Councillors have approved plans for an artificial cricket wicket in a park in Hove – subject to a risk assessment.
Brighton and Hove City Council submitted the planning application for the pitch in Aldrington Recreation Ground, known locally as Wish Park.
The council’s Planning Committee passed the plans, subject to officials being satisfied that it would be safe.
A life-long cricketer, Des O’Dell, secretary of the Friends of Wish Park, presented the community’s concerns when the committee met at Hove Town Hall on Wednesday (5 March).
Mr O’Dell, who received an award from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for volunteering, told councillors that he had previously fought to keep the grass wicket in the park.
But he said that he had made the difficult decision to represent those objecting to the plans, saying: “Wish Park has changed significantly in 20 years and now serves three nurseries and a growing local community.
“On Saturdays it’s full of families hosting children’s parties and community events. Restricting them to 25 per cent of the park in the shade will create big conflict, especially in a diverse community where not everyone plays.”
He said that, in addition to small family gatherings, Hove’s Bulgarian and Coptic Christian communities also held events in the park and were not familiar with cricket.
Cricket clubs had called on Mr O’Dell to mediate with families and community groups because bouncy castles and gazebos were encroaching on the pitch.
A team that hopes to play at the park, Brighton Dome Mission, is currently based at Horsdean Park Recreation Ground, in Patcham.
Mr O’Dell said that last year they hit 60 sixes, meaning the ball would have gone beyond the boundary of the pitch 60 times.
He said that there were not adequate changing rooms and no toilets on the west side of the park – and only one pavilion.
He was also concerned about the effect on the football pitches, with hundreds of children playing in the park during the season.
Laura Spence, from ECE Architecture, spoke on behalf of the council, telling the committee that, since 2016, Brighton and Hove had lost seven artificial wickets.
She said that demand for the pitch was increasing from adult, youth, women and girls cricket teams.
Ms Spence said: “For the upcoming cricket season, the adjacent cricket square in Aldrington Recreation Ground is fully booked for peak sessions and with noted further demands at this site.
“The proposal has been developed in partnership and supported by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Sussex Cricket.”
Labour councillor Paul Nann, who represents Wish ward, asked if only one pitch could be booked at a time to prevent three quarters of the park being taken up by the sport. He was told that this would not be possible.
Green councillor Sue Shanks asked for the decision to be delayed to allow for further consultation with the community.
Councillor Shanks said: “It seems to me, in terms of cricket, one at a time is enough. The ball goes all over the place, doesn’t it!”
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald said that one pitch was enough but she was told that there was unmet demand for cricket pitches locally.
Labour councillor Liz Loughran, who chairs the Planning Committee, said: “The concern I have is I haven’t seen any ball trajectory analysis and the playing field is very close to residents’ gardens.
“I’ve read the objection from the nursery. They’re very concerned about the impact which presumably would only be in the summer period when the children will be using the garden a lot.”
The committee voted unanimously to allow officials to make a decision once they were satisfied with the risk assessment.
