Downham Market Town Council votes against giving grant to Stow Hall Cricket Club to help expand premises

A town council has voted against giving a grant to a West Norfolk cricket club to build a bigger premises.

During a full meeting of Downham Town Council held on Tuesday, councillors came to the decision that it would not be suitable to give funds to a facility not located within the town.

Stow Hall Cricket Club, located in Stow Bardolph, put in a grant aid application to the town council, asking for contributions towards the costs of building bigger premises for its growing club.

In the application, a spokesperson from the cricket club said that due to the club’s success, they have outgrown their facilities on the Stow Hall ground.

They are now proposing to create a “multipurpose training facility” to centre for its growing ladies and girls teams.

Downham has a team which plays at the site.

Councillors believed that they couldn’t provide funding towards the total cost of the project, which would be around £79,000.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Charlie Pyatt said: “I don’t see why we should give a grant to outside the area.

“If the plans were for the Memorial Field, then it would be different.”

All councillors present at the meeting voted in favour of Cllr Pyatt’s proposal to decline the grant, except for two councillors who abstained.