THE lack of football facilities in Welshpool has been criticised.

Donna Pryce, a parent of a Welshpool Town Football Club junior player, has hit out at the state of Salop Road football pitch, describing the field as “unsuitable, unmaintained and unsafe.”

Among Pryce’s chief concerns was the proximity of the pitch to the adjacent building site, a lack of emergency vehicle access and animal faeces.

Pryce also highlighted the stark reduction in recreation space in the town since Salop field was largely lost to the ongoing primary school development on the site.

Powys County Council conceded “Welshpool is constrained in terms of available land with the town council playing fields already at capacity.”

However the authority insisted it had worked with local groups, clubs and Welshpool High School on the loss of the playing fields and explored options to compensate the community for the loss of grass pitches.

“The football field at Salop Fields was expanded to the minimum size required for a football pitch,” said a council spokesman. “It was expanded after discussions with Welshpool High School and ensures they are able to use the pitch for sports while the new primary school is being built.

“The pitch has been securely hoarded to ensure it can be accessed during the school construction. There is access adjacent to the pitch on the access road.

“We are also £800,000 into upgrading the sport facilities at Welshpool High School, including improving their current grass pitches to enable more frequent usage. This work is nearing completion.”