THE Forest could soon have a full time sports development officer whose brief will be creating a sports programme to counter rural deprivation.
The move follows an offer by the Sport England organisation to provide £45,000 towards funding the post over the next three years.
The council, which would be expected to contribute towards the scheme, discussed the extra funding at last week's leisure services committee meeting. They passed the matter on to the January meeting of the policy and resources committee so that it could be considered when the council's budget is being discussed.
The offer to support the post is conditional on the council providing ongoing resources once the three years is up and the grant has been used.
The meeting was told this would mean providing some £15,000 at the outset and the combined total in three years' time.
Before the meeting leisure services director Jim Stewart said the development of sport complemented the range of facilities and services offered by leisure centres.
"It has a role to play in improving the quality of life," he said.
The appointee would be expected to help boost the overall health of the population and work to counter the effects of deprivation.
Other matters discussed at the meeting were rural transport, renovations at the Forest Vale Industrial Estate and road signs, all of which were passed on to the policy and resources committee for future discussion.