North Yorkshire cricket club in planning wrangle over £12,000 net to protect residents from flying balls

Duncombe Park Cricket Club, one of the oldest in the Ryedale district, based at the John Atkinson Memorial Field at Helmsley, has been told its insurance cover is not valid unless the net is put up to protect residents and the complex of the new Extra Care older people’s housing development at Bransdale View.

Until the net is in place the cricket club is having to play its home matches at Harome cricket ground, said Jonathan Fairbairn, chairman of the Town Council which is leading talks to resolve the crisis.

“The net is needed because cricket balls could hit people at Bransdale View," he said.

He added: “The council did warn about the risk when it discussed the development plan and heed should have been taken of our views.”

Now negotiations are going on with the North York Moors National Park Authority, Helmsley Recreation Charity,Duncombe Park Estate, Helmsley Recreation Charity, and Kevin Hollinrake MP, to find funding form the new net plus additional costs for tree felling to accommodate the net.