A TOWN council could take control of “neglected” playing fields and bring them up to a higher standard.

Members of Horwich Town Council unanimously supported a motion to send a letter to Bolton town hall chiefs expressing a wish to bring Green Lane Playing Fields back under their jurisdiction.

Cllr Kevin McKeon told the meeting of the financial and general purposes committee, that the fields were in three sections.

One is under the direct use of Bolton Council and let to various groups, another, while another is maintained "to a very basic level" by Rivington and Blackrod High School.

A third, near Singleton Avenue, has been earmarked for possible housing, and would not be part of any transfer of land to the town council.

Cllr McKeon said: “Bolton Council’s Department of Place is aware that an awful lot of work needs doing to bring it up to a good standard. However, the authority doesn’t have the money to do the work necessary.

“We have the example of a couple of fields in council ownership given to clubs on long term leases.

“What St Mary have done is the ideal, but the question is who is going to do it, because the council isn’t allowed to apply for the kind of grants St Mary’s has.

“So, going forward, if we really want to see a top-notch field either a sports club have to take it on a long-term lease, or the town council does — the proviso being it would have to be able to get grants to do the work necessary.”

Cllr McKeon told the committee that it would be a “long term project” and a “very big responsibility”.

And he added: “If we do want to take it over and make it worthwhile for sports teams we would have to looking into providing changing rooms, which costs money.”

Cllr Joyce Kellet said it was a “great opportunity” to take over the running of the playing fields.

She said: “This land has been neglected, it's not been maintained. I’m sure there’s funding there. It’s not a great lot of money to maintain a field once you’ve had it drained it's perfect.

“We have an opportunity to get these fields back. I would like to work with every sports group - hockey, netball, football – and give them all a piece of the field to play their games on.”

Cllr Marie Brady agreed it was a “fantastic proposition” and that many of the town’s sporting clubs would like to make use of the field were it to be brought up to standard.”

And Cllr Steve Chadwick was also in favour of taking control of the fields, but not via a long-term lease.

He said: “I’m not sure if that’s good enough to be honest. Until 1974 it was Horwich Town Council that owned and it was transferred. I’m not sure a lease is necessarily appropriate, the ownership should be returned.”

The committee unanimously voted in support of Cllr Kellett’s motion that the town council writes to Bolton Council requesting a report and stating its intention to take control of the fields.

A report on the fields is expected to come before the committee on May 14.