SHOCK plans to build houses on Saltash United's Kimberley Stadium ground were thrown out this week. The proposal would have meant the club moving to a new out-of-town ground. The scheme would have seen land at nearby Carkeel bought and developed into sports pitches and facilities, with green-field sites inside of Saltash - such as the stadium and part of the town's rugby club – redeveloped for housing. A special meeting was held on Wednesday morning by the council's Planning and Local Economy Panel to discuss the idea. Members had a number of concerns including the amount of traffic coming into the new site, accessibility, and the effect the scheme would have on the council's budget and the pressure it would place on staff resources. It was decided that the panel would recommend to the council not to approve the proposals as it was of low priority, there was an uncertainty of outcome in financial and planning issues, and there was a lack of management resources to take the proposals forward. On Wednesday evening the full council decided not to go ahead with the scheme, voting 21-1. The vote was taken during a confidential session which excluded both press and public. Saltash United's chairman Darren Bennetts said the decision was good news for the club and allowed them to concentrate on other matters. He said: 'In terms of allowing the club to secure and build for its future at Kimberley Stadium, this is good news, but I'm sure this is disappointing for someone at Caradon council. 'It's true that more good quality sports pitches within Saltash are still needed, but this decision allows the club to concentrate on securing the 30-year lease, work on the perimeter fence and, of course, matters on the pitch.' The club are now looking to move forward with finalising their new 30 year lease for the stadium. 'With this news not distracting Caradon and ourselves, we can get on with the work and make sure that the new lease is the right deal for everyone,' he added. Saltash town councillor and Caradon district councillor Baz Gregory said that he was behind the scheme to develop the land at Carkeel – but not at the expense of green-field sites within Saltash. He said: 'In some ways I was upset to see the plan stopped. It came through the Market and Coastal Towns initiative (MCTi) scheme led by some of the Saltash town councillors and it would have looked at the long term for sport in Saltash. Academy 'The plan would have included a football academy and would have brought people to Saltash from Plymouth instead of the other way round. 'What I was against was the view that we would lose playing fields within the town for homes and I made it very clear that I was against that – there have been a lot of houses built in the town. 'We are short of playing spaces and although the scheme would have been great for the future of Saltash, we do not need it at that price.'