CORNWALL Council’s leader has been asked why a “much-needed” £750,000 sports pitch has been delayed and who is responsible for it not opening in time for the 2026/27 football season.

Cllr Leigh Frost, the Liberal Democrat leader of Cornwall Council, signed off a recommendation last year that a £746,057 grant from the Football Foundation was to be used to fund the building of a floodlit community 3G pitch next to Truro City FC’s ground at Langarth, on the outskirts of Truro.

He said at the time that a contractor for its construction would be procured and it was the council’s hope the pitch would be ready for use in time for the start of the 2026/27 football season in August.

The community pitch is designed to host Threemilestone Football Club, the newly formed Truro City Women team, local youth teams and the surrounding Langarth Garden Village community, when the new town is built.

The 3G pitch is the second phase of the Truro Sports Hub development, following the successful opening of the main 3,000-capacity stadium in August 2024.

At a meeting of Cornwall Council last week, Cllr Dulcie Tudor, the Independent councillor for the Langarth area, probed the council leader about the project’s delay. “Cllr Frost, you’ll remember back in November when as part of the leader decision day, the council officially accepted more than £750,000 of funding from the Football Foundation to build the much-needed all-weather 3G community football pitch at the Truro Sports Hub at Langarth.

“The build was due to start in February at the latest, to be finished by the start of the football season, but six months on and counting there is still not a start date to the build.

“This delay means local teams, including Threemilestone AFC and the new Truro City women’s team, now have nowhere to play because of their time slots which were booked for the new pitch.

“Worryingly, because of deadlines attached to the funding, the Football Foundation could withdraw the money altogether.

“Can the leader tell me the reason for the delay and who is responsible for it?”

Cllr Frost responded: “I’m not quite clear on what the delay is and what’s happened, but I am aware that Langarth LLP [a limited liability partnership created by Cornwall Council and its construction company, Treveth, to deliver the garden village scheme] met with the Football Foundation this morning and had a really positive meeting about the funding, which is secure.

“The start date will be in July with completion in October, which is unfortunate because it is two months into the season, but that’s the best they can do.”

Cllr Tudor reiterated that she would like to be given the answer to her question about why the project has been delayed and who is responsible for that delay, which Cllr Frost said would be forthcoming.

She has yet to receive that information over a week after the meeting.