SOUTH Park could gain a sports pavilion, five football pitches and a cricket pitch if the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, approves a swap.

The Cleveland Group of companies has applied for outline planning permission for a residential development at its Cleveland Bridge Sports and Social Club sports ground in Geneva Lane.

In exchange, it is offering to provide ten changing rooms in the new pavilion covered by a CCTV camera, as well as the pitches. It would also maintain the sports facilities for 25 years.

It is offering to contribute £200 per bedroom of each new house towards the maintenance and improvement of play areas at either South Park or Eastbourne Park and £14,000 towards improvements to bus shelters and bus stops in Neasham Road and Parkside.

The company is also offering to build a car park and covered cycle area, with landscaping and bollards, at the Bedford Street end of South Park.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England has objected to the loss of another piece of open land for building and said it could find no mention of improved sports facilities as part of the general upgrade of South Park.

"We repeat our concern over the absence of up-to-date co-ordinated policies for open land, sport and recreation in Darlington and we call on the council to attach a greater priority to this issue," it added.

The Reserve Forces and Cadets Association of the North of England, which is responsible for the TA Centre in Neasham Road, is also concerned that gardens would extend up to its security fence.

Darlington planning committee, meeting on Wednesday, will hear that the decision to grant permission would have to be referred to Mr Prescott.

If he decides it does not have to be called in, members would enter into a legal agreement over the South Park sports facilities.