A new football pitch won’t be built on Sutton Lawn until parking problems in the area are solved, Ashfield District Council says.
The 11-a-side grass pitch will be constructed over a disused shale pitch on the park in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
However, a council planning committee on Wednesday (June 12) heard there are serious concerns about where players would leave their cars.
A car park on Sutton Lawn is also in the pipeline, and councillors said they would also like to see double yellow lines on nearby junctions.
Councillor Samantha Deakin (Ash Ind) said: “The pitch is a brilliant idea in principle. But we need to protect residents around Penn Street and Gresham Close.
“The issues are bad there now – people don’t park with courtesy. If people leave their cars there, it will be murder.
“Small sections of double yellow lines are needed to alleviate problems.”
Councillor Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), the council leader, who was also sitting on the committee, said: “I’m not comfortable doing something – good project or not – if it causes harm somewhere else.
“There will be no starting work until it’s resolved as far as I’m concerned.”
He said Short Street and Garden Lane were also hotspots for parking problems.
The pitch will be run by Sutton Community Academy during school hours, and available for community use during evenings and weekends.
Money from the government’s Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund is paying for the scheme.
A separate application is pending for more parking spaces on Sutton Lawn near the existing car park.
However, the committee was told it had been delayed while the presence of bats was investigated, and it’s unclear when a decision will be made.
Double yellow lines would need to be agreed by Nottinghamshire County Council, who is in charge of highways.
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