OTLEY councillors have agreed to support in principle plans for a £700,000 all-weather football pitch.

Community enterprise group Sport Chevin, representing lots of the town's sports clubs, and Prince Henry's Grammar School want to build the facility in the school grounds.

They estimate the full costs of the project, which would include a full size, floodlit pitch that could also be split up to host smaller games and other sports, at between £650,000 and £700,000.

They are hoping to obtain some £200,000 of that by applying via the Town Council's Investing in Otley Fund.

The fund is a £40,000 pot set up to cover interest repayments for any major infrastructure schemes the council decides to borrow - from the Public Works Loan Board - to support.

For now, though, the council has simply agreed that the all-weather pitch would be a suitable candidate for an application.

Council Chair Councillor Ray Georgeson (Lib Dem, Danefield), speaking after the Expression of Interest was unanimously approved at a meeting this week, said: "This is very much a first stage approval, encouraging them to now move on to complete a full application.

"If, in time, this is approved we will then need to apply in two stages for the Public Works Loan Board loan facility.

"At this stage I'm pleased that the town council is encouraging a further detailed bid for what is a much needed enhancement of the town's sporting infrastructure.

"We will now meet Sport Chevin and Prince Henry's to work with them on the detailed application and ensure that town councillors' questions and any concerns are answered along the way."

It is anticipated the the FA, through the Football Foundation, would provide much of the remainder of the funding should the project proceed.