Wokingham Borough Council looks set to buy Grays Farm in Heathlands Road, Wokingham, with a view to using the 64-acre site for a 'South Wokingham Sports Hub’ to tie in to the major development due to take place to the south of Wokingham in the coming years.

The farm is adjacent to land that is earmarked for residential development as part of the South Wokingham Strategic Development Location (SDL) and developers would be funding the purchase and development of sports facilities.

The farm was put on the market in May for £1.5m, but the true cost is likely to have been higher, as, according to council documents, there was more than one bidder for the land.

Cllr Angus Ross, the borough’ council executive member for environment, said: “We have moved quickly to secure this land for the community.

“Grays Farm is a popular local business, but when it came on the market we knew straight away that it was a golden opportunity to get hold of the land we need for sports pitches.

“We don’t yet know the breakdown of the type of pitches – senior football pitches, junior football pitches, hockey pitches – that will be there but we do know this is great news for current and future residents in Wokingham and will protect this area from further development.” The deal is expected to be ratified by the borough council’s executive at a meeting tomorrow (Thursday).

Under the terms of the deal, the present owners of the farm would remain in place until September 2017 and they would continue to the run the business up until that point.

The farm has been run by several generations of the Grays family. Peter Gray from Grays Farm declined to comment.

The council had also looked at Priors Farm, in Easthampstead Road, as a potential site for the hub, but the immediate availability of Grays Farm was a key factor.

South Wokingham SDL will see about 2,500 new homes built as well as a host of community facilities.