SUNDERLAND Football Club is to assess its next move after being refused permission over revised plans for a training centre.

The Office of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced yesterday that it was refusing planning permission for developments at the Black Cats' multi-million pound Academy of Light, on green belt land at Whitburn Moor, north of Sunderland.

Its decision means that a proposed training barn, containing a full-size indoor pitch, plus a young players' hostel and perimeter fence cannot be added to the existing 220-acre former farm site, of which 60-acres have already been developed for football coaching.

The ruling states that a groundsman's store can be built, but only on part of the site where it would not harm the green belt.

Yesterday's verdict stated that the training barn and hostel would "cause significant harm to the openness and visual amenity of this sensitive part of the green belt."

The decision follows a public inquiry earlier this year to hear the club's appeal against refusal of planning permission by South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council.

Club chairman Bob Murray said last night: "We are intensely disappointed with the outcome of the appeal. We worked very hard throughout the planning process to ensure that community and environmental considerations remained paramount, in an effort to try and be as sensitive as possible to our surroundings.

"The club owns 220-acres and is only using 60 acres for football activities, while an extensive biodiversity plan has been implemented for the rest of the land, more of which has been opened up for community use.

"It is too early to comment further on the specifics of the report as the club's next steps will be dependent to a large extent on the reasoning behind the decision."

Tim O'Leary, of the Green Belt Action Group, which opposed the proposals, said: "It is the right result, we are very pleased.

"We believe what is already there has gone too far and the area has lost some of its appeal.

"But, I am sure they can still go ahead and build their sports hall and hostel in an urban area with minimal problems of transportation getting to and from the site."

Sunderland Football Club has been given six weeks to appeal to the High Court against the ruling.