Ashby School has responded to the decision to end its association with Packington Cricket Club.

Monday's meeting of Ashby Town Council's Parks & Recreation Committee heard the cricket club's reasons for asking for Western Park to be their proposed new home - something that may take another two years to happen.

Club officials said they were disappointed the Ashby School did not take on board their suggestions for ways they could stay at a venue they had been using since the 1990s.

Packington were also unhappy that no financial help was offered for them to find an alternative ground.

Ashby Nub News approached Ashby School for their side of the story - and this was their response.

It reads: "We can confirm that we have had to terminate our arrangement with Packington Cricket Club because of the need to reallocate the area used for their games to meet the physical education needs of our Key Stage 3 students.

"As a school, we have always made every effort to make our facilities available for the wider community whenever we can.

"However, with limited space available to us, we have had to prioritise the everyday needs of students so that we can continue to provide them with the best possible sporting opportunities.

Packington Cricket Club will eventually move to Western Park. Photo: Instantstreetview.com

"We are not, in fact, building a 3G football pitch but are developing three new football pitches for 11 a side games.

"The space required to do this has unfortunately resulted in Ashby School no longer being able to accommodate the space required by Packington Cricket Club.

"Over the last year, we have had a dialogue with the club in which the likely termination of the arrangement was highlighted as a result of the school's need to redesign and realign its recreational space to satisfy the changing needs of our student population.

"It was felt that a year's notice would allow the club to conclude its season and source an alternative venue. 

"The options reviewed and discussed with representatives of the club did not allow us to meet our objectives of providing high quality football pitches for our students as part of the school curriculum and the need for facilities to accommodate the busy schedule of school fixtures across all years.

The options were also deemed unworkable due to the area being prone to flooding and with due regard to our neighbours adjacent to the field.

"The school was not in a financial position to offer funding to the club to find alternative locations as stated. 

"We are sorry that we cannot continue to host Packington Cricket Club and are proud we have been able to host them for such a sustained period of time. We wish the club well in its new facilities."