COLCHESTER United ’s owner says jobs and potential footballers could be lost if their application to extend the training ground hours is turned down.

Robbie Cowling has hit back at the “handful” of Tiptree residents who are objecting to his attempts to allow the training complex to be used all day.

A series of conditions attached at the Florence Park centre, in Grange Road, include only allowing training to take place between 10.30am and 1pm, Mondays to Saturdays.

Four weeks after the first training sessions, the club have applied to Colchester Council to train until 6pm, every day except Sunday.

Some residents said the original conditions were imposed because they did not want to be disturbed at all hours.

They fear more conditions could be breached and then changed.

Mr Cowling, who founded JobServe in Tiptree, said the opposition was from a minority and he had received encouragement and praise from many residents, including in Grange Road.

He said: “Like me, they believe the facility is good for the village and, like me, they want to see a facility that gives young people an opportunity to better themselves and local young men the opportunity to experience playing football at a first class facility.”

“Colchester United are one of the biggest employers in Tiptree, and on top of that we have hundreds of young boys and men who are depending upon us to fulfill their potential.

“Should those jobs and that potential be lost to allow a handful of people to impose an unreasonable restriction upon us? “I do not believe Colchester United are asking for major changes that will have any real impact on those residents living close to the facility.” Mr Cowling said the hours allowed were used in the application because they were the times the team trained at the Garrison training ground.

He said when the application was passed with those hours he was assured they could be easily altered.

Mr Cowling said the application had been submitted because manager John Ward needs to vary the times they train and because the club had upgraded their youth academy.

In the past year, the U’s have spent £1.2million on youth development alone, hiring 15 new full-time staff.

Mr Cowling revealed he hired an independent expert who determined sessions did not breach the noise guidelines. He told the offical club website: “Hopefully we can get this matter resolved. I am sure in time even those few residents who oppose our presence will start to realise we are good neighbours with a vested interest in Tiptree.”