IT is inconceivable that one rich man’s quest is threatening to derail the plans of one of the biggest and most important sporting institutions in the North West – Lancashire County Cricket Club.

It looked like the future was bright – red rosy in fact – when everything was cleared for them to redevelop their Old Trafford home and ensure international cricket would stay in the region for decades to come.

The building of a Tesco superstore was partly financing the work.

The spin-off was investment of at least £70million into parts of Trafford which suffer from low levels of economic activity and employment.

Now, however, those exciting plans, which will benefit tens of thosuands of people for decades, are uncertain following the legal challenge of Isle of Man-based billionaire Albert Gubay, who owns the nearby White City retail park.

Despite a High Court defeat and Lancashire being given the green light by the Government three times, Gubay’s Derwent Holdings, who have had plans for a rival food store at White City rejected by planning authorities, have now taken the matter to the Court of Appeal in London.

No date has been set for the hearing, which Lancashire officials are fairly certain will be thrown out, but, in the meantime, the club are left in limbo.

Building work is grinding to a halt and a crucial £5.2m grant from the North West Development Agency could be lost.

What is Gubay trying to achieve? It seems the only way he can get his way is to try and hold Lancashire up.

Commonsense should prevail eventually, but let’s hope it is not too late for Lancashire.

With the city’s two football clubs scaling the heights, it is crucial the local cricket club maintains a lofty status.

After all, it benefits everybody in the North West if the Ashes and other top international cricket matches were held here, rather than in Durham, Hampshire or Cardiff.

From those who get jobs on the back of the redevelopment, to the cricket-loving public, everyone benefits from Lancashire’s plans.

Is it too much to ask for Gubay, obviously a successful businessman, to admit defeat, instead of behaving like a sore loser?