Playing field closer to reality (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Playing field closer to reality

8:25am Friday 15th October 2004 in Sport By Gazette News Desk

SPORTING youngsters in a South Lakeland village look set to benefit from a new recreation area after the district council's planning committee approved plans for a new playing field.

Councillors voted unanimously to back the plans to change the use of land that would see Holme benefit from a seven-acre field offered to the village by local benefactor Dan Houghton.

The land would have been worth up to £3.5 million with unrestricted planning permission for development, but the local community is set to benefit for free. When completed, residents will be able to take advantage of a new football pitch with changing rooms and space for a variety of other sports to be played, with vehicular access from Burton Road.

The council received four letters of complaint from residents worried about the potential disruption if football matches were played there. Councillors agreed to ensure that any football pitch would be at least 50m from any neighbouring houses and were fully supportive of the scheme as long as the football team did not take over the playing area. Coun Gordon Jenkinson said: "One thing I would ask is that a sports area for young children is provided because there is a danger with big lads playing football that the younger ones might be bullied."

Councillors also made it clear that the development did not mean plans for the provision of playing fields at nearby Pear Tree Park would be scrapped.

It is thought a charitable trust would run the land adjacent to City O'Pinch. The planning committee gave SLDC's director of strategy and planning powers to grant permission once details of the football pitch's location were finalised.