WINCHESTER City's football ground could be reimagined as a community hub under a controversial housing scheme in Abbotts Barton.

Club officials say the Denplan City Ground is underused and could welcome more teams, workshops and activities with an all-weather pitch.

But it is tied to plans for 13 council houses on green space in Hillier Way, which many residents are resisting.

Dave Malone, director of football, said "nimbyism" was to blame for opposition to new homes.

"The football ground is underused," he said. "It's a grass pitch that at best we can use twice a week. We let the girls play there two or three times a year, but we'd like them to play every week.

"We truly want to make the facility widely available to local people. An all-weather surface has got endless possibilities."

He added: "I'm sure there's lots of nimbyism but at the end of the day I would have thought the need for housing is greater than for preserving a piece of green space that is barely used."

Hampshire Chronicle:

Indicative plans from the River Itchen

Around 150 residents attended a consultation last week where officers revealed how the estate could look.

The homes are aimed at families and people without children.

Sylke Krämer, secretary of Abbotts Barton Community Group, said: "There are many who voiced their concerns that they didn't want any houses in any of the green areas, which I understand. I don't really want them, but we need houses so there has to be some compromise somewhere."

These proposals represent an acceleration of the council's housebuilding programme on the estates, joining schemes at Victoria House, Stanmore's New Queens Head and Westman Road in Weeke.

They are the first to come forward for Abbotts Barton since a planning framework was launched in 2013. Other sites at Dyson Drive, Charles Close, Hussey Close and Austin Close could be developed as the council looks to build 50 homes in the area.

Only 37 of these are expected in the "short to medium term", a council spokesman said.