PROTESTERS against the use of Ringstone Crescent recreation ground in Nelson for Cricket matches are being offered a compromise by Pendle Council.

After several years of complaints from residents about the dangers of flying cricket balls near their homes, the council is proposing to re-design the recreation ground to reduce the hazards.

The Nelson Committee has £9,750 available for the alterations and if approved by councillors on Monday, officers are hoping to remove the three existing hard surface wickets in between and at either side of the football pitches and replace them with a single synthetic wicket in the centre at a 90 degree angle to the current wicket.

During 2000 and 2001 residents claimed their cars and houses had been struck by cricket balls and on one occasion a child was hit on the knee.

Cricket matches were allowed to continue and the situation was monitored.

Colin Patten, the services manager, confirmed that during the 2001 season 28 official cricket matches were played most of which passed without conflict.

As of January this year he received three written complaints and a small number of telephone complaints.

A public consultation meeting was held on February 13 when alternative options were considered.

Marsden ward councillor Dorothy Ormrod, who has been backing the residents' plea, said: "There are three cricket pitches up there and that's far too many so they are proposing to make it just one pitch.

"Some of the residents were still not happy about cricket being played there at all and others realised there needed to be somewhere to play cricket. They suggested turning the middle pitch 90 degrees because then there will be a longer area for them to play on and it is far better for the residents.

"I will be telling the committee on Monday that I still want the situation monitoring and would like this is as a trial. We have to try and compromise but if we still have trouble with cricket balls we will have to look at it again."

Resident Edwin Emmott has found cricket balls in both his front and back gardens and said one missed hitting his grand-daughter by about two feet.

He said: "This idea of having one wicket in the middle and turning it so that they are playing the length of the pitch rather than the width has been banded about for a while. I think it is possible it could work. If the ball is being hit along the length of Ringstone Crescent rather than towards it I can't see that being as much of a problem and it could be a reasonable compromise.

"We are just concerned about our property being damaged and the children are having to go inside when the crickets starts for their safety. If a ball hits the edge of the bat it could fly off in any direction but there's more chance of it going in the right direction which would not be directly at the houses."