Gosport pitch fees rise could discourage sport, FA warns

The cost of hiring cricket, football and rugby pitches in Gosport could increase by 50%

Plans to raise pitch hire fees could lead to people "walking away" from sport, the Hampshire FA has warned.

Gosport Borough Council has proposed new parking fees and charges for hiring sports facilities as the local authority's costs rise.

The FA criticised the "sudden large increase" which would see the cost of hiring cricket, football and rugby pitches increase by 50%.

Council leader Peter Chegwyn suggested the FA help with the cost of pitches.

The council plans include a 42.9% increase applied to mini-soccer pitches and nearly a 20% increase to 9v9 facilities normally used by 11 and 12-year-old children.

The largest price hike will be for adult football - a pitch with changing and shower facilities originally priced at £60 could go up to £90, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Daylight robbery'

The Hampshire FA acknowledged increasing costs faced by councils in the current economic climate was a "major issue", but said it expected "incremental rises over time rather than a sudden large increase".

"The impact on this is affordability to clubs and leagues as this would mean raising membership or subscription fees and could lead to people walking away from the game as a result," it said.

In response, leader of the Liberal Democrat-controlled council Mr Chegwyn said: "I'm not aware of the council receiving any approach from the Hampshire FA but if they're willing to help fund the cost of providing football pitches in Gosport we'd be delighted to hear from them."

The leader of the opposition Conservative group, Graham Burgess, said the proposals were a "blatant theft against those who want to play sport, keep fit and those whose health and well being depend on it".

"We are all having to watch our own personal budgets but this is daylight robbery," he added.