ATHLETICS facilities could be moved to Weymouth Sports Club under Weymouth College's plans for the site.

The college's proposals are to relocate the athletics track from the Marsh to the sports club at Redlands.

The project is one of the college's plans if its scheme to take over the sports club and transform it into a super centre for sports development goes ahead.

The college would aim to relocate its sports and public services training to the complex, which would be expanded to include the sports facilities available at Wey Valley School.

There would also be improvements to sports halls and other facilities at Redlands as well as extra car parking, improved access and expanded external synthetic playing surfaces to accommodate football.

The college claims that grounds would also be improved and there would be a new pavilion with changing rooms.

Development work could start by the end of 2009, with essential maintenance works before that.

College deputy principal Paul Lonsdale set out the college's vision in a statement and stressed that they wanted to work with existing national and county partners.

He said the key to the development was the college's partnership with Wey Valley School because they had held talks on the future of sports and health-related education.

He said that they both saw Redlands as key to the future' with its development as the first phase of a major review of facilities across Weymouth and Portland.

Mr Lonsdale said: "We would like to see the Redlands sports complex developed to a standard recognised nationally, to become a centre of sporting excellence.

"We accept that we cannot achieve this vision on our own, nor would we wish to."

He added that the college hoped to assume responsibility for the day-to-day running of Redlands in consultation with Wey Valley, Weymouth Sports Club and other interested parties such as Weymouth and Portland Council.

Mr Lonsdale said: "Over the next two months the college will be working closely with the council and Weymouth Sports Club to finalise the transfer of the Redlands lease to the college."

He said it was too early to say what vacated sports land and facilities might be used for at Weymouth College.

But he said the Redlands-Wey Valley union of sports facilities made common sense'.

Mr Lonsdale concluded: "These things are not without their stumbling blocks and we have to make sure that we can sell our vision to Sports England and other funders to make that vision achievable."

College plan for club to be explored

WEYMOUTH College has won support from borough councillors to come up with a business plan for its planned takeover of Weymouth Sports Club.

Members of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's management committee approved plans for the authority to work with the college over the next six months to develop a business case.

They also agreed at yesterday's meeting that the sports club's loan should remain frozen during this period.

Resources director for the council Jason Vaughan said: "When you stand back this is potentially an exciting scheme and involves sums of money both us and the sports club could not realistically put in.

"In principle we think it makes sense and is well worth exploring but we can't agree a lease here today because we don't know enough details to recommend it."

Councillor David Harris warned they should not support any proposal that limits facilities the public can presently use.

He added: "If the college needs to use the Redlands' sports field because its own sports field is for development what do members of the public use?"

Chairman of the committee, Councillor Nigel Reed, said: "Let's take this for what it is.

"Six months ago we weren't even considering it. It is a good idea but we've got to see how it's going to work. We're saying this has legs, effectively, and we're willing to move forward with it."