Devon County Cllr CHRIS CLARANCE, of Marine Parade, Shaldon, writes:

Since becoming a Devon county councillor I have taken on board the plight of, especially, the lack of football pitches in the Teignmouth area, bearing in mind other sports that can use the playing fields in the closed football season.

Before I became a Devon county councillor, there was much comment passed as to the fact that Broadmeadow FC has no real home and so badly needs any home pitch that might be available.

Already, to that end, Cllr James McMurray and myself have met Tony Gray, the principal of Teignmouth Community College, with a view to getting more use out of the under-utilised sports pitch at Hazeldown.

Tony Gray is totally supportive of this happening.

We know that this field, in times of heavy rainfall, has its problems. however, I believe ther suggestion might have more credibility than is realised. All seemed agreed that we ought to try to get more use out of this field if we can and, in talks, all seem to agree this winter.

Let's give it a go, at least, to see just how bad or not the situation really is.

I have already mapped out this field, having walked it on three occasions, once just after some two-and-a-quarter inches of rain on June 6 and 10. Certainly after such rain the field was perfect still for sport.

The field will accommodate two full size football fields (100 yards x 80 yards), with a 20-yard gap between the two pitches for cricket use, known as a cricket square.

I believe this layout fits the field well, with no use of what I would term the boggy area in the north-eastern corner of the field.

I see this as a no-conflict situation as the current junior athletics track, used in summer by Hazeldown Primary School, remains intact. The fact that the field has current sporting use means it can be further used, should any sporting organisation apply to do so. This athletics area is where the western football pitch would need to be marked out for playing, and just some goal posts need erection to complete it.

At this stage, from talks with Broadmeadow FC, I would like to see just this one western pitch marked out, with goal posts put up in August for this coming season. I know that junior sides would like to play across this pitch and, of course, can, and are welcome to do so. Having goal posts up on a full size field, I believe, is the way ahead towards establishing the actual areas for use, especially if we are looking at cricket use, too, in the summer.

In future talks that James McMurray and myself hope to have with Stuart Ludford, headteacher of Hazeldown school, I will be asking about the possibility of whether there is a chance of any changing facility available, as Hazeldown Primary School adjoins this field.

such use wwould be for times when there are no school children at the school. Hopefully, we could get permission to use the small car park belonging to the primary school at weekends and evenings.

So I invite Broadmeadow FC to make application to Tony Gray for use of this field in the manner I have described. No doubt the Shaldon Optimists Cricket Club, who have expressed an interest in using this field, might like also to do the same.

I hope this clarifies the situation currently and I look forward to seeing more sporting use of this field.

I believe the last thing we want to see here is any development for housing – we need better sporting use out of this field as we are so short of sporting pitches in the Teignmouth area.

My son and his wife, who recently returned from a touring holiday in south island ,,New Zealand, brought to my attention a sign they saw: Kids that play sport don't end up in court – make of that what you will!