A long-held ambition to create play facilities for older children in a rural village has moved a step closer to being realised after Sport England confirmed no mitigation measures would be needed to protect youngsters using swings, slides and climbing equipment from flying cricket balls.
However, Sport England has stated Helperby Brafferton Recreational Trust must demonstrate that children using the play area outside the village between Easingwold and Boroughbridge will not face being hit by footballs from a nearby pitch before it lifts its objection to the proposal beside Helperby Cricket Club.
Sport England’s move follows planning permission for a development beside Crossflatts Cricket Club in Bradford being quashed by the High Court in 2021 because “ball strike” had not been adequately addressed.
The request for an expert opinion on the risk of football impacting on the play area follows almost a decade of fundraising by a group of fathers seeking facilities for children over the age of seven in the village.
It took years of talks between the trust and local landowners before it was agreed a sheep grazing field was the best available place for the facility in the village which has more than 100 children in its population of about 800.
A planning application submitted to North Yorkshire Council states a survey of villagers had found 95 per cent of residents were in favour of a new space to incorporate more facilities for the village, in particular for families with children and grandchildren.
It states: “Whilst the local community have access to a very small play facility at the village hall, this caters for children up to the age of seven only. In contrast, the proposed play area would cater for children up to the age of 14.
“Indeed, the subject site is considered as an ideal location for the new recreational facility, with the adjoining cricket club fielding three Saturday teams, three junior teams and a mid-week Wednesday night team the wider site serves as a thriving and cherished community hub and recreational space.”
Numerous residents have written to the council to support the proposal, describing the play area as a “fantastic addition to the village”, saying there is “currently there is nothing for our young children to do”.
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