A MULTI-million-pound bid for public cash will save a North East landmark from becoming a potential “white elephant”, cricket chiefs claimed last night.
Officials at Durham County Cricket Club are in line for a £2.8m hand-out from the local cash-strapped council after experiencing falling profits that were “unsustainable”.
David Harker, the club’s chief executive, last night said that without the backing of public bodies, their Chester-le-Street ground – which is designed to stage international games – risked becoming redundant.
Mr Harker said that if they had not had public investment then the business would be unable “to exist in its current form” after they lost £2.5m between September 2009 and 2011.
He said: “If you look at our last set of accounts, it’s obviously unsustainable and nobody can make those sorts of losses.
“But you’ve got to ask yourself how we’ve got ourselves into this position in comparison to the rest of our industry.
“The reality is that we inherited an international stadium that we require running costs to operate at a profit.
“The English Cricket Board put international games out to tender and it meant that all the grounds were cutting each other’s throats to compete.”
A behind-closed-doors meeting saw officials at Durham County Council provisionally agree to shell out £2.8m in an effort to secure the future of international cricket at Durham County Cricket Club.
It is anticipated the club will receive £5.6m of public money if their plea for cash is given the green light from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership. It comes just months before the Ashes Test is due to take place at the club’s Chester-le-Street ground and with plans for a 150-seater hotel on the site yet to be realised.
Plans to construct new seating at the ground collapsed earlier this year after a firm were “unable to meet their contractual obligations” due to the economic downturn.
But Mr Harker said that in order to continue the club’s development, they would have to demonstrate they could turn a profit and host the international games.
He said: “We need to demonstrate that in the next four or five years to the ECB that we have the means to pay for these games. This business plan shows that we can operate in the long term.
“When you look at Old Trafford, Glamorgan, Trent Bridge, all these clubs have had support form their local authorities or the Welsh Assembly.
“Hosting international cricket is good for the region and it’s vital this cash helps us secure that. I would not say that the club would not continue but you could see Chester-le-Street left with a potential white elephant. This is not just about the cricket club.”
