A Selby rugby club is hoping planners shine a positive light on their improvement goals – saying they face missing out on young players if they are turned down.

Selby Warriors ARLFC is seeking permission to install floodlights at playing fields in Brayton to allow the club to continue running training sessions for junior and senior teams in the evenings.

It is aiming to use the lights as a temporary measure for three years until funding for permanent facilities can be secured, and has warned that it could be at risk of losing promising players to other clubs if the scheme fails.

The club has also applied to Selby District Council for permission to fit new railings alongside pitches on the patch of land near Foxhill Lane and fix advertising boards to them. “Without the use of some floodlighting on this site, we have no training facilities at this moment in time,” said the club in a statement handed in to the council.

“Therefore training will have to be cancelled for all age groups, from under-eights to open age, and the club could face the possibility of losing these teams due to players from all sections leaving to join clubs with appropriate training facilities.

“This would leave a massive gap in the community and in the rugby league game.”

The club has said it cannot adopt an environmentally-friendly approach to operating the temporary floodlights, if they are given the go-ahead. But the club states: “We are looking into this for the permanent lighting scheme and further developments on this site.

“It was found neighbours were happy with our proposals and pleased with the turnaround of the field in general.”

The statement says the proposed 400-watt lights would be used for training sessions between 6pm and 8.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and between 6pm and 7.30pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, while the railings are intended to act as a deterrent to spectators invading the pitch during games.

Planners are expected to make a decision by the end of May.