Club News

Permanent home for the Academy and Women’s Team – Consultation Open Day

8th September 2023

Come and see the plans and meet the development team behind the £21m Brickfields development in Devonport, at our open drop-in event later this month and find out more about this transformational project.

Plymouth Argyle Football Club, the Argyle Community Trust (which is the club’s official charity), Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Albion RFC and Devonport Community Leisure Ltd have come together to rejuvenate the under-used Brickfields site with a focus on community health, wellbeing, and raising aspirations, especially among young people in the city.

As part of the plans, Argyle will provide an £11m investment towards the project, with £7.26m coming from the Argyle Community Trust and £2.75m from Plymouth City Council.

The project will see wholesale redevelopment of Brickfields to provide an exciting range of community and sport facilities including new grass and all-weather 3G pitches, Play Zones exclusively for public use, better access, public areas, and parking.

At the core of the proposals is a new permanent home for Plymouth Argyle’s youth wing, the Argyle Academy, including a covered pitch and other facilities which are of the standard required to elevate the Academy to Category 2 status in the future, creating more opportunities for young people.

The Academy forms part of Argyle’s work to inspire and make positive difference to communities across Devon and Cornwall, removing barriers to participation and offering opportunities that are accessible to all members of the community.

With a focus on disadvantaged and isolated communities, under-represented groups, at-risk children, young people, and adults, there is a clear vision at the club, along with national partners, to be an active, inspirational, and inclusive community organisation.

Further detail on the future layout of the Brickfields site will be revealed soon, but plans include:

An improved set of playing pitches including three grass football pitches.
A new rugby/football artificial pitch for the use of the community and Plymouth Albion RFC on the site of the existing grass rugby training pitch.
A new purpose-built Academy building, including classrooms for scholars, office space for Academy staff, changing rooms, a gym, and a parents’ lounge.
A permanent home for the Argyle Women’s first team.
A new floodlit 3G football pitch to replace a hockey pitch in poor condition (currently closed).
A new, covered 3G football pitch
Investment in the existing 60m x 40m rubber crumb pitch and the provision of a Play Zone exclusively for public use
Better site access, public areas, and parking
Opening up the site for community paths

The plans complement the work already underway to transform the former Brickfields Sports Centre into a new community health and wellbeing hub that will be operated by the Argyle Community Trust.

As you may be aware, Plymouth City Council’s cabinet approved the progression of the wider regeneration of Brickfields Recreation Ground on Thursday, 9 March 2023. A project working group has been formed by the Argyle Community Trust, Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club, and Devonport Community Leisure Ltd to co-design and deliver the scheme.

A planning application will be submitted later this year.

There is a dedicated microsite here with information on the proposed plans. This site will grow and develop alongside the project.

Please see details of the open event at Brickfields where you can meet the key partners and staff and see the project in more detail: