Cheshire East has secured funding from a housing development to make improvements to a much-loved Macclesfield football field.

The work at the popular Rugby Drive playing fields, in Macclesfield, is part of a £300,000 improvement plan for open spaces.

The funds are from local housing developer contributions, which enable Cheshire East to provide enhanced open space and leisure facilities, in line with their Local Plan.

The work includes sustainable drainage improvements, which will allow the pitches to be used all year round. This will increase the number of matches that can be played by local football teams.

Cllr Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council's cabinet member with responsibility for green space, said: "Rugby Drive fields is well used by local grassroots football teams but poor drainage meant that there was very little play during the winter season last year. Matches were frequently called off due to pitch flooding.

"Thanks to the hard work of the parks team and this generous investment, local football players will be able to put their skills into practice with regular matches, without the field becoming over used.

"I would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Tytherington Juniors, who have worked closely with our parks team and really helped to ensure this project takes place for the benefit of themselves and other local teams."

The work will start on Monday (20th July) and will take approximately six weeks to complete. The pitches will be closed during the work but should be ready for use when the new football season starts in September.

An official open day of the improved facilities will take place in September 2020.