A Tameside cricket club 'at the heart of the community' will be allowed to build homes on land it owns in a move which it says will guarantee the club's future and 'resurrect' youth cricket.

Stalybridge St Pauls Cricket Club has been granted permission by the council's planning committee to demolish a function room and allow a developer to construct four new houses.

Head of planning Melanie Hale told a meeting of the planning committee that the land, located off Gorse Hill Road in Dukinfield, was an area of protected open space but the building currently in place was in a ‘poor state of repair’.

“We didn’t receive any objections but we did receive support from the director of Active Tameside,” she added.

Ms Hale said that the proposals met an exception for building on protected land as the funds generated from the sale would improve the facilities and ‘help meet the need of the club and the community’.

The four houses would be two bedroom, semi-detached properties constructed with brick facing and pitched roofs.

Roy Spruce, a planning and development consultant spoke on behalf of the cricket club, telling the meeting it would offer a ‘small contribution’ to housing need.

“The loss of the function room is surplus to requirements,” he added. “The redevelopment of the site would not compromise the use or function of the existing cricket club.”

Reading out a statement by the club, he said: “To achieve our aims we need funds, and due to the current Covid situation the income of the club has fallen dramatically.

“We rely mainly from room lettings and bar takings and these have come to a halt. This has meant that we have to look very closely at our club’s position.

“The room which we use for these lettings is in dire need of renovation, was built in 1949 with an expected lifespan of only ten to 15 years.

“Essentially the building is now both a financial burden to the club and an issue for local residents.

“It is therefore felt that the best way forward for the club would be to sell the land that this sits on for development and invest some of the proceeds in the brick-built pavilion which is also on the site.”

He added: “Currently the club holds enough funds to operate for approximately two years. With the funds that the sale of the land would generate, we would be in a financially secure position for many years to come and would be able to continue to develop sport on this site for future generations.

“It is the club’s intention to resurrect the junior side of the club and together with better facilities this will help attract new members and players.”

Mr Spruce told the meeting that the club was at the ‘heart of the community’ running community fun and charity days.

Councillors approved the plans unanimously.

Read more from the Tameside Reporter

Click here for more of the latest news

Click here to read the latest edition of the paper online

Click here to find out where you can pick up a copy of the paper