A Potters Bar school has received a £50,000 council grant to upgrade a sports facility.

Dame Alice Owen’s School will spend the money on refurbishing an existing astroturf sports pitch after successfully bidding for grant funding from Hertsmere Borough Council’s Community Infrastructure Fund.

Potters Bar Football Club received £12,500 to construct a new car park through the fund, while Tilbury Nursery at Potters Bar United Reformed Church was granted £6,251 to provide a garden extension and improvement works.

The CIF is a pool of funding the council has collected from a levy on certain types of new development that can be used for improving local facilities and services.

More than £800,000 has been allocated to organisations, schools and sports clubs that successfully bid for grant funding.

All the applicants had to fulfil specific funding criteria set by the council.

Councillor Dr Harvey Cohen, who holds the planning and localism, said: “This money will make a huge difference to our communities by enabling local organisations to improve their facilities and we are delighted with the bids that we received.”