SPORTS teams in Bromsgrove could find more room for play when a new policy for pitches kicks off.

A probe into the state of play in the town discovered that Bromsgrove has 133 football clubs and 55 rugby clubs - the highest number of both in Worcestershire.

Robbie Hazlehurst, the district council's director of leisure services, also found that 93 per cent of pitches were available for community use, again the highest in the county, well above the average of 69 per cent.

But his report to last week's health and leisure scrutiny committee meeting found there was still a need for a policy to ensure everyone who wanted to play football, rugby, cricket and hockey could find the space.

A surplus of 20 pitches for adult soccer players "masks the current situation", the report said, as they were in poor condition and could not meet the demand.

Six teams are still on the council's waiting list because they are unable to find a pitch.

Shortfall

There is also a shortfall of 14 junior football, nine junior rugby and five hockey pitches in the town, while the supply of cricket pitches meets the demand.

The survey has also found that a "large proportion" of the pitches do not have changing rooms - only 44 per cent have them and the county average is 64 per cent.

The survey, carried out by a specialist sports consultancy paid for by Sport England, came up with recommendations for a future playing pitch strategy.

These include using land at Catshill and Barnsley hall for new pitches, improving drainage so more use can be made of the existing space, continuing to develop changing rooms and working with other official bodies, such as parish councils, to identify more provision.

The committee adopted the strategy and added that it wanted the number of changing rooms brought up to the county average within the next five years.

The executive cabinet was due to discuss the recommendations at a meeting tonight (Wednesday).