AN ambitious multi-million-pound scheme to build a sports complex and housing development on the outskirts of Troon has been put before councillors.

Troon Football Club is looking to move from its current site at Croft Common and build a new complex on land at Pellutes Farm, in the south of the village.

Club members hope that money from the Football Foundation and Cornwall County Football Association, as well as Objective One and other grant bodies, will fund the scheme.

Club chairman Malcolm Faull says the 16-acre development is sorely needed by the club as it needs more facilities for its three senior teams and 150 youngsters in its youth teams.

"We looked into purchasing land next door but the farmer wasn't interested," he said. "We approached another farmer who agreed and since then the whole thing has snowballed."

The proposals, revealed to the Packet this week, include a multi-purpose sports hall, two mini-soccer pitches, a premier senior football pitch as well as two secondary senior football pitches, a cricket square and pitch, all-weather bowling green, three all-weather tennis courts, a skateboard park and an all-purpose five-a-side football and netball pitch.

The scheme also includes car parking for 300 cars, parking for coaches, changing rooms and showers, a social club, external function area and a playgroup playground.

It will incorporate up to 42 one, two and three-bedroom starter homes with provision for 18 more in the future.

Mr Faull says he expects to receive objections to the scheme but stresses the plans are only at the discussion stage and no planning application has yet been put in.

"Before we get that far we need to make sure something concrete is in place and we need to get it right," he said.

"Tomorrow night's discussion is to, hopefully, provide the right sort of case for the project which will probably cost millions of pounds. Objective One money could be available because it creates full-time employment. Not many people know about it at the moment but negotiations are going to come out and we are expecting people to object. We are hoping to get it off the ground as soon as possible but it is going to be three or four years before we get to the next stage."

Chairman of the planning committee, Camborne, Stuart Cullimore, who lives in Troon, said he was anxious for people to come to the meeting to listen to the proposals as he would be allowing questions from the floor.

"I am not totally against this as the sports facilities are badly needed," he said. "Poor Troon Football Club has been using that Nissan hut down there for as long as I can remember. But it is not my opinion that matters it is the people of Troon. They are the most important not the developers."