MORE light is being shed on proposals to bring the North-East’s only international cricket ground up to standard for future World Cup fixtures.

Durham County Cricket Club is revealing plans for the proposed installation of permanent floodlights at its Chester-le-Street home.

The Emirates Durham ICG is on the provisional shortlist to stage games in the 12th cricket World Cup, to be held in England and Wales, in 2019.

But, it is the country’s only international cricket ground without permanent floodlighting or planning consent for their erection.

If adequate permanent lights are not in place by 2019, the North-East will miss out on staging any games in the 2019 World Cup.

The proposals are for six 55-metre floodlight pylons, for use on a maximum 20 dates during the cricket season.

A public consultation of the plans is to take place at the ground, on Chester-le-Street’s Riverside, off Ropery Lane, tomorrow (Thursday February 26).

The consultation and planning process is being handled by the Newcastle office of planning and economics consultancy Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners (NLP).

Its senior planner, Dominic Smith, said permanent floodlights are, “an essential requirement”, should Durham wish to host World Cup matches as well as other major cricket events, such as day/night one-day internationals and T20 matches, and the prestigious T20 Finals Day, according to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) requirements.

“Emirates Durham ICG is now the only international ground in the country which doesn’t have consent for permanent floodlighting and it risks falling behind its competitors.

“The competition to stage international and major domestic matches is highly competitive.

“A number of older grounds, such as Old Trafford and Headingley, have undergone multi-million pound redevelopments to keep pace with new international venues, like the Swalec Stadium, in Cardiff, and the Ageas Bowl, in Southampton.

“Emirates Durham ICG has been successfully hosting international cricket for more than a decade.

“The ground has had considerable success in attracting major events, and has recently been provisionally allocated as one of the venues for the 2019 World Cup.”

Durham CCC hosted daylight-only group stage matches between Pakistan and Scotland, and Australia and Bangladesh, last time the World Cup was hosted by England, in 1999.

The 2019 World Cup, controversially reduced to a ten-nation contest, will run from May 30 to July 15.

*Details of Durham CCC’s floodlight plans can be viewed on the club’s website, durhamccc.co.uk, or at the Emirates ICG, from 4pm to 7pm, tomorrow (Thursday, February 26).