BUSINESSMAN Russell Foster believes he will finally get the chance to build new pitches for his youth football league on the Great North Forest site.
He has applied to the Forestry Commission for consent to construct 20 pitches, together with a changing pavilion, outdoor store and car parking at Newbottle, near Sunderland.
The move comes less than a year after a High Court judge showed Durham E
states, headed by Mr Foster, the red card over its proposal to fell 7,000 trees to make way for the ambitious scheme.
In June last year, villagers living near Newbottle Wood, Houghton, celebrated after the High Court ruled in their favour after a lengthy battle under the banner of Tree and Wildlife Action Group (Twag). But Mr Foster believes Twag does not have as wide support as it claims, and this time the league will have its way.
"It's actually happening," he said. "The injunction was based on the fact that the Forestry Commission hadn't carried out an environmental impact assessment.
"Now, at great expense, we've carried out an environmental impact assessment that there are no great crested newts there, no red squirrels and no environmental things that have to be kept.
"The project will be starting very shortly after the statutory period. We've seen the objections that are in and none of them are valid."
The land, in Newbottle, is owned by Durham Estates, which wants to create the pitches for teams playing in the Russell Foster Youth Football league, which includes South Tyneside teams.
In the High Court last year, Mr Justice Collins ruled that Newbottle Wood and its 7,000 trees should remain untouched, preventing Durham Estates from going ahead with its plans.
The judge came down on the side of Twag after the Forestry Commission had decided no environmental impact assessment was necessary.
The Russell Foster Youth League is the biggest in the region, attracting teams from all over Sunderland, Newcastle and Durham.
In the past it has helped nurture the talents of Sunderland AFC stars Michael Gray, Martin Smith, Michael Proctor and Ben Alnwick.
Twag chairman Paul Bennett said: "Ninety-five per cent of people in the Newbottle community have responded in a survey to say they are against the developer's proposal.
"To get part of the Great North Forest in the Newbottle area at the taxpayers' expense, and for it to be removed, is not acceptable.
"The people of Newbottle will not sit back and watch the 7,000 trees and the wildlife habitats vanish before our eyes."
The full article contains 426 words and appears in Shields Gazette newspaper.
