BUDDING Beckhams in Pool-in-Wharfedale could be about to reap the benefits of a £300,000 sports improvement project.

Pool Sports Development Group (SDG) is pushing ahead with a move aimed at building on the village's thriving football, cricket and tennis scene.

The group, with funding help from the Football Foundation, wants to create a fully disabled accessible changing block and a new football playing area.

But while the changing rooms, which will be built behind the village hall, have been given the go ahead the SDG is struggling to get permission for the riverside football pitch.

Group Chairman Richard Parker says both parts of the plan are vital if Pool is to forge ahead with the real advances it is making in junior sport.

He said: "Sport is thriving in Pool, and the tennis club, as well as the football and cricket clubs, has a massive junior section. All three sports are huge growth areas but if we don't get to add new practice facilities we won't be able to develop.

"The whole project involves an application to the Football Foundation for changing rooms, and part of that is to accommodate future development.

"Over the last few years, there's been a very strong development of junior soccer through the football club, which is now running teams from under six-year-olds up to adult, and we need to show the foundation we're moving forward.

"We've got planning permission for the changing rooms but are having difficulty getting it for the change of use for the fields by the river.

"That application was refused due to noise concerns, traffic and parking worries for the area and flood risk. So it needs to be looked at again to see what we can do to meet those concerns.

"But this land, which has an existing senior pitch on it already, always has flooded, there's nothing we can do about that.

"We feel that part of the problem is people have looked at it as an application for another football pitch but it isn't, it's going to be smaller pitch areas that you change week by week for the junior players.

"So we're not talking about a full game of adults - we're talking eventually, because this is for the future, of juniors playing on a Sunday morning."

Further funds for the scheme will come from money made available from the Redrow Development, a Recreation Ground Management Trust (RGMT) loan, cricket and football club investment and fund-raising.

The SDG has to raise 35 per cent of the total cost itself before the other funding help kicks in.

The changing room proposals will see a four room facility with disabled access toilets and a referee or umpire's room attached to the back of the village hall.

Mr Parker says fund-raising and persuading local businesses to help will prove vital to the success of the whole project.

"We've got a lot of fund-raising activities planned," he said, "including a sponsored walk and a sportsman's dinner at Rudding Park for the end of the year, and we've sent letters out to businesses who we think might be interested.

"We're also liaising with people like the Otley Disability Advisory Group, who've been very supportive.

"We would very much hope that within six months we'll have our portion of the money that we require.

"Within this area our project is seen as a key one, we've got full support from the West Riding FA and Pool Parish Council is fully supporting it now, too."

Meanwhile, Pool Cricket Club has been investing in its practice equipment to cope with a growing interest in the sport.

Mr Parker said: "The club has been very successful in developing over the past six or seven years and we've now got nine junior sides and are one of the few clubs in the area that also support girls and ladies teams.

"The Cricket in the Community Development Fund has given us £50,000 in grant aid for practice facilities, which has let us put in three new practice wickets and two net cages.

"We've got a planning application in now for a three lane, all weather net practice facility and we're hoping that as soon as that's successful some work might be started before the wetter months.

"They could be in place by the end of this year but certainly before the next cricket season in April. They're essential for our future growth and will be very well used."

Anyone interested in helping the work of the SDG can contact Mr Parker on 07764 684023.