Applemore College pavilion revamp plan to help growing Hythe & Dibden Youth Football Club

A SPORTS pavilion on a school site could be revamped so a football club can meet a surge in demand.

Hythe & Dibden Youth Football Club said the existing facilities at Applemore College had played a “crucial part” in increased numbers.

Over the past four years, membership has grown from 400 to 580 youngsters, including 160 girls.

Applemore College has submitted an application to New Forest District Council to make improvements to the pavilion.

A statement from the football club’s chair and vice-chair submitted as part of the plans said: “It’s essential to improve the facilities in order to maintain both the current membership and to accommodate the projected growth of around 850 members in the next five years.

“The under-18 teams require changing rooms which cannot currently be offered.

“As well as youth football, the football club are assisting with the development of recreational adult male and female football, which require home and away changing rooms.”

The current set-up, which involves three shipping containers arranged in a ‘U’ shape, received planning permission for five years in 2019.

A design and access statement submitted with the new proposals said this had been a successful trial period, with the intention to follow up with a permanent scheme.

The proposed changes include adding a pitched roof over the existing footprint of the on-site containers.

This would create a central storage area with roller shutter doors.

There would also be an additional storage area to the side of the containers and the inclusion of a small storage room.

The football club’s statement said kit storage was currently “very hard” to manage, with some equipment having to be stored off-site in Hythe and transported back and forth when needed by volunteers.

The application for the secondary school site is currently being considered by council planning officers.

A public consultation on the proposal closes on 10th January.