Young football players in Porthleven are to get their own pitch following a surge in popularity for the sport.

There are currently nine teams trying to share Porthleven FC’s one pitch at Gala Park – from under sevens to veterans.

Of those, five are youth teams – with more children wanting to join but the club struggling for space to accommodate them.

Now Porthleven FC has been granted planning permission to turn a field behind Porthleven Primary School, in Torlevan Road, into a youth football pitch.

The land is currently described as an undeveloped, agricultural field, and the new pitch will measure 85 metres by 54 metres.

In an application on behalf of club chairman Rob Hichens, architect Chris Strike of RA Design stated: “This application is to change the use of a field to a youth football pitch for the benefit of the growing Porthleven FC Youth.

“Currently the club benefits from four youth teams, with lots of other players wanting to join, but the club is already struggling to cope with the demand on facilities. This area will allow the youth teams to grow, along with a changing area, toilet facilities and parking.

“This proposal will benefit the local community and its youth players, girls and boys. The land is not currently used and this new youth area will have limited impact on the area.”

The entrance to where the new youth pitch will be, to the right of Porthleven School (Image: Google Street View) Alongside the pitch will be three storage containers, to provide a changing area, toilet and tea hut.

“The primary goal of this policy is to protect and enhance opportunities for sport and physical activity.

“The proposed development directly addresses a growing demand for youth football facilities in Porthleven, which aligns with Sport England's objective to provide new opportunities to meet the needs of current and future generations,” added the application.

Sport England supported the application, while noting that there was limited information given on the pitch feasibility, dimensions, design and construction of the proposed grass pitch, and recommended a planning condition to make sure the quality of the pitch met the technical guidance.

In granting planning permission, an officer from Cornwall Council acknowledged: “The proposal would undoubtedly impact upon the undeveloped nature of the agricultural field and result in an encroachment of development into the open countryside.

“However, the pitch, by its nature, would still be low-lying in the context of any surrounding built development. No floodlighting, fencing or permanent structures are proposed, which will aid in reducing the prominence of the development.

A map showing the field where the new pitch will be (Image: RA Design/Cornwall Council) “From closer viewpoints, the pitch will be viewed within the context of Porthleven Primary School, which lies immediately adjacent to the application site. Despite the encroachment into an undeveloped field, the proposal is considered to represent an efficient and logical use of land within close proximity to the local school and housing developments.

“In the planning balance, the benefits of providing a sports pitch for a local community group is considered to outweigh any adverse harm on the landscape.”

Planning permission comes with a number of conditions, which include no external lighting being installed without approval of the Local Planning Authority, and that the storage containers can only be used by Porthleven Football Club or other associated community purposes. This condition adds that the units “shall not be operated as independent storage or commercial units.”

The full details of the application and planning permission can be found on Cornwall Council’s planning portal via its website, under reference PA24/03897.