A sports club’s plan to build nine houses and new pitches has been dealt a blow after councillors viewed the application as an “easy option” for extra funding.

Ashford Hockey Club’s proposal would see a current pitch converted into homes and two football pitches placed in fields opposite the club entrance on the other side of Ball Lane.

Debated at a recent planning meeting, the group’s chairman said the dwellings are necessary to maintain the site, which regularly hosts 350 hockey players and 450 Kennington Junior Football Club members.

“We now need to spend a significant sum, in excess of £220,000 to resurface pitches,” chairman Paul Dawson said.

“This application would allow the club to be self-financing and secure sport provision on Ball Lane for years to come.”

Councillors, who decided to defer the plan, conceded that the funding was necessary, but noted the club may not have investigated all possible avenues.

Kennington councillor Nathan Iliffe (Con) said: “The club is a valued part of the community in Kennington and there is a need to upgrade the hockey club by 2020.

“I believe building houses isn’t the solution. I don’t believe they’ve explored every funding opportunity available to them.

“Developing the site for housing appears to me to be an easy option for the club."

This view was supported by Cllr Jim Wedgbury (Con) who suggested crowdfunding, which has been used to great effect by a nearby scouts group.

On this point, Cllr Graham Galpin said: “It’s been suggested that this is selling off the family silver, but if you need the money I think that’s an acceptable thing to do.

“I recognise hockey’s an important part of Ashford’s sporting heritage, this is a small development in an area of similar developments and I’m very comfortable with where it sits.”

'Residents were particularly disappointed to see Cllr Clarkson put the desires of people living outside the Ashford area over and above the concerns of local residents...' - Mark Street

Cllr Iliffe also pointed out his concern over children walking along the busy Ball Lane to access the additional football fields proposed in the plan.

Cllr Bernard Heyes (Con) shared the concerns, however leader of the council Cllr Gerry Clarkson defended this aspect before putting forward an approval motion.

He said: “The highways considerations are very important, and we have to rely on the expertise of the people who examined this. I’m looking at this report and highways didn’t indicate a great danger there."

Despite Cllr Clarkson’s approval motion, only three members sided with his view, while 10 voted to defer the plan.

Speaking after the meeting, nearby resident Mark Street said: “Residents feel cheated by a planning system which enables the overwhelming rejection of the Hockey Club’s controversial plans to build housing on its playing fields yet fails to remove the application entirely from the table.

“Residents were particularly disappointed to see Cllr Clarkson put the desires of people living outside the Ashford area over and above the concerns of local residents.

“He urgently needs to start listening to both his residents and his councillors who have the best interests of the district at heart.

Ashford Hockey Club declined to comment when asked by KentOnline after the meeting.