Ambitious Hartshead Football Club in Liversedge could transform its home ground into a state-of-the-art soccer venue.

The club wants two new junior pitches on Hartshead recreation ground next to the existing pitch, which would be levelled and gain better drainage.

There are also plans to improve the play area, put up railings and landscape the site. In addition new changing rooms with showers and training facilities would be provided on land next to Hartshead Junior and Infants School.

The development would allow the players to compete in the West Yorkshire County Football Association League. At present they are part of the Huddersfield Gelpak League.

The club, which has more than 130 members in nine teams, would apply for National Lottery cash for the scheme.

But a condition of the application is that the club has a minimum 25-year lease on the land.

Most of the recreation ground is owned by Kirklees Council and the club has asked to take out a long-term lease on the land. The rest belongs to Armitage Estates.

On Monday, the Council's culture and leisure services committee is being asked to agree in principle to a medium to long-term lease and give officers permission to negotiate terms with the club.

Club chairman Mel Watson said: "The proposals are still in the early stages. Nothing is definite yet.

"We don't even know how much it will all cost. We will be able to give more details in two months.''

John Fletcher, the Council's outdoor activities manager, says in a report to the committee: "Hartshead Football Club is an ambitious and well-organised sports club founded in 1990.

"The majority of adults and children involved are from Hartshead or the immediate surrounding area, with a growing number of children from Windy Bank estate.

"The club has teams represented in each age group from the age of eight to 15 years inclusive, along with two open age teams.

"The National Lottery Sports Fund does insist clubs who do not own their own land must have a secure tenure of at least a 25-year duration.

"Because the ownership of the land is divided between the Council and Armitage Estates, this may be difficult to facilitate.

"However, officers will pursue a scheme which will hopefully satisfy all parties.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.