Council pitches sell-off bid

Football pitches in Cannock Chase could be sold off by the district council.

The proposal is part of a shake-up of how the council provides pitches and, as part of the plan, leisure chiefs are looking to get rid of surplus grounds.

The council claims there are too many adult pitches in the district which are expensive to maintain. It wants to concentrate its resources on building new football development centres.

These will offer improved facilities with a number of pitches in one site. And in a move to reassure residents and sports teams, officers have vowed that any pitches identified as surplus will stay as open space.

In some cases, these could be offered for sale to local football teams.

A report is due to go before the council's select committee on children and young people, which also examines leisure services, at a meeting on Wednesday.

Councillors will hear details of a study carried out in 2004 which identified a surplus of 27 adult football pitches, but a shortfall of mini-soccer and junior football pitches. Peak demand is on a Sunday morning with the quality ranging from average to poor.

The report also highlighted large numbers of school playing fields which were under-used – as schools rarely hire their pitches out.

The council is set to launch its football pitch strategy over five years to develop three football development centres, with adult pitches being concentrated on several sites. The council will seek to join up with schools to use playing fields for junior football.

Over the next three years three mini-soccer centres will be created, with one in Rugeley and a further two to be decided. The entire plan will hinge on whether the sale of under-used pitches will provide the council with cash to fund the project.

Mick Grocott, cabinet member for children and young people, said: "It's not about selling pitches, this is about improving facilities for the whole of the district."