South Ribble agrees land transfer for sports village
The authority has taken ownership of 17 acres next to Trafford Housing Trust’s proposed 330-home Penwortham Mills development to progress plans to upgrade Vernon Carus Sports Club.
South Ribble’s plans for the sports club include creating a new 18,000 sq ft pavilion, the installation of two multi-use games areas, a new building for the boxing gym and an improved BMX track.
A masterplan for the project shows the potential for a 4G playing pitch on land next to Cardinal Newman College.
The sports village is to form part of THT’s wider redevelopment of Penwortham Mills, which also features a Lidl supermarket.
Lane End Developments Construction agreed to transfer the land to South Ribble and the company is to provide £500,000 for the upkeep of Lake Wood reservoir that falls within the site.
Lane End had acquired the site from Bovis Homes following the latter winning approval in 2015 for a 385-home development, a scheme that preceded THT’s project.
Lane End then carried out a series of remediation works, including demolishing the former mill, before selling most of the land to THT. Lane End retained the 17 acres comprising the sports club and the reservoir but the council has now taken ownership of that land to progress its leisure strategy.