The University of Chester will make 11% of the proceeds from the sale of every house in a 142-homes scheme finally granted planning permission on playing fields it used to lease.

But the university will draw on this fund to provide replacement sports facilities as a condition of the consent granted to Bark Street Investments at Clifton Drive playing fields, off Sealand Road, earlier this year.

The university had leased the four football pitches and a rugby pitch over many years for use by its students as well as community teams.

The playing fields in Clifton Drive which have been earmarked for up to 142 homes
The playing fields in Clifton Drive which have been earmarked for up to 142 homes

But when the homes plan went before Cheshire West and Chester Council’s strategic planning committee it emerged there was a clause in the university lease giving it a percentage of the profits in any deal.

Planning officer Paul Friston told the meeting that clause and expensive flood prevention measures at the site meant the developer could not afford to provide any affordable homes within the scheme.

This sparked fury from then Blacon councillor Reggie Jones, who opposed building on a flood plain and told the committee: “To make matters worse, the scheme means concreting over playing fields that will be gone forever, just to provide a bumper pay day for not only the developer but its University of Chester partner, which does the university no credit whatsoever.

Former Blacon councillor Reggie Jones
Former Blacon councillor Reggie Jones

“The final blow is that the cost of this deal with the university and expensive measures to hold back the flood waters, means not a single affordable home will be provided in one of poorest areas of the city.”

In a statement, a university spokesperson suggested at least some of the money it was due to receive was already spoken for.

She said: “11% of the proceeds of the sale from each home is receivable by the university. Out of this money, the university will fund work to some of its sports facilities and then make them available for community use at specified times, as required by the conditions on which the Sealand Road planning permission was granted.”

One of the reasons given by inspector Phillip Ware for ultimately recommending approval of the housing plan was because there was ‘no realistic prospect’ of the Clifton Drive fields being returned to sports use. He said a mitigation package would provide ‘at least equivalent facilities’.

The King George V playing fields in Blacon.

That package will include a minimum of two full-sized extra pitches at the university’s Kingsway campus with a community use agreement with respect to its outdoor and indoor sports facilities. The pitches and facilities at the King George V playing fields in Blacon will be improved. And the university’s own Blacon Avenue site will be upgraded and reoriented with the provision of increased pitch and training facilities. There would be a £314,289 financial contribution towards primary education at a nearby school.