COUNCILLORS have backed £175,000 funding for a new artificial pitch at Leeds Road playing fields.

Kirklees Cabinet backed the spending on Tuesday and Council leader Clr Mehboob Khan labelled it as “fantastic”.

Clr Cathy Scott, Cabinet member for Place, said: “The artificial pitch is now 22 years old and an independent survey in 2011/12 said it was at the end of its use.

“We want to put down a new artificial state-of-the-art pitch for football and rugby and everything else.

“We’ll incorporate users groups, the schools, disabled groups, people who take part in events and competitions, football teams, the list of people who will benefit goes on.”

Of the funding, £175,000 will come from the capital plan for parks.

The new pitch will be a ‘third generation’ pitch, considered perfect for both adult and junior football.

However, it will end hockey being played there as the surface is not suitable for the sport.

The full cost is £385,000. The remaining money will come from the Football Foundation, the West Riding FA and energy trust Invest to Save which will invest £20,000 for energy-efficient floodlighting.