THE Medway Towns Sports Council has warned local authorities that adequate facilities must be provided in the area to keep pace with the expansion in housing development.

In his inaugural report since succeeding Colin Boswell last year, the council’s new secretary, Mark Agate, said local authorities would ignore at their peril the need for more and improved sports facilities.

He said: “I am constantly warning about the need for provision of sport, leisure and recreation facilities to keep pace, then move ahead, of the 300,000 extra inhabitants of Medway planned by the year 2020.

“I am concerned about the self-congratulatory view that 78 per cent of development will be on brown field sites and will continue to state this means one in four homes will be on green fields. I say hands off our pitches.”

On the subject of Gillingham Football Club’s proposed relocation, he says: “I could never understand why Temple Marsh was chosen as the only suitable site for relocating Gillingham FC. Now we learn the club may need to move outside the unitary authority's boundary.

“I’m sure there is the perennial juggling with land buying and selling prices, but we all know that the Thames Gateway is fast becoming the Kent Gateway.

“We don’t want housing from Medway to Maidstone, Gravesend and Sittingbourne. There are too many areas vanishing without the plans mooted for Capstone Valley, Hoo and Cliffe.

“The perception is that the Council should have done more for Gillingham Football Club, though it does not help that neither have any money.”

Mr Agate said Medway Council’s Planning Department continued to supply information as to developments affecting sport, especially in schools.

He regretted not being offered the opportunity to meet Minister of Sport Richard Caborn during his visit to Medway in May.