A CRICKET club has been warned it has questions to answer if it is to bring the sport back to a Teesdale village.
Ingleton’s recreation field has been without cricket for almost a decade but hopes of a return were restored last year when King James CC expressed an interest in making the village ground their home.
Ingleton Parish Council gave the Bishop Auckland club £1,200 to try to get the pitch back up to scratch.
However, the weather put paid to any efforts to ready the ground for this season.
Ingleton parish chairman Cllr Steve Leech wanted to know whether King James CC was in a viable position to apply for grants so work could be started on the field.
He added: “We will need to start committing finances for the start of the new cricket season (2019). If we do not get clarity we are going to lose another year.
“I would like to see they have a viable financial arrangement to be able to sustain themselves and meet its lease obligations.
“Have we made progress in getting grants for maintenance equipment? We need an answer to that.
“In order for us to continue with the project we would like this information – if we cannot satisfy these elements we will have to review the situation.”
Years of moss growth on the Ingleton playing surface will mean King James CC will play at Witton-le-Wear’s ground this season.
A family of moles has not helped the condition of the field with dozens of molehills cropping up at the south and east ends of the ground.
Cllr Paul Hunton said: “There must be well over a 100 molehills – if we’re going to turn it into a cricket pitch we’re not going to have one left.”
Members agreed mole control would be sourced and councillors renewed their efforts to recruit a volunteer groundsman to lend a hand on the field.
Meanwhile, work to renovate the sports pavilion has also come one step closer to fruition.
The site has slowly fallen out of regular use but the parish council has looked into refitting it after villagers said they wanted more sport and social events to return.
Costs for the work were estimated at £5,400 and councillors put out a plea to the Ingleton and District Community Association (IDCA) to help fund the repairs.
Cllr Ian Cartwright said: “I think it’s fair to ask the question – the worst they can say is no.”
Repairs earmarked included new toilets for men and women, a new sink basin and a revamp for damaged fascias on the structure.
Members originally had hopes of restoring the upstairs room of the pavilion but the costs quoted saw the idea abandoned.
It was agreed a fixed price would be asked for the work.
