Costs of developing a sports hub at Waterside Drive is rising rapidly, with almost £700,000 added on to estimates - but all sports teams have re-emphasised their support.

The construction hit a bump in July when work to investigate contamination at the former landfill site increased the amount needed for development.

Revised plans, fine-tuned at a council meeting on Wednesday, December 3, include two third-generation synthetic turf pitches as well as the proposed grass training pitches, an eight-lane athletics track to UK Athletics standard, combined club house, covered spectator seating for more than 500 people, a children's playground and dog walking tracks.

The hub, next to the Xcel Leisure Centre, is to house Walton and Hersham FC, currently based at Stompond Lane, and Walton Casuals Football Club, Walton Casuals Juniors Football Club and Walton Athletics Club.

Stompond Lane will be sold to fund the project.

At a cabinet meeting last month, where the extra £700,000 needed was confirmed, Councillor Chris Sadler spoke to the cabinet about a query he made last year about costs, and said: "Wind on the clock to a year now, and we clearly have a rather different and embarrassing problem."

Councillor John O'Reilly said the hub would be worth the time and money spent on it, and said: "I hope that Chris Sadler and others will not make this into a squalid, political party jamboree."

The four clubs recently signed a memorandum of understanding in support of the development.

Coun O'Reilly said the new facility would provide a good resource for a new generation of sporting stars: "The sports hub will create modern sports and spectator facilities for all the clubs and will provide excellent training surfaces for young local athletes and footballers.

"We have recently conducted ground investigation, and we can now go forward with further investigations to ensure the historic contamination on site is properly dealt with.

"Detailed site surveys in preparation for the Hub have confirmed there is no immediate risk to public health, and this development offers a unique opportunity to deal with the historic contamination safely to protect future generations.

"Councillors are considering the way the new facilities will be funded and who will manage them with the intention that they will be operational in 2016. I am delighted that we have the active involvement of the clubs in bringing forward these latest plans."