Cricket ground plans unveiled (From The Bolton News)

Cricket ground plans unveiled

7:24pm Wednesday 29th August 2007

• Print
• Email
• Share

PLANS for a new cricket ground and modern pavilion have been unveiled.

Westhoughton Cricket Club is hoping to create a 683 metre-square pavilion, with a cricket ground and practice nets on land between The Hoskers and Cappadocia Way, in Westhoughton.

A joint application to Bolton Council has been submitted by the cricket club and Peveril Securities. Peveril have also submitted plans to build a £7.5 million Sainsburys store on the current cricket club site, off Cricketers Way, Westhoughton.

The Hoskers site, which is currently used as paddock land for horses, would incorporate a junior rugby pitch to be used by Westhoughton Lions Amateur Rugby Club. The club has been under threat of expulsion from its league due to insufficient basic facilities.

Plans for the pavilion include four changing rooms, a bar and two social rooms which will be accessible to local community groups.

The cricket club runs senior teams and under-11s to under-18s squads, with more than 50 children attending practice sessions run by qualified cricket coaches.

Both playing and coaching facilities will be available at the new site and the club is hoping to forge links with adjacent St George's Primary School, helping to deliver its PE curriculum.

The new pavilion will have a 61-space car park, accessible from Cappadocia Way. Plans have been drawn-up to meet Sport England's criteria about ground sizes.

Westhoughton Lions chairman, Gerry Haydock, is hopeful that the project will be given the go-ahead by planners. The rugby club, which has more than 100 young players, already has a pitch at The Hoskers site but uses portable cabins for changing and storage.

Mr Haydock said: "If everything goes ahead it will be excellent news for us. Our current facilities are non-existant and this agreement with the cricket club will help secure our future."

• Print
• Email
• Share