Sports clubs which use a popular community park are furious that they stand to lose their grounds if a development goes ahead.
Christchurch City Council voted in August that Denton Park in Hornby would be the best location for a new library, pool and customer service centre.
Last night, the local community board voted to reclassify part of the park and change its management plan, which will allow the development to go ahead.
But now the Hornby Cricket Club's president, Kevin Hornbrook, said they were about to lose everything.
"We have got two blocks in the park at the moment but we won't even have one ... we would have a 35m boundary for a senior game of cricket," he said.
"We would lose everything."
The $35.7 million community centre faced a backlash from the community, 62 percent of which voted for alternative sites, including nearby Kyle Park.
Mr Hornbrook said he did not understand why Denton Park was chosen.
"We couldn't understand why all of a sudden it was Denton Park.
"Everyone's told [the council] they want Kyle," he said.
The council turned down Kyle Park as an option partly due to high costs associated with making the land suitable to build on.
Kevin Hornbrook and Lyn Hucklebridge don't want the development on their patch. Photo: RNZ / Logan Church
The Hornby Rugby-Football Club could now lose one of its two pitches, as the new community centre is proposed to sit between its clubrooms and the remaining pitch.
Its chairperson, Lyn Hucklebridge, said this would have a big impact on the club and its members.
"I'm absolutely gutted," she said.
The clubs were also angry about last night's community board meeting.
Community Board chairperson Mike Mora said he was advised by city council staff to not give residents opposing the development a chance to speak.
But he said he let them speak anyway, as the proposed development would have an serious impact on the clubs.
"Our responsibility for elected members is to advocate on behalf of our community.
"Some members of our community wanted to be heard on this matter at the meeting because it was on the agenda, and I granted them that right.
"I did what I felt was fair and right."
A Christchurch City Council spokesperson said most of the park would not be affected by the proposed development The cricket club had "expressed interest" in moving to Warren Park, and "any new grounds and facilities are likely to be superior to their present ones".
Mr Hornbrook said he did not believe the grounds at Warren Park would be any superior, and the club wanted to stay at Denton Park.
Hornby councillor Jimmy Chen said the community had been lacking decent community facilities since the Christchurch earthquakes. The Hornby Cricket and Rugby-Football said they agreed but just did not want it on their turf.
The public will be able to have their say on the reclassification of Denton Park in the new year.
