AFC Bournemouth’s plan to build a training centre in a public park has been recommended for approval.

The club wants to spend £600,000 in Kings Park creating two grass football pitches, two five-a-side pitches and a skills training area.

Residents and dog walkers are objecting to the scheme and came up with a 500 signature petition.

However council officers have recommended approval and both sides will go head to head at the planning board at 4pm on Monday, January 16.

AFC Bournemouth chairman Eddie Mitchell told the Echo that if he gets the green light, work will begin the following day.

“I’m serious,” he said.

“We have got everything ready.

“We have got to get started if we are going to get it ready for the next season.

“This is all for a good cause and it’s something that has been needed for a long time.”

The pitches would occupy almost two hectares out of 44.

The park is also home to the football ground, a 1,300-space car park, an athletics stadium, skate park, cricket pitch and bowling greens.

The report going to the planning committee said the land earmarked for the pitches, which is just east of the football stadium, is currently in an “extremely poor” condition.

Objector Elaine Find-lay, chairman of the Springbourne Forum, said: “That’s because the council has done nothing with it for 10 years. If they did it up, it would be very well used.”

She said there was a fear the club was taking over the park, adding: “The supporters are not looking at the bigger picture.

“When the ice stadium is built – and it has planning permission – the whole park will be cut in half by that and the pitches.

“The council is squeezing out the public space from one of the few places that people can go and exercise for free.”

The council said it received 23 letters of objection and 62 letters of support.

The pitches would be floodlit and surrounded by a 1.8-metre high fence.

Ward councillor Nick King said the pitches should be more open to the public.

The current plan is for one public use on a weekend, and three hours of public use on the five-a-side pitches per day.

Online petition

An online petition in favour of the plan had secured 1,502 signatures by the weekend.

Howard Bennett wrote: “Bournemouth needs quality parks not run down derelict old railway tracks and football pitches that have not been used for 15 or 20 years.

“Let’s tidy up the park and improve the surroundings for all.”

Gayle Hope wrote: “The land has been going to wrack and ruin for years and the existing training pitches are dangerous and an eyesore.

“There will still be plenty of space for dog walkers like myself. Let’s regenerate the area instead of leaving it looking like a council tip like now!”

Paul Mitchell wrote: “It is a credit to the club that they wish to improve this area at considerable expense.

“But they want this to be used by the community as a whole and be available to minority groups, schools etc not just for use by the club.

“It is unclear to me why local residents would prefer to keep the existing arrangements which are dangerous and a health and safety concern!”