COLEFORD Town Council is applying for planning permission to build new sports changing rooms and a large meeting hall on the King George V Playing Fields.

The new building will replace the current sports facilities which are now in too bad a state to repair, says town clerk Annie Lapington.

"We are at the early stages yet, but we have put the plans out for consultation and this has met with a good response. We are going ahead with applying for planning permission," she said.

"If we simply pulled down the present sports facilities and rebuilt them it would cost in the region of £250,000. But we thought we might take the opportunity to add on a new hall and that would cost in the region of £700,000 altogether.

"Hopefully we will be able to raise these funds from a variety of sources including appealing to the general public."

She said council members had been told the new meeting area planned for the library and community centre near Pyart Court might be too small for some functions and the King George V Ground facility would be larger and very welcome.

"We think the two developments will work very well together," she said.

Coleford FC club members are delighted with the new proposals, says spokesman Terry Smith.

"We desperately needed an update and the plans look superb," he said after the weekend match with Minsterworth which Coleford lost 2-4.

• See sports section.