England manager Fabio Capello has officially launched Barnet Football Club's (BFC) new 44-acre (17.8-hectare) training complex in Edgware, London, which will host the club's new Centre of Excellence.

The Hive, which will also be home to the club's first team squad and ladies' team, has been funded by BFC, along with a £750,000 contribution from Harrow Council and a £1m grant from the Football Foundation. Designed by Battersea-based And Architects and built by main contractor, the Buckingham Group, the new training complex boasts two full-size artificial turf pitches and natural grass pitches built by Kestrel. TigerTurf supplied the artificial pitches.

Kestrel worked alongside sports pitch consultants TurfTrax and Surfacing Standards on the construction on the natural pitches at the £11m venue, which also includes 14 changing rooms and a physiotherapy room, as well as laundry, catering and office areas. Abacus Lighting installed floodlights for the two artificial pitches. BFC chair Tony Kleanthous said: "This country has some of the best football facilities in the world but unless you're at the academy of a Premier League club then you've got no chance of using them.

"The Hive is worthy of the Premier League and we look forward to welcoming local adult, youth and women's football clubs in the future." Harrow Council's portfolio holder for planning, development and enterprise, Marilyn Ashton, added: "Good sporting facilities are one of the ways we can help to build stronger communities so we're looking forward to working with Barnet FC."