A 'FORGOTTEN corner' of an Oxford estate is in the process of being turned into a shiny new multi-use games area ahead of the summer.

Blackbird Leys estate's £300,000 outdoor multi-use games area, or MUGA, will replace the tired-looking tennis courts off Pegasus Road with a floodlit 3G pitch and 40-space car park.

Work on the site began at the start of the year after planning permission was granted last August and the site could be in use as early as April.

Linda Smith, Oxford City Council's board member for leisure, parks and sports, said it would free up facilities at the neighbouring Leys Pools and Leisure Centre.

She said: "The MUGA will be market up for football so people can either use it as two small pitches, side by side with a net in the middle, or one larger pitch.

"The sports hall at the leisure centre has lots of bookings at the moment already for people to play football, so we are anticipating there will be big demand for this."

Fusion Lifestyle, the firm contracted to run Oxford's leisure centres, will also run the MUGA from inside the leisure centre.

It is likely to cost the same as the sports hall to use - £23 for an hour off-peak, or £41.75 for an hour at peak times – and keys will be handed to groups in the leisure centre.

Showers and changing rooms will also be designated for users of the MUGA, which will have a 3G artificial pitch covered with sand and rubber crumb.

As part of the project 41 new parking spaces are being added to the site while the council is also about to start work on two more in nearby Field Avenue.

Ms Smith said: "At times it does get very busy in the leisure centre car park, and residents have concerns about people parking in nearby streets."

Before work began the site was a largely disused tennis court with four floodlights, which are to be replaced with six 8m high-energy masts.

New 4.5m high ball-stop fencing will also be erected around the perimeter to replace the current 'dilapidated' fence.

Ms Smith said: "That area is rather neglected. The old tennis courts were a bit of an eyesore so it's bound to be an improvement and it will be nicely landscaped.

"I'm expecting it to smarten up what was a rather forgotten corner of Blackbird Leys."