A DILAPIDATED former football club site is poised to be turned into a housing estate, under plans revealed last night.

Feethams, the home of Darlington Football Club until 2003, is owned by the town's Cricket Field Trust and controlled by members of Darlington Cricket Club.

Last night, the cricket club outlined its plans for the future of the four-acre site on which the former football club stands. Bosses are striking a deal with housing developer Wimpey to sell part of the land so it can be transformed into homes and flats.

They intend to use some of the money generated from the sale of the site to build an indoor cricket school of excellence there, with provision for other sports.

Brian Johnson, chairman of the cricket club, said it was also hoped that some money from the sale of the site could be ploughed into sports facilities in other parts of the town.

He said: "We are an amateur club. While cricket is our main purpose, we want to look at generally increasing facilities for the community in Darlington."

He stressed cricket club members would not benefit personally from the site sale and the cash generated would be ploughed back into sport.

It is understood that if Darlington Borough Council granted planning permission for housing development, the cricket club could earn a million pounds per acre. However, the total would be considerably less when tax and professional fees had been paid.

Mr Johnson said: "The value of the land is very little at the moment because it is derelict, but if planning consent was granted it would be a different kettle of fish."

Darlington Football Club moved from Feethams to the new 25,000-seater stadium in August 2003 under chairman George Reynolds. Six months later, the club went into administration.

Afterwards, Feethams fell into ruin and was targeted by vandals and arsonists.

Mr Johnson said: "We would have dearly loved to have prevented the destruction, but we were unable to because the site was under the control of the football club administrators and liquidators."

The total 11-acre site at Feethams was left in trust to the cricket club by three of its members in 1903. It is privately owned and left for the future use for cricket and other athletic pursuits. The cricket club are the long term leaseholders and had sub-let part of the site to the football club.

Demolition could start in March as the cricket club have appointed Darlington demolition contractors TW Ward Contracts, which will have to carry out surveys first.

No planning application has been submitted yet, but the council has had discussions with Wimpey and the cricket club.

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