Plans to build all-weather pitches in Battersea has secured funding from The FA, Football Foundation, London Charitable Trust and The Premier League.

The 3G artificial grass pitches will replace the existing ones in Falcon Park. Currently, there are four junior size grass pitches which are regularly deemed unplayable in the winter due to waterlogging.

Replacing them with an all-weather playing surface with floodlights means sports clubs and young people will be able to use them for around 80 hours a week - compared to the ten-hour limit recommended for grass pitches by the Football Association.

Wandsworth’s environment spokesman Cllr Steffi Sutters said: “Securing funding for this scheme is great news for everyone in this part of Battersea who wants to play football and other sports and stay fit and healthy.

“One of the conclusions of the public consultation was the need to make sure that Falcon Park remained open and welcoming to other local groups, especially dog walkers which is why we have sited the new pitch in the south west corner of the park so that dog owners and other visitors can continue to enjoy a large uninterrupted green space.”

Funding for the scheme has now been secured from The Football Foundation, which has provided £480,000 and The London Marathon Charitable Trust which has approved a £150,000 grant. The remaining £1.4m is coming from council budgets.

The investment will also pay for the construction of a modern new changing pavilion to replace the existing one, which is currently vacant.

The new pitch will be in the south west corner of Falcon Park. It will be used mainly for football but will also support other sports like rugby and cricket.

The proposals would leave three quarters of the park almost completely untouched, apart from a series of landscape and environmental improvements at the northern end designed to make it more attractive, improve access and encourage greater use by

local people.