NEW changing rooms could be provided at Mill Chase recreation ground if Whitehill Town Council is successful with an application for a lottery grant.

Councillors want to improve the existing facilities - which have been there for 43 years.

Consultant to the town council, Douglas Rose-Smith, said: "The council is planning to provide six changing rooms which will mean that all the pitches can be used at the same time."

Mr Rose-Smith also hoped that a women's football scheme could be introduced to the area.

"In order to have that, I think we would all agree it is fundamental to have a good changing facility."

He also believed it was possible to have a year-round soccer school with the new facilities.

"As we know, the summer school has been successful and the proposal is to run that all the year round."

Mr Rose-Smith commented that drainage for the pitches would be "an integral part of the scheme".

Drainage of the pitches has always been a problem on the recreation ground, due to the high water table and the high clay content of the soil.

"In a wet winter, about six to seven games are cancelled and after a break of that long the children are not as practised or as fit," said Mr Rose-Smith.

The proposed drainage facility should take up to an inch of water off the pitch.

The building of the pavilion would also mean that coaches could be trained up to Football Association standards.

Mr Rose-Smith said: "The target is two fully-trained coaches for each age group."

But Zoya Faddy expressed concern that people in Bordon and Whitehill were not motivated enough to come forward to train as coaches.

"It is dependent on people coming forward for training for coaches and that is always a problem around here," she said.

Councillor Janusz Ral disagreed. He said: "I was present at the last football tournament and there must have been somewhere between 100 to 200 people taking part, with 300 to 400 supporters there."

But councillors heard that the maximum they could apply for was 65 per cent of the total cost of the project.

In a finance and policy committee meeting held on June 7, councillors agreed to recommend that an extra £20,000 be set aside for the project - should the lottery grant be successful.

Already £75,000 from the council's reserves has been earmarked for the sports pavilion.

Town mayor Jim Grieve said: "Everything Mr Rose-Smith said was for the community.

"At long last Bordon is doing something for our young population and keeping their dads happy."

Mr Grieve also thanked Mr Rose-Smith for his work, which was "very much appreciated".