New affordable homes and sports village plans

The proposed development would include six padel courts

A new sports village could be created as part of plans to build up to 250 homes in Lancashire.

The proposed development – on land to the north west of Longridge on the outskirts of Preston – would include a full-sized 3G football pitch, two seven-a-side junior pitches, six padel courts, indoor cricket nets, a gymnastics and dance school and the route for a 5km Park Run.

All of the housing on the site – bound by Inglewhite Road, Chipping Lane and Old Clay Lane – would be offered at affordable rates.

A public consultation, carried out ahead of the submission of formal plans to Preston City Council, ends later.

The blueprint has been drawn up by Steel Work Construction Limited (SWC) and backed by the social housing provider Community Gateway Association (CGA).

'Sporting excellence'

SWC says the driving force behind its vision for the site is "equal access to sport and homes for all".

The firm adds that the facilities aim to make Longridge "a hub of sporting excellence, reducing the need for residents to travel to other towns for sports activities".

It says that the entire development would form "a natural extension of Longridge, with everything within walking distance".

Although no details have been provided about the style and tenure of the proposed homes, they are set to include options that would suit first-time buyers, fully-fledged families and those looking for "affordable retirement living options", according to the consultation website.

The main artificial football pitch would be suitable for competitive matches and training, while it is proposed that the seven-a-side facilities – with their own club house and events space – would support the needs of Longridge Town FC Juniors and also provide an area for "recreational play".

The covered cricket nets would allow for year-round training in the sport and complement the existing cricket pitch.

Much of the southern section of the site would be given over to publicly-accessible green space, the like of which would also permeate other parts of the development, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.