PLANS to concrete over a children's playing field have been put on hold after a campaign by two women.

At a planning meeting in Consett Civic Centre, yesterday, councillors said they would make a decision about a 92-space car park on land east of Dixon Street, Blackhill, near Consett, in a special meeting following a site visit on Tuesday, June 13.

The meeting heard claims that work had begun on the project because a footpath had already been laid. The authority dismissed the claims..

Campaigners said the laying of the path, which would connect the proposed car park to the refurbished Blackhill Park, due to open on July 13, told the public that the council had decided the issue.

Sandra Reynolds, who has campaigned against the plans with Dawn Logan-McCance, said she had had to contact Sport England on the council's behalf - even though the authority had a duty to inform Sport England by law.

Sport England had objected, but changed its mind after receiving a promise that an adjacent football pitch would be drained by the authority.

Mrs Reynolds told the meeting that when the council had been contacted with a query about parking on July 13, the caller had been told that a car park would be built on the field next to the park.

She said: "If this is not a rubber-stamping exercise then the foresight of council officials is commendable and I would ask that they give me this week's lottery numbers."

Alex Watson, leader of the council, said: "This has attracted a lot of attention and rightly so - turning a playing area into a car park is a big issue for people living there. The footpath was constructed in advance, but could still serve the playing area. It is not a waste of investment."

Planning officer Fiona Clarke said: "We didn't consult Sport England because we didn't realise that we needed to consult them."

She said 46 letters of objection had been received, but she recommended approval because the Highways Authority and Sport England had not objected.