PLANS to increase sports facilities in Ringwood have been put on hold.

Hopes of acquiring land at the Long Lane site, currently home to Ringwood Football Club, have been dashed after landowners refused to sell the fields to Ringwood Town Council.

But the chairman of Ringwood’s recreation, leisure and open spaces committee, Brian Terry told the Journal that there was a possible “alternative solution” but he was keeping it under wraps until committee members discussed it.

“Ringwood has been the most under provided urban area in the district for years,” he said. “We need to cater for minority sports like archery, athletics and field events and have more cricket pitches and tennis provision with modern, warm changing facilities appropriate to the sport.

“Currently our changing facilities are awful with just a cold tap provided for youngsters in some areas.

“However if our possible solution goes ahead, we will be able to give the people more sports facilities, which will be a positive thing for the town.”

New Forest District councillors want funding available for sports provision in Ringwood, obtained from developers’ contributions, to be utilised at the “earliest opportunity”.

A working party has been set up to relocate cricket from Carvers Field to Long Lane; look at ways to provide indoor and outdoor bowls along with new all-weather, floodlit tennis courts, a fitness trail and new changing rooms and social facilities.