Members of Harden Cricket Club are to reapply for £30,000 of National Lottery funding for vital ground improvements after losing out in a row involving its major sponsors.

In March the Telegraph & Argus reported that high-tech employer ICR wanted to build a £500,000 two-storey office block on green belt land partly owned by the club.

If the plans had gone ahead they would have funded £30,000 of improvements including a resurfaced car park, new practice wickets and a connection between its premises and the public sewer.

But ICR abandoned its proposals in the face of local opposition and the National Lottery has also turned down the club's application for a grant.

It says it will now be forced to look to its members and sponsors for finance, which will take time.

The controversy has been reignited by a letter from club president Len Falkingham to Councillor Robin Owens, chairman of Harden Village Society, which opposed the scheme, hitting out at the way his club was treated.

He says: "Firstly we must place on record that we are disappointed that at no time was the cricket club consulted about its views.

"Meetings were arranged but to the best of my knowledge and belief, we were not invited to attend. The village was, therefore, given a totally one-sided view of the issue, which, in a democratic society, is to say the least unfair."

He says that "the main issue for the opponents of ICR's proposals was the retention of trees - the majority of which were of little or no arboricultural merit."

He told the T&A the club was now in the process of applying for Lottery money for a third time. Part of it would pay for the installation of central heating, and ground and drainage improvements.

He said: "We are only a village cricket club - a lot of people support us in Harden and we shall have to continue our fundraising efforts."

But Coun Owens said: "The issue was not just one of a few trees being taken down at all, but of a 1,000 sq ft office block being built. The trees were only a minor issue.

"We didn't object on the basis that we didn't want to chop a couple of trees down.

"He has missed the issue totally which was that we didn't want a 1,000 sq ft office block being erected on green belt at the entrance to the village - and that's why so many people signed a petition."

He added that it was completely untrue that the issue had been handled undemocratically. Around 70 people attended a village society meeting of which the majority opposed the scheme and everyone knew exactly what was intended.

Jonathan Smith, ICR's managing director, said: "Our quest for suitable premises continues. Our need for large premises as a result of continued business growth remains.

"We are keen to

stay locally and in the meantime business expansion opportunities and resultant employment opportunities have by necessity had to be shelved."