Yorkshire are set to remain at their Headingley ground instead of moving to a new home.

The club had long hoped to move from Leeds to a new site in Durkar, near Wakefield.

This was intended to serve as both a home for the county and a Test match ground for England.

Headingley, already a traditional Test cricket venue, backs onto Leeds rugby league ground.

But the cricket ground is in desperate need of modernisation and Yorkshire fear they could lose Test matches if nothing is done soon.

Plans had been agreed amid a dispute with Headingley's owner - the Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Co Ltd - which wanted to redevelop the existing ground and refused to waive Yorkshire's lease on the venue. This still has more than 80 years to run.

But now both parties have now committed themselves to first attempting to secure planning permission and grant funding for the redevelopment of Headingley, before plans for any alternative venue go further.

A joint statement from Yorkshire and Leeds CF&A said: "The Yorkshire County Cricket Club is pleased to announce that it has agreed to support Leeds CF&A in its efforts to obtain planning permission and grant assistance for the redevelopment of the Headingley sports complex in which cricket and rugby can operate independently to mutual advantage.

"The parties are agreed that it is in their respective best interests to try and find a solution to the long-running dispute between them.

"They will explore the possibility of achieving a practical and financially viable redevelopment scheme."

Now Yorkshire's future at Headingley depends on the co-operation of local authority planners and of funding agencies.

But Durkar remains a long-term option if funding an planning permission cannot be secured.
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©