Mersea islanders might have to wait a little longer for their new £1m sports facility, after a £800,000 lottery bid was turned down.

Town councillors were given 15 acres east of the Glebe recreation ground, as part of a legal agreement involving a future housing development off East Road.

Over a three-year period, they hope to lay out sports pitches and a multi-use hard surface area, a car park and pavilion.

Town clerk David Tucker said the bid to the lottery's Active England involved a tight two-year timescale, which would have been difficult to achieve.

As a result, the planned new pavilion and hard tennis courts will be delayed, but the legal agreement with the developer remains unaffected, he said.

Published Wednesday July 21, 2004

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