MARLOW Football Club is being held back by old-fashioned facilities, according to its chairman.

The club is currently chasing a play-off place in the Southern League South and West in a bid for promotion to the Southern League Premier Division.

But chairman Terry Staines said it could all be in vain as the club's grounds will not meet the FA minimum requirements stand-ards of higher leagues.

Mr Staines said: "We are okay for the next league up, but we are aiming to get back to our glory days in the 90s when we were playing in the equivalent of the Conference South and made it to the third round of the FA Cup.

"We have a very good chance at being in the play-offs, but we could then be stuck at that level because we are being held back by our facilities and lack of money, and not by our ability to play."

Meanwhile the club's multi-million pound stadium plans are still on hold, despite an extraordinary meeting to discuss them last week.

The developer North West Estates (NWE) has said it is now looking at scaling down the development.

NWE had planned to build 80 homes on the club's current site in Oakridge Road, Marlow, in exchange for building a stadium on its land at Little Marlow Gravel Pits. It also volunteered to develop a country park on the gravel pits for community use.

But Wycombe District Council development control committee unanim-ously refused the applications in October - primarily because they conflicted with green belt policy.

Mr Staines said no decision was made on Thursday, but members were informed the club was exploring three options with the developer.

He said: "They can either forget it and walk away. They can appeal the decision. They can resubmit a revised plan. Or they can do both, appeal and resubmit at the same time.

"There is no way North West Estates are going to walk away from it. If they appeal we have signed a contract to say we will support them and if they submit new plans they need the members' approval and we will have another meeting."

NWE has until April 19 to appeal the council's decision to refuse planning permission.

Richard Brown, NWE head of planning, said: "Wycombe District Council thought we had not demonstrated very special circum-stances to allow development on the green belt.

"We are addressing the reasons for refusal and meeting with the council's head of major projects and the architect who designed the homes plan sometime this week or next week."

He added: "There were issues with the design which is very subjective, but can be overcome. There were also issues with the layout and possibly the density and scale. If we submitted a new design it would possibly be on a lesser scale. The FA has issued new grading requirements that means we can reduce the amount of built development. And on green belt that all helps."

Where's the money for land?'

THE council has been told to get on with developing a country park after it turned down a scheme from a rival developer.

There is mounting pressure for Wycombe District Council to provide more green open space in Marlow after fears the town could be losing its parks and play areas, as reported in last week's Marlow Free Press.

Catherine Spalton, spokesman for the district council, said: "The Little Marlow Gravel Pits area is identified in the Local Plan as an area for a country park."

But the council has revealed this week there are no current plans to deliver it.

North West Estates owns the land and submitted a scheme to develop a country park as well as a stadium for Marlow Football Club.

But Wycombe District Council refused planning permission last year partly because it wanted to reserve the space entirely for a country park. The club said it wants to see the council make good its intention.

Marlow Football Club director Ray Frith said: "The council said it wanted it for a country park but it doesn't even own the land. Where is the money to buy the land, has any been put aside? What are they doing about turning the gravel pits into a country park?"

Catherine Spalton said the council had drawn up planning guidance to provide a park. She added: "The council has not acquired the land, but continues to look into the feasibility of a country park on this site."

She said the council protected open spaces through its Local Plan and emerging Wycombe Development Framework. It was also going to require developers to make financial contributions to the area's infrastructure and leisure facilities including open spaces, for developments of more than four homes or commercial units in the future.

She added while the council appreciated there may be a shortage of suitable football space in Marlow, it was not the provider of sports pitches in Marlow and people could still play football in Higginson Park.