SUPPORT for further improvements to Earby Recreation Ground has come from the town's cricket club.

It wrote to Earby Parish Council backing its efforts to improve drainage at the football pitch at "the Rec" and secure changing and storage facilities.

Pendle Council paid to have the pitch extended, but the work has been criticised by local teams for creating drainage problems.

The letter said that at the moment the Rec was "little more than an area to exercise dogs".

However, an Earby resident at the meeting said exercising dogs was a legitimate use of the Rec, provided it was done responsibly. The land was left in trust for recreational use by all the people of Earby, not just its footballers.

He was in favour of developing the Rec for use by local sports clubs, but not to the exclusion of other local people.

Parish council chairman Chris Tennant said the more people who used the Rec, the stronger its chances of securing outside funding for its future development.

In other news from the council:

o Members were praised for providing 30 "England" flags to mark St George's Day. The only sour note was that seven of the flags had been stolen.

o The council is compiling a bid to Pendle Council's capital grants budget to carry out more improvement work at its Rushton Avenue allotment site. It will include more new fencing and general tidying.

o There was praise for former councillor Lucille Mitchell and a proposal that she be co-opted onto the parish council's environment working group. Coun Mitchell had been out of the area when nominations were due for the election on May 2, and had therefore relinquished her seat on the parish council. But Coun Pat Spenceley said she had been an invaluable member of the environment group and had worked tirelessly.