A campaign has been launched to try and secure the future of Wymondham Rugby Club ahead of a crunch planning meeting.

On Wednesday South Norfolk Council is set to discuss an application to move the rugby club at Tuttles Lane to a new ground that is said will become a fantastic sporting facility for the town and wider area.

However the relocation plans, which would include building 90 homes on the Tuttles Lane site, have been recommended for refusal by planning officers.

The rugby club, which has 1,200 members, says the move is necessary as its present facilities are not up to scratch, with club chairman Andrew Kilby saying the scheme is the only chance the club has to grow,

In a bid to make councillors on the planning committee vote against their officer's recommendation, an on-line petition has been set up by father-of-five Drew Woodier, 46, and whose son Ben, 19, and Victoria, 18, have played for the club with his younger children wanting to get involved as well.

Mr Woodier, who is from Hethersett and recently moved to Toftmead Close, Dereham, said: 'Wymondham Rugby Club has been a great asset to me and my family over the years and I would very much like to see the club prosper and improve as my younger children to utilise all the good things the club has to offer.'

The rugby club relocation plan to land by Melton Road is part of a scheme to build a further 300 homes on Norwich Common.

Council planning officers have recommended the application be thrown out as the homes would impact on available secondary school places and would erode and further reduce the strategic gap between Wymondham and Hethersett.

Mr Woodier's petition can be found at www.change.org/p/south-norfolk-district-council-planning-committee-approve-proposals-for-the-relocation-of-wymondham-rugby-club

What do you think of the rugby club's plans? Email anthony.carroll@archant.co.uk