Major sports upgrade planned for Wedmore (From This is The West Country)

Major sports upgrade planned for Wedmore

1:00pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in News

SUPPORT is flooding in for a “desperately needed” expansion of a village’s sports facilities.

The Wedmore Playing Fields management committee is seeking planning permission for two junior football pitches, four mini football pitches, a three-bay all-weather cricket net, five floodlit tennis courts and a children’s play area.

Around 1,000 people belong to clubs which use the current facilities, and the village bowls, tennis and junior football clubs have all written letters of support to Sedgemoor District Council, which has the final say on the scheme.

James Cavanagh, chairman of Wedmore Junior Football Club, wrote: “We now have in excess of 200 players, boys and girls, with an age range of six to 16 years.

“We desperately need more pitches for training and games. The plans would give us the additional playing area we need.”

Wedmore Parish Council also backs the project, and villagers too have written in support.

Ian Monson wrote: “It is long overdue and really needed at a local level to develop our children’s future.”

Alexander Chetwode wrote: “It will add much needed capacity to a set of sporting facilities which are currently stretched beyond their limit, especially with thriving football and tennis clubs which provide a much needed sporting outlet to a very grateful community.”

The playing fields committee says there are widespread problems with the existing facilities.

It says many football matches and training sessions have had to be cancelled due to poor drainage, leading to players leaving for other clubs and two junior teams disbanding.

It adds: “The cricket outfield has deteriorated to the extent that fielding for both adults and children is dangerous, even with regular rolling.”

The committee also says the tennis club cannot expand because its 70 members have only one court.

The plans would also see the playing fields car park more than doubled from 85 to 179 spaces.