A new artificial-grass football pitch that will help address a major shortfall for modern playing surfaces in Woking has been approved.

Westfield Football Club was granted planning permission to convert its traditional grass field at its King field Road ground with a 3G all weather pitch.

The club, a registered charity, plays out the back of Woking Borough Council owned leisure centre.

Its pitch had been used for more than 60 years with Westfield FC forming an integral part of the area as well as the wider borough, the Tuesday, December 9 planning committee heard.

Residents nearby had called for what they believed were strict restrictions over how and when the pitch could be used – a limit of six sessions a fortnight and seasonal breaks – to be carried forward.

A public speaker said: “Long-standing members of the community are of the belief that this forms part of the condition that allowed a pitch to exist this close to houses in the first place.

“He said the constraint was far more important.”

Officers told the meeting these had not been part of the planning process and could not be considered. Existing limits that covered when the floodlights could be used, between 8am and 10pm, were however carried over.

The agent speaking on behalf of the application, said:”The core drivers are community need.”

He said recent reports, produced by Sport England and Woking Borough Council have shown there was a critical shortfall of five 3G pitches in the borough and explicitly named the site as a priority project to fix that.

He said: “The current grass pitch can not support modern demand, this upgrade unlocks the site for a football club, a registered charity that had been part of the community since 1958.”

Adding:”It supports local children who are currently effectively predeceased from playing in the winter months.”

A 3G (third generation) football pitch is a modern artificial surface designed to closely mimic natural grass, using long synthetic fibres, rubber and sand infill, and a shock-absorbing layer for durable, all-weather play.