A PLEA has been issued to council chiefs not to ‘mothball’ a village sports hall and leave two football teams without anywhere to play.
Tarporley Vics under 11s team, which was only formed this year, and the club’s veterans side rely on the use of the indoor facility based at the old Brook Farm School site during months of bad weather.
Cheshire West and Chester Council, who own the site and are exploring the option of selling it for housing, will cut off the electricity supply to all buildings next month.
This is due to the site becoming vacant again as the Storehouse Church organisation, which has been based there since 2005, moves into a new facility in Winsford.
U11s coach Andrew Moreton hopes the council will accept both teams’ offer to pay for the electricity as he says the supply can be isolated solely to the sports hall, which they pay £10 a week to use.
He said: “We literally have nowhere else to go.
“I’m hopeful the council will allow us to continue using it and not mothball the sports hall.”
Veterans player Gary Moss raised the issue at Monday’s Tarporley Parish Council meeting.
He claimed the council told him to try and find alternative facilities in Winsford or use Tarporley High School, which he argued was too expensive.
Mr Moss said: “Sports provision is virtually non-existent in the village.
“We have offered to pay to put a meter in and take on the contract for the electricity – the cost is not an issue. All we need is the lights.”
A council spokesman said: “This is a normal course of action as the council tries to minimise outgoings on vacant buildings.
“However after the team raised their concerns with us, officers will be visiting the site within the next week to evaluate how feasible it is to keep the electricity supply connected to the sports hall only.
“If it is possible then every effort will be made to allow continued use of the facility while the future of the site is considered.”
