A FOOTBALL club's junior players have been given the go ahead to use Raikes Road recreation ground in Skipton for practice and matches.

Skipton Town Council, which owns the public recreation ground, last week agreed a licence allowing Embsay Juniors FC use of the ground.

The five year lease for a peppercorn rent gives the go ahead for the club to use it on one evening a week throughout the year and for matches on Sunday mornings from September to May.

A meeting of the full council last week, attended by both adult and junior members of the football club, and residents close to the recreation ground, heard that exact dates of when matches would take place could not be given until the league match dates were published; and that the weekly practice day would be either Wednesday or Thursday.

The meeting also heard that another meeting between residents and the town council's public services committee was to take place to agree certain concerns, such as there would be no flood lighting at the site and no agreement with other clubs.

The licence sets out provisions including that the council will monitor 'the conduct' of the football club and gives it the right to order the club of the ground and cancel the license with 90 days notice for any breach.