Council in talks to transfer fields to Consett AFC after pitch 'vandalism'
A County Durham football club is in discussions with the council over the ownership of playing fields behind its stadium after a spate of 'vandalism' has left the pitches 'unplayable'.
Consett AFC's stadium in Delves Lane is bordered by council-owned playing fields which the club uses for its junior and community teams.
But a spate of what the club called 'mindless vandalism' in late December has left the pitches unplayable after appearing to be churned up by vehicles.
"These pitches provide opportunities for our local children to play grassroots football which is now being jeopardised by quad bikes tearing up the grass and leaving them unplayable," the club posted on social media.
"We do appreciate these pitches and the area outside of the stadium is for public use but we are appealing to our community to use this space with respect for everyone so that the children of Consett get to play their games."
The club are looking to take ownership of the pitches in order to fence them in to avoid a repeat of this situation, with a meeting set for mid-January to discuss the next steps in the process.
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Consett AFC owner Frank Bell is optimistic that a deal can be done soon and the pitches will be up and running again this year.
"Discussions with the council have gone well," he told The Northern Echo.
"We need to fence the area behind the stadium so the pitches can be usable.
"They will remain open to the community, this is not to try and hive off the fields from the community, we want to protect them as an asset."
(Image: Consett AFC) The football club plans to invest in the area with better equipment and install a drainage system.
Mr Bell was not deterred by the prospect of going through the planning process, which could leave an application waiting months to go through the proper channels.
"Everybody has been extremely positive throughout the process," he said.
Susan Robinson, Durham County Council’s head of corporate property and land, said: “Consett Playing Fields is an important community asset, particularly for grassroots sports clubs, and we are currently working with Consett AFC to transfer ownership of the fields to them.
“As demonstrated by what has happened at the playing fields, anti-social behaviour can have a significant negative impact on residents. We would encourage anyone with concerns about vehicle nuisance to report them to the police.”
