A £1.8-million sports pavilion for Emersons Green has been given the go-ahead and should be ready in time for the start of the new football season in 2010.

The Government has given its backing to the project, despite its location on green-belt land at Pomphrey Hill playing fields. South Gloucestershire Council had already supported the scheme because of the benefits for local sports clubs.

But the protected status of the land meant the Government had the final say.

Its approval now means the council can apply for up to £1 million from the Football Foundation to add to council and sports club money already pledged.

Once built, the two-storey pavilion will be used by footballers and cricketers, as well as boxing and wrestling clubs, in the Emersons Green, Mangotsfield and Downend areas. It will offer changing facilities, community rooms and a kitchen.

The pavilion is the second phase of development at the playing fields. Phase one involves providing extra changing rooms at a cost of £400,000 to serve the playing fields to the north of the site.

Work on phase one should be finished in time for the 2009-10 football season.

The development will serve the existing playing fields and is expected to be run by the Pomphrey Hill Community Sports Association, which represents more than 3,000 local people.

With thousands of homes having been built in Emersons Green, councillors said the new facilities were long overdue.

Emersons Green councillor Colin Hunt said: "This is a giant leap forward and means that we can now apply to the Football Foundation for the resources needed to complete the funding package for this much-needed local facility."

The foundation is funded by the Premier League, the Football Association and Government, which between them invest a total of £40m into the charity every year.

Football clubs Mangotsfield United, Bromley Heath United and the Downend Flyers, along with Carsons Cricket Club, will use the facilities.

Pete Brown, of Mangotsfield United, said: "The cricket club and ourselves have been chasing this since 2002. We first started using the playing fields last year - before then we played all over the place. We run 18 teams from children to veterans and the new facilities will be very welcome."