UPLYME Parish Council is calling for the decision on Lyme's controversial Strawberry Field sports ground project to be taken out of local hands.

At its meeting on Wednesday the council voted unanimously to make an official request that the planning application is determined by an independent government inspector.

Members reiterated their fears that the bid would not get an impartial hearing before West Dorset District Council planners. They are concerned that the chairman and vice-chairman of the development control west committee - which is due to decide the application - are both members of Lyme Regis Town Council which bought the Strawberry Field site and supports the sports ground project.

The parish council has already written to the chief executive at West Dorset Council, Clive Rennision, asking for an assurance that Councillors Owen Lovell and Ken Meech will not play any part in determining the application.

And they have also contacted the local Government Standards Board expressing their "grave concerns" that Lyme town council members might be involved in the decision.

But this week Uplyme chairman Beryl Denham said district council legal chiefs were still saying that it was up to the two councillors to decide whether they should take part in determining the plan.

And as a result she called on members to begin the lengthy process of asking for the planning application to be "called in" by the government.

Coun Denham said the application for two Football pitches, a clubhouse and floodlit multi-sports area at the hilltop beauty spot had now been formally lodged by Lyme Regis Football Club.

Each member of the parish council then expressed their opposition to the plan which it is said will destroy an area of outstanding natural beauty overlooking the Lym Valley, causing light and noise pollution.

Coun Colin Pratt said if the sports ground was approved it would be the thin end of the wedge and Lyme's development boundary would be extended right up the hill.

"We have got to be really hard - no softly softly approach," he said.

Coun John Duffin said he could not believe one application could contravene so many planning policies.

Apart from the issues of being outside the development boundary and in an AONB he said it also went against transport policy by encouraging people to use their cars.

"What child is going to nip up there to play football - they'll drive," he said.

And he accused the football club of confusing "want with need".

He said they had come up with some very odd figures about how many teams they had - and he did not think they had enough players to fill them all.

Coun Denham agreed: "This is want not need."

Vice-chairman Coun Peter Burton said the players' figures published were a "complete distortion of the facts" and the ratios did not add up.

He said there were enough football pitches in the town already and adequate sports facilities, especially with what was available at Woodroffe School.

"There is no need for any more sports fields," he said.

Coun Burton also emphasised the damage he felt the sports complex would do to the environment - stressing their obligation to a sustainable countryside of future generations.

 Yesterday (Thursday) Mr Stuart Broom issued the following statement on behalf of the Strawberry Field Project Team:  "We believe it is irresponsible for Uplyme Parish Council to make this decision without having seen the final plans which have been deposited at the district council offices in Dorchester where they are available for inspection by the public.

"We will be seeking legal advice on whether Uplyme Parish Council has broken the code of conduct by taking this action.

"We have carried out an in-depth study of the criteria set down by the government for the calling in of planning applications and we are confident that the Strawberry Field project does not meet any of these and therefore the matter will be dealt with by the local planning authority in the usual manner.

"The consequence of calling in the plan would be to delay the project by one year and add a further £56,000 to the cost.

"We have faith in the West Dorset District Council to make the right decision on planning considerations and in the long term interests of the community of Lyme Regis and district."