Richmond Council approved £285,731 to rebuild the White House games court in Hampton for football, basketball and netball. The Football Foundation pays 75%.

The outdoor games court at the White House community centre in Hampton is to be rebuilt as a Football Foundation PlayZone. It will be laid out for football, basketball and netball.

Richmond Council approved a £285,731.08 contract for the work on 10 November. The Football Foundation will pay 75% of the cost.

The officer decision was signed by the council’s Executive Director of Environment. It lets the council enter a contract with McArdle Sport-Tec Limited to design, refurbish and build the court. The figure excludes VAT.

What is being built

The court is a multi-use games area at the Hampton Community Centre, 45 The Avenue, Hampton, TW12 3RN. The building is known locally as the White House.

The decision report says the work will:

  • refurbish the existing games court
  • lay a tarmac PlayZone suitable for football, basketball and netball
  • provide “an improved, accessible community sports facility”

The council considered not going ahead. The report says that would “leave the existing MUGA unusable”.

The choice of sports came from a public consultation the council ran in December 2024. The report says the results “confirmed support” for the sports chosen and helped shape plans for how the site will be used once it opens.

Who pays

The council’s capital programme had £260,000 set aside for the project. That was split 75% from the Football Foundation and 25% from the council.

The contract came in at about £26,000 over that budget. The report says the foundation has agreed to keep paying 75% of the higher cost. The council will find the extra, about £6,500, from its revenue budget.

On those shares, the foundation’s part of the £285,731 contract is about £214,000 and the council’s about £71,000.

The work is being bought through the Football Foundation’s PlayZones programme and its approved list of contractors. The council’s lawyers still have to approve the final contract before it is signed.

What it means for you

If you live near The Avenue, expect building work at the centre once the contract is signed. The report says a construction management plan covering noise, dust, waste and traffic has already been approved by the council as planning authority.

No start date or opening date has been published yet. The council’s planning portal, which holds the application, was down for maintenance when we checked on 10 November. We will add the dates when they are announced.

Once finished, the report says the court will support “increased opportunities for football, basketball and netball” in Hampton North. Whether it is free to use, and when it opens, has not been announced.