AMMANFORD cricket club has won its appeal to take over one of the tennis courts in the town park and replace it with a training net.

The club's application sparked a furious row in the town when it first submitted a planning application in 2013 with the bid seen as a slap in the face to the miners who donated money from their wages to create a recreation facility open to all. The land on which the courts are currently sited was presented to the town by the Ammanford Miners Welfare in 1947.

The initial application was thrown out by county planners in January last year following a highly-charged debate at County Hall when members of Carmarthenshire County Council’s planning committee voted 9-7 to overturn officers’ recommendations to approve the plans.

However, last October the club appealed the decision to the Welsh Assembly and has now won the day.

Ammanford county councillor Deian Harries said it was the outcome he was hoping for.

“Common sense has prevailed – it was all about the children, we want a town with plenty of activities for the kids. They now have that," said Cllr Harries.

“No one is taking anything away, there will still be three tennis courts for people to use.

“I’ve tried to set up a tennis club in the past, but I had no interest, the cricket club is thriving. It has the best team in South Wales.”

Cllr Harries now wants to see an improvement with the rest of the courts.

“In the future I would like to see the remaining three courts put to good use. Tennis players only use them in the summer. What if we made them multi-purpose? If we put in floodlights it could be used in the evenings as a basketball or hockey court too,” he said.

“It is all about getting the children more active and the more choice they have the less time they will be wandering the streets.

“I welcome this fantastic news for both the town and the cricket club.”

However, Ammanford town councillor Chris Jones has hit out at the Assembly's decision.

“This is a disappointing decision considering the strength of opinion against the plan from the people of Ammanford, and is another example of bureaucrats making financial decisions rather that considering what is good for Ammanford and listening to what people want," he said.

"Ammanford Cricket Club should be trying to connect with the people of Ammanford and increasing their support base, not disregarding their feelings and alienating them."