A WOMAN has discovered a document she hopes will defeat attempts to turn a playing field into a car park.

Sandra Reynolds has joined a campaign against plans to turn land east of Dixon Street, Blackhill, near Consett, into a 92-space car park.

The area is not officially designated as a playing field, but has been used for ball games for generations.

Officials have recommended that Derwentside district councillors approve the scheme, submitted by the council's leisure services department, when it goes before the planning committee next week.

About 60 people attended a public meeting in Blackhill to discuss the issue and at least 30 letters of objection have been sent to the council.

Mrs Reynolds has discovered a covenant at the Land Registry which she said limited development of the land.

She said: "How safe will our children, young people and elderly residents be with a potential huge increase of traffic on streets which have previously had no through traffic?"

The covenant, which was agreed between Derwentside council and the former owner of the land, British Steel, in 1983, states that the land should not be used for any purpose except for garages, allotments or playing fields.

Alex Watson, leader of the council and a member of the planning committee, said yesterday that although the plan had been recommended for approval, it was no rubber-stamping exercise.

In a report, council planner Fiona Clarke says: "I do not consider that the amount of traffic generated by users of the car park would be detrimental to the occupiers of the surrounding properties."

The council's director of public services, Mike Clark, said the authority was aware of the covenant, but believed the proposal was for the good of the community and therefore in the spirit of the covenant.

Councillors will discuss the issue at Consett Civic Centre on May 31, at 2pm.