MILFORD ATHLETIC FOOTBALL club have taken to social media to warn its members and players to consider the impact of a plan to develop their football ground, Pill Field, into a leisure park.

On Facebook, the club said to its members that should anyone be approached by the Lido project, they should “consider the impact on the club”

“Your decision has a significant impact on our future – which has the [prospect] of putting our football club and its 250+ players at risk.”

However, Chairman of the Lido project, Mike Allen, says that the project he is heading is designed to provide a better facility for the community as a whole, and that the football club would benefit from being able to use new, better facilities including a brand new 4G all-weather football pitch.

He told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “The Lido Park is part of the strategic plan for the whole of The Rath and surrounding land. Our expression of interest and project plan is driven by the idea that Pembrokeshire County Council requires one organisation to provide expressions of interest on all the parcels of land which require development.

“We are working with 27 stakeholders – to get anything off the ground we need to work together as one”, Mike Allen, who is also a Town Councillor, confirmed.

The Pembrokeshire Lido Park says it aims to benefit the community by the restoration, preservation and maintenance of the paddling and full-sized pool and St Katherine’s Play areas. It is entirely voluntary and not for profit.

The organisation says it is following Pembrokeshire County Council’s directions that a single operator for these areas will be the preferred option in a Community Asset Transfer and is preparing for this scenario.

In their plans they say: “In the St Katherine’s play area, we are trying to deliver a multi-use games area or MUGA which would allow many sports to be played on an all-weather service with maximum access for the disabled and women’s sports.

“The area would use the Tennis Wales Club Spark online access and security access system which is in wide use across Wales to protect from vandalism.

“This system has been very successful in Abertillery and Merthyr Tydfil. Our plan also includes a dedicated coaches’ building for indoor coaching and equipment storage with an on-site tennis coach. As well as this we are planning a new children’s play area with modernised equipment to replace the equipment that has been removed due to vandalism, and a free outdoor exercise equipment (as seen at Pembroke) which can be used for free by all and by freelance personal trainers.

“The priority goal of Pembrokeshire Lido Park would be to have a MUGA built on the space occupied by the old tennis courts.

“The optional goal which was discussed in a spirit of cooperation with Milford Athletic was to have a full size 4G football pitch using the space of the old tennis courts AND would have to also take space inside Milford Athletics’ boundaries.

“The Pembrokeshire Lido Park would need a 4G pitch project to be community owned and open to multiple sports clubs and that is where there is a difference of emphasis with MAFC at the moment. We believe that St Katherine’s is a community wide asset and should go forward on this basis. Plus, funding providers are significantly more likely to support projects that serve multiple organisations.

“There are many sports groups in Milford Haven missing out on sports due to pitch capacity, especially women’s groups and the disabled. Milford Haven Tennis Club is enjoying a tremendous revival too. So we feel it is only fair that the facility is available to multiple user groups.

“A 4G pitch would likely cost five times more than a MUGA and this must be a major consideration of course.

“A key question is of course where all the money is coming from for this type of expensive project. The Pembrokeshire Lido Park will shortly be ratified as a Community Benefit Society very shortly and will follow successes in other Lido Parks across the UK and organisations in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire such as Siop Harvard’s and Brynaman Lido. We have been working towards this goal with the support of PLANED and CWMPAS. This will allow us to raise substantial funds and show financial security to Pembrokeshire County Council in our CAT bid.`

The Herald understands that The Pembrokeshire Lido has formalised support from Tennis Wales, Milford Haven Bowling Club, Milford Haven Tennis Club, Value Independence, Enable Living, Milford Haven Port Authority and 27 support groups in total.

Milford Athletics’ full statement on social media is as follows: “We have decided to release a club statement in relation to Milford Athletic Football Club and the Community Asset Transfer process of our leased land at Pill Field and St Katherine’s walk.

“In recent weeks we have listened to the Pembrokeshire Lido Group (PLG) plans to develop the area into a leisure park. This PLG Plan includes a multi-use all weather facility that will be offered to “multiple” sports teams that are not currently associated with Pill community areas.

“This plan includes developing Pill Field to accommodate the new facility, which has been explained by PLG in our meetings ‘will not be exclusively used by the Milford Athletic Football Club.’

“Therefore this will limit our current land footprint which would stop football for all age groups being played by our club.

“Although constructive dialogue has taken place with PLG, we have decided to no longer remain aligned with the Lido project and wish them success in establishing an outdoor pool.

“It is our intention to keep Pill Field as Milford Athletics’ spiritual home which has been associated with us since 1909.

“We are speaking with consultants to determine the best way to utilise the area to suit both the club and the community which has exciting prospects for everyone associated with the area.

“The Milford Haven Bowls Club, Milford Haven Town Council and the Pill community will be fundamental in dialogue to ensure we offer the best for everyone that uses the Pill field and St Katherine’s area.

“We would like to work with both organisations to establish a working agreement to fulfil the ambition of providing a better space for everyone in the Pill community.

“If as a sports club you have been approached by the Lido project, we would ask you to consider the impact to our club. Your decision has a significant impact for our future, which has the opportunity to put our football club and its 250+ players at risk.

“We are a club that prides itself on community participation and our commitment to the community will always be its priority.”