Gwent sportsground raises funds to remove electric cables

The work is due to start in mid-February after the Ponthir Sports and Community Club raised enough money through a crowdfundeing campaign to be able to pay Western Power Distribution the £21,000 needed to bury the cables under their Oaklands sportsground.

There were fears that the club, near Caerleon, would struggle to survive if it wasn’t able to bury the cables looming over the green space.

The club has plans to make space for a new pavilion, a multi-use games area and a second football pitch that meets Gwent Football League standard.

But the league previously told the club that the proposed area for the pitch wouldn’t meet playing standards unless overhead electric wires were taken down.

Electric cables overhead are currently preventing sport being played on certain areas of the ground.

The club’s secretary John Parfitt said he was amazed at how quickly things have moved forward.

“We’ve had a phenomenal response,” Mr Parfitt told the Argus.

“It’s been a really busy time for us, we’ve been on the phone calling people offering discount club memberships to people if they donate to the cause.

The overhead cables will be removed in February.

“In one day, we managed to raise £7,000 in donations – it really did take off!”

There’s still plans for the club to reach its initial £35,000 target in order for them to receive match funding from Sport Wales.

“We’ll keep going to try and reach that target because that’ll help us with our future plans for the Oaklands sports ground.

“We’ll be organising a big get together on June 2 for the village to celebrate what we’ve achieved.”

Club treasurer Anthony Pead and secretary John Parfitt.

Club treasurer Anthony Pead (left) and secretary John Parfitt (right) have said the support has been "phenomenal"

The green space proved to be a big hit with families during the first lockdown when travel restrictions were in place.

Club treasurer Anthony Pead said: “We were jam-packed here during lockdown because families with young kids had nowhere else to go. I’d say since the lockdowns the popularity of the sportsground has grown massively.

“We’re the only green space between Caerleon and Cwmbran so it’s really important to us that we make it an attractive space as possible to people living here.”

It’s estimated to take around three months to complete and will free up around 16,000 square metres of potential playing surface that can’t currently be used.

A major rewilding project is also on the cards for the Oaklands sportsground once the overhead wires are removed.