FOOTBALLERS, rugby players and all those who use or visit Skipton’s ‘sports village’ Sandylands are being asked for their views on how they want to see it develop and grow.

A new masterplan - believed to cost in the region of £40,000 - is being drawn up for the site which will see North Yorkshire Council work with the raft of organisations from across Craven that currently use the land.

The site, off Carleton New Road, is owned by multiple organisations - including North Yorkshire Council which owns the grass pitches on the southern part of the site, and is used by schools and sports clubs as well as ‘pay and play’ customers.

They include Skipton Tennis Centre, former Lawn Tennis Association club of the year, Skipton Rugby Football Club, Skipton Cricket Club and Skipton Town Amateur Football Club.

The site is also used by the Wellington Rifle and Pistol Club, Craven Aikido Club, two badminton clubs, a basketball club, and many others.

The masterplan aims to create a framework for future growth and development on the site which was created in 1947 by the Coulthurst Trust specifically for rugby, cricket and other 'kindred' sports.

It was one of the last major projects to be instigated by the former Craven District Council. In November last year, it was given enthusiastic backing by councillors who agreed to the setting aside of up to £40,000 from the council's planning revenue money.

The consultation is being carried out for North Yorkshire Council by the STRI Group and is asking for views on usage of the existing facilities, parking, access, and travel, quality of the existing facilities, and where people see the future of Sandylands.

Councillor Simon Myers, the council's executive member for sport and leisure, and last chair of Craven District Council, said: “We want to collect information from the users of the sports and leisure facilities on the Sandylands site to help us create a long-term strategic plan for the site.

“Having a wide range of landowners and user groups has so far made it difficult to develop a whole site approach. We hope this master planning will solve that.

“It is an important opportunity for users to tell us how they use it now and what problems there may be – and importantly put forward their views on how they see its future.”

People are also being for their views on the quality of the existing facilities; why they visit, whether to take part, to watch others, or to socialise, and whether they belong to any of the clubs or organisations who are based at Sandylands.

They are also being asked specifically how they rate the car parking and access at the site, what they think of the signage, if there are any problems, and if they feel safe there. People are also being asked what additional indoor or outdoor facilities they would like to see at Sandylands, and to put forward any ideas for its improvement.

The consultation ends on July 7. It is available at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/L85KMPM