Plans for an athletics club to lease a piece of land from the council look set to progress despite concerns over dog mess and litter.

Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet will meet on Thursday, June 6, to discuss a proposed land transfer that could see Penarth Athletic Club lease land at Penarth Athletic Ground.

At the meeting, cabinet members will consider an objection from one resident who is worried about future public access at the site.

A cabinet report states the council is still minded to progress with the land transfer and added Penarth Athletic Club has proposed a revised plan for the lease that will help maintain public access.

The unnamed resident’s objection, published in the council report, states: “I object to the planned disposal of the above land to the Penarth Athletic Club.

“My concern is their ability to be good custodians of this field and public accessibility.

“Last summer part of the sport’s field was given over to picnic benches to provide additional seating for the sport’s bar.

“In no way was the field used as intended to provide an area to undertake sports.

“Families try to use the field for recreational use as it is supposed to be an open public space.

“This premise is sorely tested because of the running of the social club.”

Penarth Athletic Club does have a premises licence for the site and Vale of Glamorgan Council said the club relies on bar income to support sporting activities.

However, the resident claimed the premises’ licensing objectives, like prevention of crime and disorder and prevention of public nuisance, are “flaunted continuously”.

They added many allow their dogs to run free on the pitches and some guests drive too fast into the grounds.

The objector wrote: “My concern is that no regard will be made to the licensing requirements, instead profit will be upmost.

“The field will be an extension of the bar and no-one from the bar monitors the behaviour that spills out onto the field.

“Giving over the lease of this land to a third party seems to me to be actually taking away a vital eco and outside resource for the public.

“Litter and dog mess often as a result of social events at the club, make the field less accessible.

“I am convinced that little effort will be made to upkeep the field and it will not be able to be used as intended when given to the public in the 1920s.”

The cabinet report on the matter states that compliance with the conditions of their premises licence is viewed by Penarth Athletic Club as a high priority and they believe they have complied with all requirements over a significant period of time.

It continues: “The licensing enforcement team have responded to a small number of complaints from local residents since 2022 linked to temporary events being held which have involved live music.

“Investigations have revealed no contraventions of the conditions attached to the Club Premises Certificate or substantiated any issues concerning the promotion of the four licensing objectives.”

The report states the club has committed to the ground’s Field in Trust status and said it will assist in the enforcement of dog controls.