Construction of the new multi use Community Sports Hub building at Boscawen Park has begun in earnest this week, with Truro Mayor Councillor Chris Wells formally cutting the first turf on the site.
Led by Truro City Council and funded by Truro Town Deal with support from Cornwall Council, the £5.2 million project will provide new and improved indoor and outdoor sports and leisure facilities at Boscawen Park.
Also attending the turf cutting ceremony were The Mayoress, Nicola Carveth; Truro Town Deal Board Chair Alan Stanhope; David Rodda MBE, Clerk of Truro City Council; representatives of the Boscawen Park Sports Hub project team, including project managers from Ward Williams Associates, Kast Architects, and Mei Loci Landscape Designs; as well as the contractor Fox Construction; officers from Truro City Council; and the Town Deal Programme Management Office.
The building work is expected to take in the region of 9 months. The new building will include flexible indoor spaces suitable for indoor sports use, as well as for other activities such as conferences, community and family events, workshops and training, and arts and crafts groups. As part of wider improvements at Boscawen Park, the Town Deal-funded project will also see the pétanque pitch extended and improved, the riverside walk resurfaced, and new fencing installed on the riverside of the park.
Last month also saw work begin on improving the grass playing pitches to enable them to be used for longer periods of the year. The pitches will be closed to all users while the pitch improvement works are carried out. Following completion of the drainage works at the end of September, the area will remain closed to the public to enable the new grass surface to be established. Competitive sports are expected to resume on the playing surfaces in April 2026.
The children’s play area, formal gardens, tennis courts and café are remaining open to the public throughout the construction period. The existing boules / pétanque pitch will also remain open for the majority of the building work.
“It was an honour to cut the turf for such an important project” said the Mayor of Truro Chris Wells. “This is bringing to fruition a long-term ambition of Truro City Council to improve the community and sports facilities at Boscawen Park and we are thankful that the Truro Town Deal funding has made this possible.”
Alan Stanhope, Chair of the Truro Town Deal Board, said “The Community Sports Hub at Boscawen Park is a sound investment in Truro’s future, adding high-quality sports and leisure facilities that will benefit residents of all ages. It’s also excellent to see a local contractor leading the build, ensuring that this project not only strengthens our community facilities but also supports local businesses.”
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Truro City Council on this long awaited project” said Kevin Bate, Director, Fox Construction Solutions. “We are committed to delivering quality and excellence to ensure the success of this project, supporting local SME’s along the way”
Truro Town Deal Board, in partnership with Cornwall Council, successfully bid for a Town Deal worth £23.6 million to support a range of projects that will contribute to the city’s regeneration and boost the local economy. Cornwall Council is the lead authority for Cornwall Town Deals and supports the governance role of the Truro Town Deal Board and administrates the fund.
Attendees pictured in the photo (from left to right): Alan Stanhope (Truro Town Deal Board Chair), Nicola Carveth (Mayoress), Cllr Chris Wells (Mayor of Truro), Kevin Bate (Fox Construction Director), and David Rodda MBE (Town Clerk of Truro City Council).