CONTROVERSIAL plans to build industrial units on a sports field owned by carpet giant Brintons have been given the go-ahead by Wyre Forest planners.
Under the deal, the carpet firm will hand over £215,000 to create new council sports pitches on nearby land at Kingsway, Stourport, in return for approval of the development of the 14-acre site next to its factory in Stourport Road, Oldin-gton.
However, the scheme has still to be accepted by Sport England, formerly the English Sports Council, which previously objected to the loss of sporting facilities including three football pitches, a cricket pitch, three tennis courts and a bowling green.
District council planning officer Mike Parker said the cash offer by Brintons represented a "substantial contribution" towards alternative facilities.
He said the indications were Sport England would be happy with the compromise scheme, which would end a year-long wrangle, but if it was not, the matter would be taken out of the council's hands and referred back to the Government Office for West Midlands.
Councillor Howard Martin told Tuesday's Wyre Forest District Council planning (development control) committee said: "I'm very much in favour, particularly because it's adjacent to other trading estates. This area has been hit by job losses."
He said the scheme would provide job opportunities for the Foley Park area, but added he hoped the scheme would also provide starter units for small businesses.
"It would give the economy quite a boost," he added.
Councillor Vera Tomlin-son agreed, saying: "I agree we desperately need more employment opportunities in this area."
But Councillor Michael Grinnall dissented, describing the proposed loss of the sports facilities at the Brintons site as "tragic".
He said: "It's another sports ground we've lost."
He described the trend as a "creeping cancer" and said it would not be long before Kidderm-inster and Stourport "joined up."
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