Eccleshill United Sports and Social Club wins land sale fight (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Club wins four-year battle to sell off training pitches in Kingsway, Wrose, for development

10:42am Wednesday 1st June 2011 in Wrose By Marc Meneaud, Aire Valley Chief Reporter

Front (from left), Councillor Vanda Greenwood, Eccleshill United chairman John Offless and Tony Dodd, from Dutton Dodd Consultants

Bosses at a football club which faced a bleak financial future said a “cloud had been lifted” after it was allowed to sell off land for development.

Eccleshill United Sports and Social Club has been granted planning permission by Bradford Council for more than 50 homes to be built on two under-used training pitches at its ground in Kingsway, Wrose, Shipley.

But the application was sent to a Government inspector because development on sports fields went against Council planning policies.

The club has now received confirmation that the inspector will not use powers to “call in” the application – effectively allowing the go-ahead for development.

Club chairman John Offless said members could now look to the future of the club as a “real community facility”. He said: “We are delighted. The atmosphere around the place is as if a cloud has been lifted and we now see a future for the club.”

He previously said that the club’s survival depended on planners allowing permission to sell off the land because of £250,000 debts.

With the help of Labour Councillor Vanda Greenwood and community groups which use the club, they fought a four-year battle with neighbours, Council planners and Sport England, who were against the plan to sell off land.

Proposals for alternative training pitches in Low Ash – to make up for the loss of land in Kingsway – appeared to sway the Shipley Area Planning Panel earlier this year in favour of the application.

Mr Offless said there would be a full consultation to allay people’s fears over issues such as parking before any work started at the Low Ash playing fields.

Developers are now being sought to build on the training pitches at Kingsway.

• Read the full story in Wednesday's T&A