A community football club is facing an uncertain future after the owners of a state-of-the-art facility warned cutbacks could be made to offset losses of more than £200,000.

Kings Hill Football Club and its 45 teams have played and trained at the town's sports park, off Beacon Avenue, for the last seven years, but plans by the parish council - which leases the complex and manages day-to-day operations - to remove a priority booking system could see them in jeopardy.

Boasting more than 500 players in both male and female teams, with some girls going on to represent the likes of Chelsea and Charlton Athletic, the club uses the facility six days a week and says it is the sports park's biggest customer, pumping in around £70,000 a year.

National League side Ebbsfleet United previously trained at the park, generating substantial revenue, which was reinvested in a full-time groundsman and improving the pitches and equipment to maintain it to a suitable level.

However, Fleet left the venue last year and the parish council failed to find other semi-professional clubs to use the facility and provide the same level of income, which led to a deficit of £150,000, and a further deficit of £70,000 half-way through this financial year.

To try and balance the books, the council says it will need to introduce a variety of measures to mitigate the effect of these ongoing costs to local taxpayers.

These include using a contractor to maintain the facilities, with a lower level of turf care, reducing subsidies offered to specific hirers and removing the priority bookings system, which it says would allow the maximum amount of bookings at the park.

"It would have a devastating effect on us" - Ian Bull, chairman

However, this idea has left Kings Hill FC chairman Ian Bull frustrated and fearing its teams may be left with nowhere suitable to play and train.

He said: "If our priority booking goes out the window, it could put our teams in jeopardy.

"It would have a devastating effect on us, we've grown and grown every year and have 200 children on the waiting list because this is such a wonderful club.

"It's a fantastic facility and we're appreciative of it, we always pay on time and we're by far their number one customer.

"It could see some of our teams going which would be a tragedy."

Parish council chairwoman Cllr Sarah Barker said: "We are the custodians of public money and we must ensure that it is spent fairly and wisely.

"The sports park was set up to be a community facility and we must adjust our operations to suit its intended purpose.

"We will be expanding the sports available at the park to include rugby, tennis and netball, all of which will be available to all and will contribute to the running costs of the facility.

"Groups can still apply for subsidies from the parish council but this must be through the proper channels and assessed against the criteria and budget available."

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