Kent County Cricket Club and Leander Sports & Leisure have announced they have exchanged contracts for the future development of the Club’s Worsley Bridge Road ground at Beckenham.

The Club will enter a 20 year lease, following the completion of a new multi-million facility, which will be built by Galliford Try Plc.

The exciting development will dramatically enhance the cricket facilities and will include an indoor cricket school to be built to ECB Academy standards, and spectator seating for over 2,000, including a new spectator stand.

The development also involves the physiotherapy treatment rooms, along with a gym and Pilates studio. A conference and banqueting area to seat 160 people, along with bar and kitchen facilities.

New offices, an AstroTurf football pitch, two hard standing tennis courts, car parking and floodlights complete the ambitious development plans for the site.

In addition, negotiations continue with regard to two other buildings – a health and leisure facility and a conference centre.  It is hoped that these developments will also happen in the near future.

Linden Homes will undertake the enabling development and will be submitting a detailed planning application immediately.

Kent Cricket CEO, Jamie Clifford commented on the announcement; “This is extremely exciting news for Kent County Cricket Club. We have been committed to developing a high quality cricket ground in Beckenham for over a decade.  This latest advance will allow us to truly state that we have a centre of excellence in a key part of the county.

“The new indoor centre will provide us with a fantastic base from which to identify and develop young players.  In addition the ground enhancements will open up opportunities for staging matches in the future.”