Fielding tough questions on cricket field row

Parish council chairman Len Barnett said the council was only "testing the water" by submitting outline plans for the office to Arun District Council.

He was speaking at Monday night's parish council meeting, just days before the village cricket club was due to deliver more than 175 letters objecting to the proposals to Arun planners.

Mr Barnett, responding to comments made by cricket club chairman John Tanner during an open session at the beginning of the meeting, said all that the parish council had approved so far was a feasibility study into whether the scheme would gain outline planning approval and whether the Charity Commission would approve building on the recreation ground, which is managed by a registered charity.

The council also wanted to know villagers' views on the proposals. "If the public reaction is hostile, we will look at it again," Mr Barnett said.

There was some confusion this week over the Charity Commission's stance on the office plans. One villager told the Gazette he had received an e-mail from the commission stating its opinion was "that the trustees cannot proceed with such a building" and an explanation would be sought from the trustees '“ the parish council '“ as to why they were applying for outline planning permission.

However, Mr Barnett told Monday's meeting that the commission had said that, while it was not happy with the plans, as the recreation ground had been left to the village by the Rev R. A. Warren for sport and leisure purposes, it might be possible for the office to go ahead if the parish council paid rent to the charity.

Mr Barnett stressed that the council had to find office premises, and the option of the clerk working from home, as previously, was no longer possible.

The feasibility study had found no suitable existing building in the village, although suggestions made at the meeting by Mr Tanner and another villager, and other potential locations mentioned to the council, would be investigated, he said.

The "stand-alone" building on the recreation ground would be the most economical option, with the least impact on residents through the council tax, Mr Barnett added.

Mr Tanner said he was "appalled" that the parish council was proposing such a large building on the recreation ground, including an office, meeting room, reception area and storage space. He claimed it would be 25 per cent bigger than the cricket pavilion.