CEREDIGION County Council is to upgrade three artificial turf pitches in the south of the county.

The council has received a grant from Sports Wales and the Football Association of Wales’ Grassroots fund, which it will use to upgrade pitches in Cardigan, Lampeter and Synod Inn early next year.

The site in Cardigan will become a 3G surface with a rugby shock pad. The work is due to commence early next year and will take eight weeks.

The site in Lampeter will remain a 2G surface which can be used for a variety of sports.

The work is due to commence late February and is expected to take six weeks.

The site in Synod Inn will become a 3G surface and will take approximately four weeks to complete, beginning late February 2023.

In order for the renovations to be completed efficiently and safely, all pitches will be closed during these periods.

Leader of Ceredigion County Council, Cllr Bryan Davies, said: “This is a very exciting development for the county’s leisure facilities. As a council our aim is to provide modern, accessible, inspiring facilities to encourage our residents to be physically active and improve their wellbeing and the ATP upgrades will make a significant contribution to this.”

Newcastle Emlyn Hockey Club launched a petition earlier this year to try and prevent the Cardigan pitch from becoming 3G as competitive hockey games cannot be played on the artificial surface.