New PlayZones open in three West Suffolk towns

20 Jul 2026

New PlayZones offering a mix of free casual use for the community including children and teenagers, and pay for sessions, have officially opened in three West Suffolk towns.

The Football Foundation PlayZones have opened at Motts Field in Haverhill, the site of the former town swimming pool off Recreation Way in Mildenhall and on Studlands Park in Newmarket.

It follows a £222,433 investment by West Suffolk Council which unlocked a £667,297 grant from The Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation.

The chosen activities at each PlayZone follow engagement with sports clubs, community partners and residents in 2024. West Suffolk Council will continue to speak and listen to its local communities and clubs as it adapts to ensure, in particular that there is free access to play for children and teenagers.

Each PlayZone offers periods of free casual use for the community including children and teenagers during day light hours. A small charge is levied to bookings that include or run after sunset to cover the use of floodlights. The casual user sessions at the Mildenhall PlayZone will include a balance of free and chargeable sessions as this facility has an artificial grass pitch which costs more to maintain.

These bookings will be through the Football Foundation website using the same ClubSpark system that we use for bookings at the Abbey Gardens tennis courts in Bury St Edmunds.

This also means that people will be able to check on their mobile phone, tablet or computer to see if a court is available rather than turning up to find it already in use.

Bookings can now be made for each PlayZone as set out below:

•    Haverhill – for football or basketball https://book.footballfoundation.org.uk/haverhillPlayZone

•    Mildenhall – for football https://book.footballfoundation.org.uk/mildenhallPlayZone

•    Newmarket – for basketball, netball or football https://book.footballfoundation.org.uk/newmarketPlayZone

Clubs can also hire the facilities. They will pay a small hire fee which will pay toward the cost of maintenance, allowing the council to maintain the free hire periods for casual users. They are advised to make their booking by contacting parks@westsuffolk.gov.uk

Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture at West Suffolk Council, said: “It’s great to see these new facilities completed and open. I’d like to thank everyone who fed into the public engagement back in 2024 that helped shape these fantastic new facilities. We will be continuing to speak and listen to our communities to ensure the success of the PlayZones and to ensure, in particular, that children and teenagers can still get out, enjoy the fresh air and play for free. I’d also like to thank the Football Foundation, alongside The Premier League and the FA for their support, alongside our own investment, to make this happen. And I’d like to thank the community for their patience while we completed these works ready for the school summer holidays.

“These PlayZones will further encourage sports activity and participation for people of all ages, benefitting their health and wellbeing and supporting our ambition for a thriving West Suffolk.”

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “I hope these fantastic PlayZones will be a great source of pride for the local communities in Haverhill, Mildenhall and Newmarket who helped shape and deliver the project, and without whom it simply wouldn’t exist.

“Thanks to the funding we receive from our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Football Foundation will be delivering over 200 PlayZones like this one across the country."

To find out more about the Football Foundation PlayZones programme, visit their website: https://footballfoundation.org.uk/playzones-programme

 

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