Pitch concerns for boys travelling to Wales to train

The future training facilities for a football youth team in the Forest of Dean have been thrown into doubt by a funding gap.

Broadwell Youth AFC in Coleford has two pitches prone to waterlogging, near Berry Hill Rugby club in the shadow of the Five Acres Leisure centre - a project which, despite receiving planning approval, has been delayed. Currently when those pitches are too wet to play on the team trains in neighbouring towns or even travels to Wales to practice.

Inflation and the rising costs of materials has resulted in a funding gap for the leisure-centre redevelopment, which the Forest of Dean District Council is in negotiations with the contractors to deliver.

The club says it will be forced to give up the grounds when work starts and hopes it will be able to use a planned 3G all weather pitch - although that element of the leisure-centre project has yet to be approved.

Broadwell AFC Youth Chairman Jason Rooney said the team currently travels to Lydney Cinderford and Monmouth for training.

"To be honest the Wales one is a decent facility but we want to be more local if we can." He said, adding, "it would be so much better if it was here."

"Hopefully we'll get priority to use it because we are a local club and giving up our pitches."

The redevelopment of Five Acres Leisure Centre has long been hoped for since the centre closed it's doors in 2018.

Campaigners have been trying to get a new facility for more than 10 years.

A successful levelling up bid in 2021 meant work could finally begin and plans were drawn up that included a multi-purpose sports hall, gym and pavilion as well as a café and other community facilities.

A 3G all weather pitch was due to be requested later with planning approved for the first phase in February this year.

Building was due to start in spring but in April it was announced the rising costs of materials, due to inflation, had caused delays.

The Local Democracy Reporting service previously reported the council was understood to have set aside £14.5m for the project, but it is now believed to have been quoted up to £16m to complete the project - leaving a funding gap of more than one million pounds.

Johnathan Lane, a cabinet member for the economy at Forest of District Dean District Council, said the council was still committed to delivering the leisure centre.

"You've got labour costs going up, you've got construction costs going up, that's just pushed the budget of the project up and it's causing us problems in terms of being able to fund it," Mr Lane said.

He would not go into specifics regarding the amount the council was overbudget, but he said it was considerable.

"We're talking a substantial amount of money. I can't go into specifics on figures because we're still in negotiations with our contractors, but we're talking a significant amount of money over budget here."

Forest of Dean District council has until March 2025 to spend the money and is confident it will meet the deadline.

The news comes after MPs found only 10% of levelling up money had actually been spent.