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Controversial plans to install a new all-weather sports pitch in Risca have moved a step closer.

Caerphilly County Borough Council wants to remove the existing Artificial Turf Pitch (ATP) at Risca Leisure Centre and replace it with a more modern 3G surface.

The council has now applied for planning permission to make the changes, which it says are necessary because the current pitch is “coming to the end of its life and is not currently fit for purpose”.

Funded using a £1 million Welsh Government grant, the 3G pitch will be “another example of the county borough providing high quality, fit for purpose facilities to its residents and partners”, the council said previously.

Support for the changes is far from universal, however.

Risca Hockey Club has led criticisms of the plan to rip up the existing ATP at their home ground, because a 3G pitch will not be suitable for the sport.

In comments to Caerphilly Observer in 2023, backers of the club called the council’s plan “devastating” and claimed it could “deny” youngsters and adults “the chance to play hockey”.

The council, meanwhile, said at the time a replacement pitch would provide “high-quality facilities for both [Risca Comprehensive] school and community use”.

The application is currently out for consultation, and can be viewed on the Caerphilly County Borough Council website under reference 24/0502/LA.