Cricket ground to be redeveloped after 140 years

The famous Park Avenue cricket ground in Bradford will be redeveloped, says Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

The £5.5M redevelopment project will involve the England and Wales Cricket Board, YCCC and Bradford Council working in partnership through five stages of development planned between now and 2019.

It will turn the ground into a state-of-the-art facility with the prospect of it being used to hold elite women’s matches, disability cricket and some Yorkshire first team games.

The first stage, costing £570,000, will include the building of an inclusive changing pavilion, complete with car parking, security fencing and CCTV.

The second phase, costing £140,000, involves upgrading the surface to first-class level, as well as renovating the existing scoreboard and the groundsman’s store.

The final stage, costing £2.5M will see a new community pavilion with first-class changing rooms, a 250-capacity restaurant and more than 4,000 new seats for spectators.

Mark Arthur, Chief Executive of YCCC said: “The aim is to create a first-class ground, but it will be a ground primarily for the community.

“It’s a unique concept, and would give Bradford national and international recognition for using cricket as a positive vehicle for social inclusion.

“The plans are exciting for cricket in Bradford, and once the first phase is complete, we are hoping to get 2,000 people a week using the practice facility over the summer months.”

Cricket was first played on the Park Avenue site in 1873 and between 1880 and 1996 it was used for first class cricket by YCCC.

The club hope to play there in 2019 to ease pressure on Headingley in a busy summer of international cricket.

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