PLANS have been announced to spend more than £20m on upgrading a clay shooting club in a bid to bring the 2012 Olympics to north Kent.

Peter Duffield, who owns Dartford Clay Shooting Club (DCSC) in Joyce Green Lane, Dartford, is planning to improve the facilities at the site so it can hold international competitions and also be suitable for the 2012 Olympic shooting competition.

Mr Duffield, said: “I think it will be good for Dartford.

“It is about putting something back into the community.”

Mr Duffield believes it would leave a legacy for the town and has said afterwards the buildings could be used for youth clubs, archery and even an ice rink.

The plans include a 300 bedroom hotel and temporary seating galleries, a new four to six position clay shooting range for skeet and trap shooting and upgrading indoor and outdoor rifle and pistol ranges.

Public access around the marshes will also be improved and the plans will ensure green space is maintained for residents.

Clay competition stands for game style shooting would also be upgraded, along with building multi-purpose community and sporting facilities suitable to host the 2012 Olympic shooting competition, a situation which remains disputed and unresolved.

Currently, the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich have been chosen by the London Organising Olympic Committee of the Olympic Games as the venue to hold the competition, however, there are major safety concerns with this site.

Richard Bailey, a spokesman for the club, said: “Shooting does not belong in a suburban area where the safety of people cannot be guaranteed.”

And according to Mr Bailey, another potential site, The National Shooting Centre at Bisley, is also unsuitable because it is more than an hour away from where the Olympic Village at Stratford will be.

The club has the support of British governing body for all target shooting, British Shooting, and also the clay pigeon governing body, the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association.

Chairman of British Shooting, Phil Boakes, has said he is supporting the plans as the UK does not currently have a venue capable of attracting international competitions.

A planning application will be sent to Dartford Council within the next few weeks.