Residents met to voice their concerns over proposals which could see a football facility built in their town.

Concerned residents met with City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy at Jubilee Hall in West Rainton to lay out their opposition to plans for a potential new footballing site as part of the Russell Foster Youth League.

A 35-acre former equestrian centre at nearby Leamside has been identified as the desired location, which has drawn criticism from locals.

Ms Foy convened the meeting where residents outlined their issues with the potential project, including busier roads, lack of parking, previous fatal accidents and safety issues.

Read more: Opposition to Leamside Russell Foster Youth League football facility

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Speaking after the meeting, Ms Foy urged the planning committee in charge of approving the plans to consider residents' concerns and find an alternative location for the project.

She said: "I was contacted by residents one year ago today who had a lot of concerns about the application that the Russell Foster League had submitted to the council for a 20-pitch football centre to be built on the lovely bit of green belt next to this little rural village.

"Residents were concerned for a number of reasons, not least one of them being the amount of traffic it's going to create going through their quiet village with little windy roads.

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"It's just not a suitable area. This just isn't the right place at all because of the sheer size of it, the impact on the green belt, pollution, it will drastically change the feel of the village.

"I'm all for grassroots football, but the Russell Foster League need to take into consideration the views of the people here.

"I'll help work with them, and I'm sure the council will, to find a more suitable space for this, because this absolutely is not."

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She said she visitied the town to see the road for herself and has since put in an objection to the council regarding the plans.

Ms Foy spoke of how residents had shown her how narrow the roads were on Pithouse Lane and Station Road, and also showed damage done to fences, walls and car wingmirrors as a result of the road.

And she added the residents have been joined not only be herself, but also by the Highways committee and West Rainton Parish Council who have placed their own objections.

Ms Foy said she was not opposed to the development taking place elswehere in Durham, just not on green belt land.

The Northern Echo: Peter, Hilary, JackiePeter, Hilary, Jackie (Image: Michael Robinson)

Residents Peter McDermott, 61, Hilary Anderson, 70, Jackie Carlin, 76, echoed these concerns regarding the development.

Mr McDermott questioned its purpose for the area saying neither Leamside or West Rainton have any representation in the Youth League, and said it would serve no benefit - unless the area set up a 60-plus five-a-side team.

He said: "Nobody wants it. The residents, to a man and a woman, are completely agains that development.

"It's not because we don't believe in grassroots football, it's just in the wrong location for that kind of development.

"There are far more suitable locations in the Durham area if it needs to be in Durham. We're baffled."

Ms Anderson added: "It's safety issues more than anything else. 

Ms Carlin said: "This is all apart from the new housing development that's going down Station Bank.

"There's 150 houses which you can say 2 cars per house? They use Pithouse Lane down through Finchale as the unofficial bypass to Durham towards the Arnison Centre. It's like Brands Hatch.

"You can sit for three-to-four minutes to try and get off your drive with all the traffic, and they're flying, absolutely flying.

"I passed an accident two weeks ago, near the golf course right on the bend, two cars head-on."

Plans submitted by the Russell Foster Youth League outline a site with more on-site parking and an undercover facility with space for three youth football pitches, with the ability to host other sports, while also widening a nearby access road.

The centre would be in operation and staffed all week, with the most popular days being the weekend. There will be no floodlights adjacent to the outdoor pitches however, meaning all winter evening coaching sessions would be inside.

The proposal has been revised since it was initially submitted in April 2021 but residents have questioned whether the proposed relocation from Newbottle to Leamside is actually needed, and have concerns over access roads

This comes after the nearby A690 Rainton Gate junction was the site of a fatal crash in July last year. 

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The site’s rural location means access by anything but private car is challenging.

Car-sharing has been encouraged to reduce the number of vehicles travelling in the surrounding area to the facility.

The plans will go to Durham County Council's planning committee on July 4 for consideration.