Sports pitch hope (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Sports pitch hope

4:17pm Friday 31st January 2003 in

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COST cutting measures which could stop plans for a community sports area being kicked into touch are being considered by South Lakeland District Council.

The scheme for an artificial turf pitch and other sports facilities on the former Kendal tip at Cinderovens and adjoining land at Aikrigg hit the buffers last year when it came to light it would cost £100,000 to clean up the contaminated land.

But SLDC, which is working in partnership with Kirkbie Kendal School, is now hoping to make the project viable by spending £10,000 on design ideas aimed at slashing the cost of dealing with the polluted land.

SLDC recreation officer Helen Lawler said that one of the possible ways forward might be to make a feature of the contaminated material by concealing it in landscaped mounds. This would help cut costs, as less material would have to be removed from the site.

Work to contain the contaminated land at Cinderovens was carried out with DEFRA funding last year when trenches were dug to act as drains for methane gas which was present on the site.

Designs for the development, which would cater for football, hockey and tennis and include a changing facility, car parking and a grass sports pitch on the Aikrigg site, have already been given planning permission.

Mrs Lawler said that the council should have decided by April whether to go ahead with the £10,000 funding. She added: "We have the makings of something for the next 20 years which has so much potential. If we persevere, this project should be achievable."