County council plans to build new cricketing facility

Lancashire County Council has submitted planning permission to create a new sports facility at Farington for use by Lancashire Cricket as well as the local community.

The site is proposed as an alternative to the main venue, Emirates Old Trafford, which will still host key fixtures but is increasingly being booked up by international and domestic games.

The development would be a year-round facility, hosting a number of men’s and women’s competitive matches each year, whilst also providing a new training base for Lancashire’s men’s and women’s teams.

It would also be home to a Centre of Excellence for women’s cricket in the North West.

And in addition to providing elite training facilities for the club, it will also be made available to the local community throughout the year, including local cricket clubs and schools.

The development will create up to 30 new jobs, as well as those generated during the construction process.

County councillor Phillippa Williamson, leader of the county council said: "This is a fantastic project which will create high quality cricket facilities in the heart of the county, with a significant boost to our economy and new jobs.

"These are exciting proposals and I'm especially pleased that these facilities would help to encourage more people to take part in sport, including younger people."

The proposed site in Farington is alongside the A582 Farington Road on the west side of Stanifield Lane, and a short distance from the M65 and M6. It is currently owned by the county council.

The planning application has been submitted and validated by the county council, who will determine the application in line with the government's planning policy. 

Andy Anson, chair at Lancashire Cricket, added: “This project is a hugely exciting collaboration between Lancashire Cricket and Lancashire County Council, with the aim of delivering a valuable asset for the local community, as well as high-quality professional facilities for the club in the heart of Lancashire.

“With the amount of international and domestic cricket (men’s and women’s) being held at Emirates Old Trafford, the need for a second ground has become pressing. It’s something that we’ve been working on for a while and the new development will provide fantastic elite facilities for our squads and can also be used for recreational cricket and the wider community."