Canterbury City Council (CCC) has published the results of a study compiled by Capita Symonds exploring the possibility of developing a new football hub in the city.

The council has been seeking to find a new home for Canterbury City Football Club (CCFC) since 2002, when it considered the potential transformation of a site at Kingsmead. However, the new Capita Symonds report has recommended Ridlands Farm as the preferred site for the football hub, while also outlining five development options costing between £1.36m and £4.48m.

Among the options for the scheme is the provision of Kent or Ryman League-standard facilities for CCFC as a standalone development, offering spectator seating for 150 people and a community football hub building to offer a café/bar, changing rooms and first-aid room. Capita Symonds identified three options as being the most financially viable. These include the potential for the development of a larger venue incorporating a health and fitness club and commercial five-a-side pitches.

A CCC spokesperson said: "At this stage, option two is more immediately deliverable within existing planning policy. It provides a home for Canterbury City Football Club, an artificial pitch and a range of informal pitches, with the opportunity for community facilities such as children's play areas, subject to local need and funding. "While option two can be delivered through the existing Local Plan, an alternative way to go about it would be through the Local Development Framework, which is currently subject to public consultation. This will give greater planning certainty, but could put the project back by at least five years."