A NEW community sports facility can now be built on the site of a football clubhouse in Swanage following the approval of plans.

Swanage Town and Herston FC’s home at Day’s Park is set to be demolished to make way for a four-court sports hall.

The new facility will feature changing/club rooms and facilities for the football club, as well as a fitness room, crèche, a first-floor club room with a kitchen and bar, and a reception and office space.

Public consultations about the redevelopment were held in 2019 but the plans were scaled back due to costs rising to £9 million.

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Swanage Town Council, who submitted the plans, said the facility in its current form was “not fit for purpose”.

An indoor sports hall at the site has been closed since 2020 due to its poor condition.

The approved plans would see the facility extended to the south over the existing parking area and marginally to the west over the existing pitch.

The current clubhouse Picture: Lionel Gregory Architects

To facilitate this, the pitch would be moved slightly towards the existing dugouts on the opposite side, which the applicant said would comply with FA ground recommendations.

It has been confirmed the site is home to badgers, with an extensive active sett network found in the south-east corner of the site.

The plans stated that provisional arrangements would be made for a temporary sett closure during the six-month period when works that could affect the sett would take place.

Once work is complete, the sett would be reopened to allow badgers back onto the land.