Portslade Cricket Club could be moved for King Alfred leisure centre

Brighton and Hove City Council would need to move Portslade Cricket Club elsewhere if it decides to build the new King Alfred Leisure Centre on the southern part of the Benfield Valley in Portslade.

It is currently deciding between the Benfield site, which is protected by a restrictive covenant, or building a new leisure centre at the existing King Alfred on Hove seafront.

The 147-year-old cricket club is reluctant to move from the Benfield Valley and said Greenleas Park, one of the sites suggested, is not the “same standard”.

A new clubhouse would have to be built if the King Alfred comes to the Benfield Valley (Image: The Argus)

The council told The Argus it would explore several possible sites in the west of the city and take the lead in providing a new location and building a pavilion for the club if the Benfield site is chosen.

Speaking on behalf of the club, former chairman Andy Glover said: “We think the consultation process has been flawed since day one, we didn’t know anything about it until we got an email in November about a potential relocation of the King Alfred.

“There are so many residences around the Greenleas site. It would cost a fortune to put safety netting to stop cricket balls hitting houses and the playground which is right in the line of sight for a right-handed cricket shot."

Mr Glover said the communication was poor and that the council probably thought "it’s only a little cricket club, we can move them somewhere else".

"There is cricket at Benfield pretty much every day of the week in the summer with all of our teams," he continued.

The council is deciding between building a new leisure centre on the existing site or at Benfield Valley (Image: The Argus)

“We have been in Portslade since 1876, we were in Victoria Park and then moved to Benfield when Sainsbury’s was developed.”

Greenleas Park in Hangleton is surrounded by houses to the north and south east. There is a play park to the west and the Benfield Valley nature reserve behind that.

The Argus revealed that the Benfield site is protected by a restrictive covenant when Sainsbury’s opened its superstore in October 1992 and donated 77 acres of land to Hove Borough Council with the restrictive covenant in place.

This meant building on the land would require the supermarket giant's approval.

A pavilion would need to be built for the cricket club if it moved to Greenleas Park. The club is also worried about the houses near the site (Image: Google Earth)

Councillor Alan Robins, chairman of the council’s culture, heritage, sport, tourism and economic development committee, said: “I would like to stress that no decision has yet been taken on the location for the new King Alfred Leisure Centre.

“We’re currently consulting on a choice of two possible sites, and expect to make a decision in the summer.

“Portslade Cricket Club makes a great contribution to the local community, and we remain committed to supporting grassroots sports.

“I would also stress that we have not told the club they will have to move to Greenleas Park if the Benfield site is chosen for the new King Alfred.

“If a decision is taken to deliver the new centre at the Benfield site we will work with the club to ensure they are actively involved in any move to a new site.

“We will continue to liaise closely with the cricket club throughout our decision making process.”

The public consultation for the King Alfred finishes on February 16.