The Council had been approached by Shenfield Cricket Club with regard to playing additional fixtures on the park field and cricket square at Courage Playing Fields.

The club had been using two fields at the site, the first was the clubs original field on the land and is the field named in the 1950 deed of gift as the “Cricket ground situate upon the property”.

The second field was the main park field and permission was granted by the Council via the Leisure, Recreation and Arts Committee on the 27^thSeptember 1993 for the club to establish a second cricket square on site due to the increase in playing members at the club.

The permission was granted with conditions, two of which were that the facility should be used for cricket on one day of the weekend and the other that the permission be reviewed at a later date [min. 304].

The later condition had never been carried out and the current arrangement had not been reviewed since 1993.

The club had requested to use the park field for additional fixtures for the season that would result in the field being used for more than one day a weekend, therefore the Chair had requested that the item be brought before  members for consideration as per the original permission.

Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED to approve the recommendations in the report subject to the following amendments:

2.1 That members agree the request for additional use on the second fields as per Appendix A.  that any further action required be delegated to the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with the Chair and Ward Members. 

2.2 That a report be made to a future committee regarding the process of the future approval of the clubs fixtures. 

A vote was taken by a show of hands and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

1.    That members agree the request for additional use on the second fields as per Appendix A.  that any further action required be delegated to the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with the Chair and Ward Members. 

2.    That a report be made to a future committee regarding the process of the future approval of the clubs fixtures. 

Reasons for Recommendation

To establish the Council’s position with regard to the request for additional cricket fixtures at Courage Playing Fields on the park field.