Cricket club to put up nets after balls hit homes
GoogleA cricket club is to put netting around its pitches to stop stray balls hitting cars and smashing the windows of nearby homes.
Marske Cricket Club, in Cumbria, has been granted planning permission to install the 6m (20ft) high ball stop nets around its grounds on Windy Hill Lane.
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Kendra Evans said one of her constituents had a cricket ball smash through her living room window.
"She showed me a bucket full of balls which she'd collected over a few years and told me a number of other residents had sustained damage to roofs, windows and cars," Ms Evans said.
Ms Evans added: "To be fair to the club, every time a ball has caused damage they've made it good almost immediately.
"But I did explain they'd likely save money in the long run by getting the nets installed."
The cricket club is located next to a number of houses, a road, and a bus stop that is used by schoolchildren.
Ms Evans said the netting was unlikely to fully stop the problem but would keep people safer and lead to fewer smashed windows.
The club is now planning to install 75m (246ft) of netting along its boundary next to Windy Hill Lane and another 60m (197ft) along its border with Zetland Road.
Marske Cricket Club was contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service but declined to comment.