A Herefordshire high school's plan for a brand new sports facility has been backed because it is "badly needed".

Queen Elizabeth High School in Bromyard has applied for planning permission from Herefordshire Council for a new floodlit synthetic sports pitch that it will share with the community.

It will replace the current tarmac tennis courts next to Panniers Lane.

The new 43-by-33-metre 3G pitch will have six goal alcoves, which can otherwise be used for storage, and the surface would be used for a single large end-to-end pitch, or two half-size pitches.

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The plan would "benefit the local community and other partner organisations" as well as the school, the application says.

Debating the plans, Bromyard and Winslow Town Council said it would back the bid. Coun Fred Clark said the work was "badly needed", but planning committee chair Coun Gill Churchill pointed out that the school's name is incorrect on Herefordshire Council's website.

It said the name was Queen Elizabeth Humanities College, but it has reverted back to High School a number of years ago.

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The committee unanimously gave its backing to the bid, with a final decision resting with county council planners.

The planning permission said the pitch would be used on weekdays by local primary schools as well as the high school, and then by community clubs in evenings and at weekends.

"Such community usage would be available for all local youth football teams who currently use natural turf pitches which often become unplayable during the winter months," the bid says.

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If it is successful, the pitch would be in use between 8am and 9pm weekdays, and between 9am and 5pm at weekends.

The current chain-link perimeter fencing would be replaced by more substantial 4.5-metre black steel mesh panels, "to provide an adequate ball-stop and to help prevent unauthorised use and vandalism".

The new LED lighting would be mounted on four 10-metre high stanchions. As there is a helicopter landing area to the east of the planned pitch, Midland Air Ambulance have recommended red obstruction lighting be installed on the two nearest stanchions.