TENSIONS rose at a parish council meeting as the future of a village play park was discussed at length.

Members of Middleton St George Parish Council spoke angrily against a proposal to register the village playing field with a national scheme Fields in Trust, put forward by a resident.

The parish council said it would not be ‘held to ransom’ over the future of the Station Road playing field, despite local concerns about development.

The playing field became the focus of anger in the village this summer after the parish council proposed to use part of the field to build a row of shops and a new medical centre and use the proceeds to improve the play equipment and the Water Park.

Those plans were later dropped following a public vote where residents voted 54-46 against the development, but the future of the field is still a point of contention.

A second proposal, from resident Louise Feniscal, to set up a Friends of the Playing Fields Village Group that would work alongside the parish council to improve the facilities received a more positive response from members.

The first proposal from resident Mike Gilsenan asked for the playing field to be registered with Fields in Trust, which aims to secure recreational spaces in perpetuity in memory of those who lost their lives in the First World War.

Mr Gilsenan said: “This is a call to all local authorities and parish councils to consider dedicating a space that has an association with the war as a way of remembering the sacrifice of the past and dedicate in perpetuity recreational facilities for the future.

“A small plaque would be placed in the playing field to commemorate those who died. I know we have a war memorial in the village and this is in no way to undermine that.”

However, councillors reacted angrily to the proposal and suggested it was an “underhand” way to tie the hands of the parish council and prevent future development.

Councillor Brian Jones referred to an earlier meeting between councillors and the residents behind the proposal, saying: “I have expressed my concerns that I cannot see a genuine reason for doing this."

Members agreed to defer a decision on Mr Gilsenan’s proposal until after a meeting of the council’s play area sub-committee to allow Low Dinsdale Parish Council, which part owns the park, to have its say.