Plans for 'dangerous' national archery centre road

The Performance Archery Centre at Lilleshall opened in 2024

A lack of formal parking at a £3.6m national archery performance centre is causing a "danger" to its users, according to a planning agent.

The facility at Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire, used by Olympic and Paralympic archers, was opened by Sport England in April 2024.

Now a planning application lodged with Shropshire Council proposes improvements to the unlit access road, including the creation of 49 new parking spaces.

The planning application forms part of Sport England's three year investment plan at the site to improve access to the external sports facilities, football pitches, hockey pitches and Performance Archery Centre (PAC).

Planning agents at Williams-Architects Ltd have told the council the access road is used by both elite athletes and members of the local community accessing the facilities.

They highlight "several issues" in the proposed development area, including that the access route is partly an "unmade road with an uneven and potholed surface".

"Pedestrian access from the main car parks at Lilleshall National Sports Centre down to the pitches and PAC is compromised by the lack of a suitable footpath and limited lighting of the route for use during hours of darkness," the agent wrote.

In addition, areas used for parking on the road are "not designated or demarcated in any way, which results in unsuitable and dangerous parking", they said.

Applicant Serco Leisure Operating Ltd is proposing the parking spaces as well as the extension of a pedestrian footpath, new lighting bollards, road repairs and the introduction of speed bumps.

The work would mean a total of 79 car parking spaces for users of the PAC and pitches.

Consultation on the plans is underway, according to Shropshire Council's planning portal.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.