TENTATIVE moves are under way to try to find �600,000 of funding for an all-weather pitch in North Walsham.The artificial turf is needed by North Walsham Hockey Club and footballers in the town who currently have to travel to Cromer High School and use their pitch.

TENTATIVE moves are under way to try to find �600,000 of funding for an all-weather pitch in North Walsham.

The artificial turf is needed by North Walsham Hockey Club and footballers in the town who currently have to travel to Cromer High School and use their pitch.

Jo Todd, chair of the hockey club, which has over 100 adult and junior members, said use of the Cromer pitch had almost reached capacity and the growing hockey club also wanted to attract more young people from the North Walsham and Stalham areas.

Because training and home games were held in Cromer, that was where most of the club's junior section currently came from, said Ms Todd.

Ideally, the new pitch would be sited at North Walsham High School, where the town's sports centre was based.

She also hopes that Paston College chiefs might be persuaded to rethink the all-weather pitch proposed for their new site, which would only be big enough for five-a-side football.

If Paston would help fund a larger pitch at the high school site it would have much greater community use, said Ms Todd.

The club recently met with North Walsham county councillor Paul Morse and representatives from North Norfolk District Council, Sport England and North Walsham High School to discuss the project.

All those present are now looking at possible sources of funding and will meet again around Easter to see whether the plan might be feasible, said Mr Morse. He is also hoping to speak to Paston College chiefs.

But Mr Morse warned against too much optimism, saying: 'These are very early days and we would need to find a lot of money.'