THE first two phases of a £5.5 million masterplan to restore the Park Avenue cricket ground in Bradford into a first-class facility are now complete.

The ambitious project to restore the venue to its former glory is a partnership between Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Bradford Council, with work mapped out in five stages up to 2019.

The construction of eight artificial practice wickets and a community pavilion on the site of the former Bradford Park Avenue football pitch next to the ground, costing around £570,000, is now finished. The bulk of the second phase, which includes upgrades to existing pitches on the main ground, is also done, with additional funding from the ECB allowing for the renovation of the scoreboard and groundsman’s store, costed at around £50,000.

The practice wickets are due to be officially opened to the public ahead of the 2017 cricket season.

Phil Barker, the Council's assistant director for sport and culture, said: “Phase one of the work at Park Avenue cricket ground, which includes a new changing pavilion suitable for people with disabilities and an eight-lane practice nets facility, is now complete.

"Phase two, the upgrading of the existing main pitch, which includes the creation of an additional 11 pitches to the cricket square, is also complete. The site does need to settle before people start playing on it, so we will be looking to open early in 2017.

“We are delighted that we have been awarded some additional money in the form of a grant from the ECB so that we can carry out work on the scoreboard and the groundsman’s store.”

It is understood that contracts are being negotiated for the third phase of the work, centred around a £2m community pavilion and 250-seat restaurant, to be paid for by the Council’s capital programme and the ECB.

Taj Butt, community development officer at the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, said the new pitches on the square would not be usable until summer 2018, but the practice nets should be open to the public at the end of March or beginning of April next year.

He said: “People have been growing in excitement as the work has been going on and I’m sure they’ll be looking forward to using the nets.

"We are looking at offering a pricing policy that makes them affordable to all. They will be some of the best facilities around.”