BRENTWOOD is set to be the base for the US Olympic Boxing team in 2012!

Plans are being drawn up to turn the current youth club in Harrison Close, Hutton, into a £1.5 million, state-of-the-art sports facility and the organisers received a huge boost this week when the idea got the nod of approval from America.

The US boxing team has pledged its support for the proposed Brentwood Youth Project Boxing Academy, stating it is "precisely the type of boxing facility" it will be looking to use before the 2012 Olympics.

In a letter to Boxing Academy project director Barry Bowers, Dr Tom Virgets, of the board of director of the USA boxing team, said: "The centre that you have planned, with housing, meals and state-of-the-art training facilties, will be just what we are looking for."

He estimates the American boxing team will want to arrive three to four weeks prior to the start of the Olympics, to acclimitise and fully prepare for the competition.

Dr Virgets gave his backing to the plans, adding: "Your boxing academy sounds like the perfect type of boxing centre to host training camps with several countries."

Mr Bowers could barely contain his excitement as the news filtered through of the USA's backing.

He said: "We're over the moon to have a letter from the Americans saying they will use Brentwood as their training camp.

"Elite boxers will be training in the best competition in the world. This will set a standard for our young boxers to prepare for 2012."

On Tuesday night, borough councillor Chris Hossack travelled to Cafe Royal, in Regent Street, London, to collect the letter on behalf of Brentwood Council.

Other support for the project came from Terry Edwards, the UK national coach. He said: "The plans for Hutton Community Centre are for a world-class facility that would be ideal for an Olympic holding camp. This is great news for Brentwood."

Keith Walters, chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association of England, also said: "Facilities like this are just what is needed to support the Olympics, and being just 20 minutes from Stratford makes the Hutton site ideal."

Such public support adds momentum to plans for the sports facility, which is likley to include a four-court sports hall accommodating badminton, basketball and boxing. It should also increase the likelihood of the youth club receiving sponsorship to fund the project.

The Brentwood Youth Project already plays host to a boxing club as well as football coaching courses run by West Ham United FC.

Mr Bowers said the improved facilities should also help cut anti-social behaviour problems among youngsters in the nearby Hutton area. He added: "Now youngsters are starting to use the centre, anti-social behaviour has dropped."