Plans to build a supermarket on a former cricket pitch have been dealt a blow after the ground's pavilion was given listed status.
Huyton Cricket Club’s former ground in Huyton Lane has been the focus of a row between residents and Aldi since June, when the budget supermarket chain applied for permission to build a store on the land.
But Aldi’s plans may now be blocked after Historic England made the club’s nineteenth-century pavilion a Grade II listed building.
The move follows an application by one of the group campaigning against Aldi’s plans and means the supermarket is much less likely to get permission to knock the pavilion down.
A spokesperson for the Save Huyton Cricket Club campaign said: “We have said all along that the club’s unique and has a special place in local history and we are glad that this has been recognised.
“We really hope that this decision is the first step towards a brighter future for the club, which is in desperate need of investment but which we continue to believe should be saved and preserved for future generations.”
The campaigners have argued that the land, which is privately owned, should remain a sports field and be made available for community use.
Although there has been no cricket played there for almost a decade, the ground was used by junior football teams until 2018 when drainage issues meant the pitch was no longer suitable without significant investment.
The campaign’s spokesperson added: “We have asked for clarification from Knowsley Council on what this means for the planning application lodged by Aldi, given this was lodged before the listing decision was received.
“Hopefully, this decision will be the final nail in the coffin for Aldi’s plans and everyone can switch their attention to helping restore the club for the benefit of the community.”
Built in 1875 and extended in 1891, Huyton Cricket Club’s pavilion is one of the few surviving pre-1914 sports pavilions in the country and “a very rare example nationally of an early pavilion erected by a local cricket club, rather than being associated with a county club ground, educational establishment or public park”, according to the building’s entry in Historic England’s list.
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In its planning application, Aldi argued that the pavilion was of "low architectural value", saying: "So little remains of the extant structure that could be retained and where original fabric is present, it is either partial or in a relatively poor condition, rendering restorative efforts impractical as they would be conceived as a replica and would not restore the building to its contemporary design."
However, in its reasons for granting the pavilion Grade II listed status, Historic England said the building was “substantially intact” and still had much of its “Vernacular Revival character” visible.
Historic England also pointed to the long verandas on both sides of the pavilion that allowed spectators to watch the cricket pitch on one side and the bowling green on the other.
The listing entry said: “While many cricket clubs also had bowling clubs for their retired cricketers, the equal emphasis of the dual aspect design is unusual and possibly unique in pavilion design nationally and highlights the parity given to both teams at Huyton.”
Although the listing may have saved the pavilion from demolition, it is unclear what will happen to the site next.
A Knowsley Council spokesperson said “The Council has been notified by Historic England that the former Huyton Cricket and Bowling Club pavilion has now been listed. This is a matter for Aldi to review in light of their current planning application.”
While the Save Huyton Cricket Club campaign wants to see it become a sports ground again, the decision will ultimately rest with the landowner.
Aldi was approached for a comment for this story.
