PLANS for a multi-million pound open-air sports and recreation complex in Kendal have been described as “dead in the water” after the key parties involved reached stalemate.

Kendal Cricket Club and the National Playing Fields Association have not been able to resolve a key issue of the proposed land deal and relocation.

The proposal was raised more than year ago following an approach by an unknown developer to buy Kendal’s Cricket ground off Shap Road from the association, which leases it to the club.

It would have involved the club relocating to a new home on land acquired by the developer, close to the United Utilities site at Mintsfeet, and a new ground and clubhouse being built.

Nearby football pitches and the Jubilee Playing Fields and Millennium Field would have been upgraded and equipped with new changing rooms.

But this week, the chairman of Kendal Cricket Club Raymond Lee, confirmed that the club’s committee had unanimously voted to reject any move.

He said this was due to concerns about the lack of a financial “safety net” if the club experienced a shortfall in its finances following relocation.

From the moment the plan was mooted, the cricket club warned takings may dip and that it hoped money from the sale could be ring-fenced to overcome any shortfall.

Mr Lee told the Gazette the committee felt this part of the deal could not be fulfilled, although relations with the NPFA remained “very good.” He said: “I do not think it is going to happen now. At the moment, as I see it, it is dead in the water.

“If we did not receive any money, and income did not live up to expectations, a few years down the road we could see tiles falling off our new clubhouse and changing rooms.

“We could end up with a £10,000 to £15,000 shortfall in the first year and nowhere to go to make it up. We need a safety net. We do not know people are going to use our clubhouse.” Mr Lee said the committee felt it did not want future custodians of Kendal Cricket Club to experience “financial straits” due to a decision it had made.

“If the income was ring-fenced or we could be guaranteed the interest from the sale, I would be happy to go,” said Mr Lee.

“As it stands at the moment, that is impossible. We thought the interest from the remaining money raised after everything was set up would come to the cricket club, but it is there for the development of the whole site.” Rocky Sharrock, a field officer with the NPFA, said the sale proceeds was charity money and governed by the Charities Act 1993.

As such, it could not be used to supplement any shortfall in a commercial enterprise such as the cricket clubhouse, which has 26 years left on its lease, he said.

“If the cricket club says it will not happen, it will not happen,” said Mr Sharrock. “The money from the sale would be charitable, so therefore cannot be used for the cricket club. The cash would be used to maintain and develop the new ground.” Mr Sharrock said money would also be used towards the wider main-tenance and development of the land.

The developer has not been identified as negotiations have been handled by agents, although Mr Sharrock said it was believed that had the move gone through, the developer had seen the Shap Road ground as a potential retail prospect.