VOLUNTEERS from a cricket club which had its clubhouse license upgraded have assured nearby residents that the facility will not turn into a pub.

Mainsforth Cricket Club, in Ferryhill, applied to Durham County Council’s licensing committee to change its private members license in order to overcome having to sign members and guests in and out of the clubhouse, which opened last June.

There have been 19 private functions at the £300,000 facility, on Morrison Terrace, since it opened and a further three are coming up.

Susan Jowett, personal license holder and designated premises supervisor, said: “The cricket club is expensive to run – we need equipment for our junior and senior teams, so we want to be able to have functions to keep supporting them.

“We won’t be holding 18th or 21st birthday parties, it will mainly be christenings and charity days.

“Everyone involved with the cricket club are volunteers, we all have families and full time jobs so we definitely won’t be running it as a public house.

“It is extremely difficult to keep getting people to sign in and out, we have to have someone on the door constantly all day.”

Denise Gleeson, who lives nearby, raised concerns about noise coming from the facility and said that one night she was woken up by revellers running around the grounds with torches and screaming after one function.

She added: “Why would you want a broad spectrum of 365 days a year if you are not going to have more functions than what you are having now.

“Surely there is no point in doing a year-long license when the current one is doing a good job.

“A couple of weeks ago I could hear a singer even though the (clubhouse) doors were closed and I had the TV on.”

Members of Durham County Council’s statutory licensing sub-committee agreed to grant the upgraded license, subject to conditions, during a meeting on Wednesday.

Bob Glass, from the committee, told the meeting: “If noise becomes a problem, we would ask that residents contact the cricket club before contacting Environmental Health.

“I think you will find them to be amenable.

“I hope that you continue to be good neighbours and I hope the village and cricket club can live in harmony.”

The conditions of the license mean the clubhouse can open from 9am to 11.30pm, Sunday to Thursday, and 9am to 12.30am on Friday, Saturday and the night before Bank Holidays.