Imperial to buy 27 acre sports ground to support student activities

Imperial is nearing completion on the purchase of a major new sports ground.

The new site, located just over two miles from Imperial’s existing Harlington sports ground, marks a continued commitment by the College to providing the best sporting facilities to its students.

The site in Heston is set across 27 acres and has grass space for five football and two rugby pitches as well as tennis and netball courts, cricket facilities and a shooting range.

It also has a wide range of indoor facilities for students to use, including a large theatre and activity space, squash and basketball courts and three bars, potentially providing wider benefit to non-sporting clubs and activities.

Heston theatre space

Neil Mosley, Head of Sport Imperial, said: “The Heston site represents an exciting opportunity for sport at Imperial. It will provide us with facilities that we don’t currently have to support more diverse student activities, as well as larger and better quality pitches and courts less than 10 minutes’ drive away from our Harlington sports ground.”

The close proximity of the new site to the existing Harlington sports ground will allow for shared transportation to sporting fixtures and provides a social space which could be used to bring teams together after their fixtures.

Yas Edwards, the Deputy President (Clubs & Societies) at Imperial College Union said:

“Imperial College Union welcomes the purchase of the new Heston sports grounds and is excited about the opportunities the new site will bring for sporting and non-sporting activities alike. We are proud to facilitate one of the largest student activities programmes in the world and suitable facilities are always at a premium for our over 300 student groups. We look forward to working actively with Sport Imperial to ensure the site offers the best in affordable and inclusive space for Imperial students, widening the range of groups which can be regularly accommodated in College operated facilities.”

The site, which is currently operated by British Airways for the airline’s staff and members of the public, will be available to Imperial students from the autumn.

On Friday 27 June, at 2.30pm at Ethos Sport Imperial will be holding an open information session for interested students and sports teams who want to find out more about the new facility and what it will mean for them.

With the purchase, staff currently working at the site will have their employment transferred to Imperial ahead of a wider consultation through which the College will consider the best structure for operating its sporting facilities in the future.