THE FIRST spades have hit the ground as work begins on creating a £4.9m new sports complex for Oxford.

Farmland near the Cowley Mini Plant is being transformed into football, cricket and softball pitches with a pavilion and changing rooms.

And BMW could use the space freed up by the development to expand, according to Oxford City Council leader Bob Price, in light of the decision to build the electric Mini in Oxford.

At a ground-breaking ceremony for the project yesterday, Mr Price confirmed he would be meeting the Cowley plant’s bosses in two weeks time and that expansion of the plant is expected to be on the agenda.

BMW, which paid £4.9m for the centre, owns the training fields currently used by Oxford United in Horspath Road.

These will close once the new facility is ready in summer 2018, leaving the land next to the plant empty if the motoring giant did decide to expand.

Mr Price said: “At the moment we don’t know but things will be a lot clearer in two weeks time.”

Oxford United are finalising details with the council and Fusion Lifestyle - a not-for-profit charity which will run the new sports fields - about moving their academy over to the new facility when it is ready.

The sports park, built over 39 acres of land, will include three full size football pitches, two grass cricket pitches and four softball diamonds.

Work is expected to be completed in January and the grass pitches, which will need time to seed, are due to open in the summer.

Mr Price said that it would ‘massively’ increase the space available for use by both amateur and professional teams.

The council leader, a former competitive runner himself, said: “I think it is a critical point in the development of sport in the city. It feels like one of those iconic moments when things change.”

Once opened, members of Oxford leisure centres run by Fusion, including the Ferry Leisure Centre in Summertown and the Leys Pool and Leisure Centre, will be able to book pitches for a discounted rate.

Up to 10 members of staff will work at the pitches, which are expected to open well into the evening, seven days a week.

Mark Munday, Fusion’s divisional business manager said: “From groups of friends to clubs and groups, we want these pitches to be used by a wide range of people - young and old - at all times of day.”

BMW did not provide a comment.