UP TO 300 football-crazy children in a Southampton neighbourhood could benefit from plans to renovate an under-used park.

Southampton City Council's sports service is bidding for a £10,000 grant to transform Green Park in Wimpson Lane, Millbrook, into a mini-soccer pitch as part of a wider brief to improve the site.

The pitch for youngsters aged seven to ten years could be used by about 300 children each season - many of whom have had little previous opportunity to participate in sport within easy reach of their homes.

Under City Council plans, the park's four current full-sized football pitches and cricket square will also receive much-needed maintenance. Street furniture including seating, dog bins, signs and directions will be incorporated in the renovation project.

The park improvement package will be considered at the next Outer Shirley Regeneration Board meeting on Wednesday at Redbridge Community School in Cuckmere Lane, Millbrook.

Additional funding for the maintenance of the site is being sought from Sport England.

Meanwhile, the Outer Shirley Regeneration Board will be considering next week whether to approve a £35,000 grant to enable a feasibility study to be carried out on the future uses of Green Park and Mansel Park off Windermere Avenue.

The study, which would be carried out by the community regeneration division of Southampton City Council, would look at potential methods of upgrading existing facilities and providing a new "green focus" for the area.

Comparisons would also be drawn with other green sites in west Southampton, including Test Park in Millbrook and Lordshill Recreation Ground.

The study would go on to illustrate likely capital costs and maintenance implications as well as potential funding sources.

It would explore the case for the development and implementation of the Outer Shirley Regeneration Sustainable Living project as a means of funding open space improvements.