PLANS TO create business units on a corner of Keighley Cricket Club’s land have been approved.

Bradford Council planners approved the application to build eight units on Royd Way alongside the cricket field.

The club plans to spruce up its pavilion and clubhouse with profits from selling the land to developers.

The developers had already signed a deal with the club to buy the unused triangle of the club’s land to supplement land they already own on Royd Way.

Club spokesman Nigel Allsop said he hoped the land sale would be completed by September. Members will carry out further fundraising for their improvement project.

He said: “We plan to improve our pavilion, changing rooms and clubhouse, and install disabled facilities like ramps, toilets and wider doors.

“We want to make the outside of the club more inviting to visitors and players, and make the place more modern.”

Mr Allsop did not expect exterior work on the club’s buildings to begin until next year, after Bradford Council contractors have finished widening the adjacent Hard Ings Road.

As part of the road project, a new pavement and cycle path will be built right up to the cricket club’s wall. Contractors will rebuild the wall and rework the club’s vehicle access.

Meanwhile work will progress on developing eight business units on the 2,775-square-metre Royd Way site along with 39 parking spaces.

Norwood Properties, through its agent Michael Ainsworth Design Partnership (MADP), plans a speculative development aimed to meet demand from new and expanding local companies for units of that size, for uses such as vehicle paint-spraying or car parts.

The developers have estimated the units would support up to 30 jobs.

Access to the site, from Royd Ings which runs off Hard Ings Road, would be slightly repositioned to make best use of the site’s shape.

The Royd Way site, within sight of Cougar Park, stands in the Royd Ings area which has long been used by industry both large and small.

The recent planning application to Bradford Council received one objection, from a company concerned about the proximity of the proposed units to their adjacent factory.

Keighley Cricket Club has long wanted to improve its facilities for players, spectators and visitors, and tried to raise the money through sponsorship.

Club officials agreed to sell land to Norwood Properties because it is a corner of the site that is not used for matches.