THERE has been understandable concern at Durham County Council’s decision to convert the £3.74m they were owed by Durham County Cricket Club into shares in a new Community Interest Company.

This is not a complete writing off of the debt, but it is a major financial commitment at a time when the council is being asked to find a further £104m of cuts over the course of the next four years.

Some will feel they should have dug in their heels and attempted to claw back as much of their money as possible, even it meant Durham going to the wall. At a time when council services are being bared back to the bone, is it possible to justify the continued propping up of a sports club that attracts a handful of spectators to the majority of its County Championship matches?

We argue that it is for two reasons. First, because yesterday’s agreement represents the best possibility of the council recouping as much of its money as possible. The wisdom of lending the funds in the first place can be debated, but with taxpayers’ money at risk, it is imperative that the council works alongside the cricket club to strive for a successful and profitable future. Like it or not, we all have a stake in this working.

Second, it is important to recognise the role that Durham County Cricket Club plays within the county. Thanks to its successes on the field, it has earned Durham national recognition and helped develop a world-class sporting facility at Chester-le-Street.

It has helped transform talented North-East youngsters into England internationals, and via its thriving community and academy arms, continues to provide a sporting outlet for hundreds of youngsters from across the region.

That is a first-class asset worth supporting, and the hope now is that a particularly difficult period is coming to an end.