It might be the end for grass sports fields in Cape Town as the City will be investing more than R20 million in new synthetic soccer pitches, in addition to a R100 million already spent on 29 pitches across Cape Town.
JP Smith, the City’s mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, and Social Services, said: "The synthetic pitches are built according to Fifa specifications and they have several advantages over conventional fields. Not only can they be used for longer periods, but they are also more affordable to maintain and offer a water-wise alternative to grass fields. The latter is especially pertinent in the current climate.”
Areas which were identified as being “under-served” in terms of sports facilities would be receiving the pitches.
In a statement, the City’s Recreation and Parks Department said that it had instituted a triage system for grass sports fields to lessen the impact of the drought crisis.
The new facilities would be installed in Ocean View, Seawinds and NY116 in Gugulethu.
The existing 29 pitches consist of 19 full-sized pitches and 10 five-a-side facilities.
Full-sized pitches are currently used in Hout Bay, Lwandle, Site C Sports Complex, Manenberg, Blue Downs, Nomzamo, Imizamo Yethu, Westridge, Nyanga, Scottsdene, Gugulethu, Langa, Valhalla Park Recreation Hub, Kewtown, Steenberg, Heideveld, Crossroads, Atlantis and Hanover Park.
The five-a-side facilities are Portlands Indoor Centre, Langa Sports Complex, Witsand Sports Complex, Ocean View Sports Complex, Grassy Park Sport and Recreation Centre, Elukhanyisweni Sport and Recreation Centre, Lwandle sports field, Bishop Lavis sports grounds, Uitsig sports grounds, and the Valhalla Park Recreation Hub.
Smith said: “These artificial turfs encourage extensive usage without interruption for rehabilitation.
“They go a long way towards alleviating the burden on existing grass soccer fields and are a solution to the land constraints which hinder the development of more playing surfaces at sports facilities.
“They provide an innovative and sustainable solution that has enabled the City to better meet the ever-growing needs of the sporting community.”
Smith said it would be everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the sporting facilities would be used in a manner that would ensure long-term
sustainability.