By Baseball Softball UK, www.baseballsoftballuk.com

As announced some time ago, BSUK intends to build a new baseball and softball facility in Manchester. The aim of the project is to deliver a financially sustainable facility that will meet the needs of the current playing community in the North West and serve as a basis for increased participation.

To achieve these aims, the facility will have:

A fully-fenced baseball field with dugouts, built to international standards.

A fully-fenced softball and youth baseball field, capable of hosting slowpitch and fastpitch softball as well as youth baseball.

Additional amenities onsite. Toilets and changing rooms are a must, with indoor space plus meeting rooms a bonus.

The facility must be affordable for existing playing communities to use and be able to host tournaments for adult and youth baseball and for fastpitch and slowpitch softball.

The site

In partnership with Manchester City Council and the Football Association, BSUK has identified a potential venue, and the proposed redevelopment of playing fields through the FA’s Parklife programme, as an opportunity to build something special.

The development of a new football centre will include two new 3G pitches, which will free up space for baseball and softball, including additional grass pitches for tournaments. Critically, the FA and the Council’s plans will include building toilets, changing rooms and other amenities as part of the development.

BSUK has progressed these plans with Manchester City Council but will now enter a period of consultation with the Manchester Baseball Club and the Manchester Softball League. The next few weeks, in the lead-up to Christmas, will be spent checking that our thinking to date matches the needs of the existing community and determining whether we need to make any changes.

Read the full article at www.baseballsoftballuk.com