Owners of land next to the multi-million pound Thornbury leisure scheme will build sport and leisure facilities on their part of the site.

Their £500,000 development will provide five all-weather five-a-side football pitches, a bar which will also do meals, and top-class sports changing facilities.

There is already a golf course on the site used by the 150-member Phoenix golf club. It will not be affected by the new development.

Simon Barraclough, pictured, whose family sold part of their land to JJ Gallagher Ltd for the adjoining leisure complex several years ago, said he believed it would complement the existing facilities.

"It will add to the complex and give it a wider dimension. There is a desperate shortage of five-a-side football pitches in this area and we would do leagues and pay and play.''

Christine Watts, secretary of Thornbury Residents' Association, said: "It is brilliant. There is a big shortage of sports facilities in this area. You couldn't have better use.''

Mr Barraclough's father, Malcolm, masterminded the multi-million pound cinema leisure scheme which was first on the drawing board almost a decade ago.

He pledged in 1995 to keep his dream alive when the then Department of Environment turned down his plan for a major complex.

But he reverted to a different scheme using a planning consent given years earlier before Government restrictions on developments on green belt sites. The scheme was later taken over by JJ Gallagher who built the complex containing the 18 screen Odeon and health and beauty centre.

JJ Gallagher, which also developed the Vicar Lane Leisure Exchange in the heart of the city, recently sold the Thornbury development, but would not disclose the name of the new buyer.