have been great to work with. There was a bit of a ‘them and us’ situation but we’re definitely for Faversham teams sharing the ground.”

Town have already made big strides this summer in the transfer market, with striker Gary Lockyer among the latest to have agreed to join Sammy Moore’s troops from Ashford.

“He’s the marquee one at the moment,” Smart enthused.

“He’s a goal machine. He’s a great man as well.

“What he doesn’t know about local non-league football isn’t worth knowing.

“His whole family are football people and he wants to win stuff.”

Midfielder Kieron Campbell has agreed to stay but centre-back Darren Phillips has departed.

Rhys Leader, the son of vice-chairman Marc Leader, has replaced Mark Taylor as under-23s boss after having a previous coaching role under Taylor.