Westhoughton cricket club moves to attract school pupils

1:30pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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A CRICKET club wants to extend its opening hours so its amenities can be used by schools.

Westhoughton Cricket Club is relocating to The Hoskers, Daisy Hill, to make way for a Sainsbury's supermarket at its current site in Cricketers Way.

Bolton Council's planning committee granted permission for the new club in January.

The new site, currently used as paddock land for horses, would also incorporate a junior rugby pitch to be used by Westhoughton Lions Amateur Rugby Club.

Councillors added a condition to the planning permission which ruled that the club building would only be open from 7pm to 11pm from Monday to Friday, 2pm to 11pm on Saturdays and 2pm to 10.30pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

This planning condition was designed to keep noise to a minimum for neighbours. However, the club has applied to amend the conditions so the building can open at 9am to allow the facilities to be used by schools.

Club chairman Maudine Morris said: "We are hoping to build a good relationship with St George's School so it can use the facilities and encourage young people to get involved in cricket and rugby.

"There was also an idea to share parking facilities."

The proposal must first be approved by the planning committee. People have until May 22 to comment on it and councillors are expected to make a decision next month.

Sainsbury's will only be allowed to begin its work on the cricket club's current site once the new site is open.

In March, the firm announced that it was hoping to start work in April, 2009.

It hoped to open the new supermarket in late 2009.

Sainsbury's has agreed to pay Bolton Council £1million in order to be able to lift a covenant which had reserved the current cricket club site to for recreational purposes only.