Council’s reaction to caravan plan has cricket club stumped

Strathmore: Plan to put up player in caravan is against the rules

Council chiefs are playing hard ball with an Angus cricket club over whether an overseas player can stay the summer.

Strathmore Cricket Club asked the local authority for permission to put up a South African player in a caravan on their land until September, but planners have told the club their request is against the rules.

Meanwhile, a Traveller encampment that set up beside nearby Forfar Lochside Caravan Park has grown in size since Easter, without any apparent action being taken by the council.

After a site visit the council said the player’s stay would be against local planning policy relating to residential caravans and asked club officials whether any other accommodation could be found for the player.

But a four-month stay at the caravan club would cost £2,100 and a minimum six-month tenancy would average £4,000.

Club secretary Alan Ducat told the council the club is “not in a strong financial position” and only want a single player to bolster the team for four months.

“During 2015, the atmosphere around the club was the best it had been in years and the success on the field of play played no small part in that improvement,” he said.

“The club wishes to maintain the momentum it generated last year for future years but in order to do this it needs support to make the overseas amateur a viable proposition.

“We are seeking help from Angus Council to do their bit to help the club prosper by granting a planning permission to allow us to temporarily site a caravan at the club.”

An Angus Council spokesman said: “It is not uncommon when considering an application for us to seek further information to determine whether a proposal complies with policy.

“The application has not been refused, we are simply seeking points of clarification to assist our determination.”

Picture: Paul Reid. The Strathmore cricket ground in Forfar.