Stoke-on-Trent's two main football clubs are teaming up to bring "playzones" to the city for residents.

Seven areas are in line for one of the Football Foundation's Playzones, which offer space for recreational games, including Burslem, Middleport and Meir.

Stoke City FC and Port Vale FC are working with other local organisations including Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire University to bid for investment from the Football Foundation. If successful new facilities could be created or existing ones upgraded, such as the multi-use games area (MUGA) off Stansmore Road in Meir, a city council report revealed.

The other "areas of interest" for Playzones in the city are The Dome at Stoke City FC, where two could be created, as well as Port Vale, Middleport Matters, Ormiston Meridian Academy and Florence Tennis and Bowling Club. The council report said: "The Foundation have expressed a high interest to invest in the wards.

The playzones would be 'modern, safe and engaging' according to a council report (Nub News).

"Playzones are a FF concept that are modern, safe and engaging facilities. They are designed for recreational football and at least one other sport and there are a range of facility types to meet the need of different sports.

"The Foundation are working collaboratively with Basketball England, England and Wales Cricket Board, England Hockey, England Netball, Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union to agree design requirements for recreational forms of their sports. They are a contemporary, more sustainable and appealing version of a MUGA.

"They aim to have 330 Playzones by 2025, which includes a mix of new builds and refurbishments of existing facilities. The facilities will be community led through a thorough community engagement process to develop and drive the application and needs for the local communities.

"Playzones will be floodlit to enable evening usage for communities and groups and will be gated, to ensure facilities are accessible via a booking system. These will need to be managed via a community group/organisation to ensure the business model is a success and the facility remains sustainable with a sinking fund."

If the bid proves successful the Football Foundation will contribute three quarters of the cost – around £180,000 per Playzone. For the Stansmore Park site the remaining 25% is proposed to come from funding provided as part of the planning agreement for the Caverswall Lane housing development.

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