Sport participation could be given a boost in Caerphilly County Borough amid plans to invest £1.6 million in new community facilities.
An athletics centre, complete with a six-lane 300-metre running track, is planned at Rhiw Syr Dafydd Primary School in Oakdale to meet growing interest in the sport.
A “community sporting education excellence hub”, including a floodlit 3G multi-use pitch, could also be built at Risca Comprehensive School.
Both projects would be fully funded by the Welsh Government if approved through a grants process, according to a council report.
Caerphilly is one of only six local authorities in Wales without an athletics track, despite a local resurgence of interest in the sport.
“Our young people want to participate in more athletics, but the lack of facilities is a major barrier,” says the report.
It is hoped the new site will support the growth of Rhymney Valley Athletics Club, which has gained several accolades since reforming in 2014, and more than ten social running clubs.
As well as boasting a floodlit synthetic running track, the site will also include a fan for off-field events like high jump, long jump, shot put, javelin and discus.
Meanwhile the sporting excellence hub in Risca will seek to address a gap in provision for men’s and women’s football and rugby, particularly at Coleg Gwent’s Crosskeys campus.
The facility would be open to schools, Coleg Gwent learners and the wider community.
The report says: “These facilities will address both the gap in sporting provision in these areas and will present an opportunity to develop both recreation and competitive sport linking with our local clubs.”
Funding bids of £900,000 and £755,000 have been submitted for the Risca and Oakdale schemes respectively.
Caerphilly council say the facilities would also complement its ten-year sports and recreation strategy, which has proven controversial in communities which could lose facilities in favour of redeveloping four key leisure centres.
Cabinet members will be asked on April 10 to give their support to progress the projects if funding is secured.