FEARS have been raised new sports playing fields to be provided as part of a new Caister housing development could be flooded.

The borrow pit site off West Road is set to be handed over to the borough council for use as a playing field once the 99th home at the 150 home West Road development has been occupied.

However, parish councillors attending a meeting on Monday raised the spectre of flooding on the playing field because the borrow pit was only going to be refilled to a foot below its original level before the pit was formed.

Parish council chairman Tony Overill was concerned water from underground springs that had previously caused problems at the borrow pit site could seep through again to cause flooding.

The worries were raised after former Yarmouth borough councillor Patrick Hacon provided councillors with an update on the process of filling in the pit.

He said: “It looks as if they are reinstating it, but they have got until the end of the year to actually restore it.”

The pit has been the centre of controversy since it emerged the West Road site’s developer Bloor Homes was digging the pit and moving soil from one site to another without permission for use in the homes development.

The aim is to provide the 10 acre site for sports teams in the village, including Caister Cricket Club which needs extra space to achieve its ambition of becoming a Norfolk Cricket Alliance club, but does not have enough room at its current pitch on King George’s playing field in Allendale Road.

Caister FC is also looking to add extra pitches on the Bloor Homes site to its existing facilities at the King George’s field.