WIRRAL Council was last night being urged not to throw away a chance to have the only indoor cricket centre in the North West.

The ambitious plans to create the north of England’s first specialist indoor cricket pitch, in a disused warehouse in Bromborough, were submitted to the council late last year.

The scheme is due to be heard by the authority’s planning committee next Thursday and council planning officers have recommended that it be refused.

The proposal, by leisure company Eight for Sport, is backed by a number of cricket development bodies including the ECB, Indoor Cricket England, Cheshire Cricket Board and local clubs.

They hope to develop a site in Candy Park, and, as well as three dedicated indoor cricket pitches, nets and practice lanes, also aim to provide facilities for other sports, including indoor netball.

Bromborough ward councillor Steve Niblock said the advice to refuse permission was an “own goal”.

He said: “I’m disappointed that it’s been recommended for refusal as there are only two other such facilities in the country.

“This would be a first for the North West and put Wirral on the map for indoor cricket.”

The application has had 33 letters of support submitted to the council, listing the potential community benefit, promotion of active lifestyles and all year provision of sports as reason for allowing the proposals.

However, the planning department report concluded: “The proposal is unacceptable by reason of the proposed use within an industrial area, there is insufficient evidence to warrant overriding the current policies.”

Last year, the planning department had recommended plans for an indoor football centre nearby also be refused, but this was overturned by the planning committee, a decision subsequently endorsed by Government Office Northwest.