The Scarlets plan to leave Stradey Park for a new stadium

Nearby resident Alun Davies had applied to have two training pitches bordering the ground designated a village green to prevent them being built on.

But barrister Anthony Porten QC, who conducted the inquiry, has recommended the application is rejected.

If Carmarthenshire council backs his conclusions on Wednesday, the club will be free to develop the land.

The Scarlets plan to sell off Stradey for housing to finance a new stadium at Pemberton.

Last month's public inquiry was the second this year into the controversial plans.

Mr Porten has ruled that although residents living close to Stradey did use the training pitches for recreation their primary use was for training by Scarlets players.

He states: "Whilst it may be the case that, in a sense, there was 'joint use' the residents did not purport to exercise equal rights, let alone superior rights.

Mr Porten said if the site were to qualify as a village green, the effect would be that the club could only use the land in ways that do not interfere with the recreational rights of the residents.

"Whereas here throughout the qualification period the position has been precisely the converse."

His 68-page report will go before a full meeting of the council on Wednesday.

The earlier planning inquiry had already backed the club's application to develop up to 450 homes on the site and planning permission was subsequently granted by the Welsh assembly government.

Mr Davies had claimed the pitches had been used for a variety of community uses over the years including dog walking, sports and years ago, a roadshow by Noel Edmonds' children TV programme Swap Shop.

But the club said it had always been used as a training ground and accused the residents of delaying tactics.