Cricket could return to Ingleton's old ground

LEATHER on willow could be making a return to a Teesdale village eight years after its cricket team called time.

Ingleton Cricket Club was forced to disband after the 2010 season following an unsuccessful merger with Heighington.

But new interest from an as yet unnamed Teesdale club was revealed at a public meeting in the village last week.

The chairman of Ingleton parish council, Steve Leech, said: “There is interest in sports – some of the interest comes from participation and some of that comes from spectating.

“I know there has been interest expressed in use of the field by a cricket team – it would be unfair to say who that team was before we have gone through the consultation process.

“The concept of cricket for both the pavilion and the field does seem to be the direction of travel.”

Talks between Ingleton Parish Council and villagers have revealed a desire to bring sport back to the playing field and the pavilion off Gainford Road.

The leader of the Pavilion and Playing Field Working Group, Cllr Michelle Vickers, said getting cricket back in the village was a “favourite” among consultees.

An open day held by the group also found walking groups were popular. Suggestions for winter astronomy sessions, more family fun days and an all weather sports surface on the site were also brought up.

Cllr Vickers said: “There is potential for some of the things – the one that would be really nice would be the cricket but at the moment it’s in its early stages.”

A questionnaire survey by the Pavilion and Playing Field Working Group found 44 per cent of respondents in the village wanted to see sport back on the field.

Other popular choices included having a music on the field (nine per cent) and continuing to hold the annual summer fete.

But of the 32 people who filled it in, 95 per cent said they used the field very infrequently or not at all.

The biggest bugbears of residents were the lack of maintenance of the building, the closure of the pavilion toilets and irresponsible dog owners on the field.

Cllr Leech said: “Acknowledging it’s a small survey, I think the message we are getting is we like the fact it’s an attractive open and safe space and we do not like that it’s underused. We would like it to be used for sport and then on top of that community events.”

When it came to the pavilion itself, the parish council had earmarked improvements to the upstairs room for a number of years.

But work was still required to make the room comply with fire regulations.

Bids to install a fresh food preparation area and disabled toilets at the pavilion were also discussed.

Villager Norman Davies said: “It strikes me that a majority of people want to use the field for sport and recreation with proposals to bring cricket back.

“Some of the proposals risk losing the changing area which is against what people want to use it for in a sporting capacity.”

League cricket was introduced near Gainford Road in 1961 with Ingleton CC a fixture in the Darlington and District Cricket League for five decades.

Proposals and ideas from the consultation will be discussed at Ingleton’s next parish council meeting on September 27.