A campaign to supplement a village’s grass football pitch with a 3G all-weather facility is making progress – although it is still a long way from completion.

It was eight years ago when Lee Seal of the Staplehurst Monarchs Junior Football Club first complained to Staplehurst Parish Council that the grass pitches at the Jubilee Field in Staplehurst were not fit to play on for large parts of the football season.

Matches were – and still are – being postponed or else the club is forced to play “home” games at away venues.

The cudgel was taken up by the then Staplehurst ward councillors Louise Brice and John Perry who convinced the Kent FA that a 3G all-sports pitch was needed.

The only setback was the estimated £1m cost.

But after extensive lobbying, the parish council has secured a commitment from the Football Foundation to meet 75% of the build cost, and Maidstone Borough Council has also set aside £234,000 obtained from Section 106 developer contributions towards the project.

The parish council has committed £30,000 of its own and will be making a further request to Maidstone Borough Council for a top-up from its community infrastructure pot.

Now, the parish is setting about consultation with the village on the plans. A working group, chaired by Ms Brice, has been set up to move the project forward.

The council has a webpage to answer villagers’ questions, which can be visited here.

Hard copies of the plans are available in Staplehurst Library and at the Parish Office at the Village Centre and there will be an information stall at the Family Fun Day planned for August 2 at the Surrenden Playing Field, and again at the Skate Jam on August 15 at the Jubilee Field.

If the parish secures the consent of villagers, it will still have to obtain planning permission and complete the funding. It is not expected that the new pitch would be available until the Spring of 2025.

Cllr Paddy Riordan, chairman of Staplehurst Parish Council, said: “I am grateful to everyone for all their hard work over a long period of time towards this exciting project.”