MEMBERS of Otley Rugby Union Football Club have given chairman Paul Mackie permission to continue talks with Persimmon Homes about moving from their traditional home at Cross Green and relocating the club to Pool Road.

The unanimous backing for the east of Otley scheme, which cannot proceed without an access or relief road, came at the club's annual meeting in the clubhouse last Thursday.

Mackie said that the meeting marked 150 years of PET (Passion, Excellence and Togetherness) – the club was formed in 1865 – and a relocation move could prove to be a wonderful belated birthday present.

He said before the vote: "We have already had three meetings with Persimmon, and have also met with Leeds City Council over what is a highly complex development proposal.

"There are 19 landowners involved who all want bags of money and it could be another five years before anything happens there because of difficulty with the land.

"Can you ever see this rugby club all together down at Pool Road? We need to take this opportunity.

"Leeds City Council love the idea, Sport England will like the conversation and Persimmon will warm to the idea but you as members must decide whether you support it.

"In five years, nothing may happen but the rugby club need to take a strong lead and not follow others.

"There are no drawings, it is just a conversation at the moment.

"There could even be an artificial pitch at Pool Road, multi-sport use could attract funding and it is all about catching up with other rugby clubs such as Ilkley, Harrogate and West Park Leeds.

"The opportunity will disappear if we cannot get behind it. There is one chance to get it to work.

"The rugby club have significant assets. We have four acres here at Cross Green, including the car park, and it could go for mixed use but the land at Pool Road is not green belt – it is allocated land.

"There is an alternative to putting houses on a green-field site.

"This approval means it is less likely they will be built on green-belt land."

Former club chairman Donald Holdsworth said: "We need a proper, sensible relocation involving a number of additional sports.

"Persimmon built Broadstreet Rugby Club in Coventry, and that is a superb facility."

Ex-player Mike Winterbottom added: "We could have fantastic facilities (if we move) and be on a much better financial footing."