Major Preston Development to Combine Affordable Housing with Grassroots Sports Hub
Plans for a significant residential and leisure development on the outskirts of Preston have been submitted, aiming to create a high-quality hub for local grassroots sport alongside more than 200 affordable homes. The proposed Longridge Sports Village scheme, backed by Steel Work Construction and Community Gateway Association, seeks to address a recognised deficit in local sports provision while expanding housing options.
Site Details and Housing Components
A 12-hectare site northwest of Longridge, adjacent to Longridge Town Football Club and Longridge Cricket Club and bounded by Inglewhite Road and Chipping Lane, has been earmarked for the project. The development includes up to 220 new dwellings, all classified as affordable homes, with over 40 flats specifically designed for older residents. This follows a public consultation held last year and an outline proposal now submitted to Preston City Council for planning permission.
Sports Facilities and Community Benefits
The sports village will feature a range of upgraded and new facilities to serve the community. Key elements include:
- A seven-a-side 3G football pitch to support Longridge Town's junior club, comprising 20 teams and 300 players, reducing weather-related cancellations in winter and providing training space for the senior team.
- Retention of the existing grass pitch for the first team, with extended clubhouse and improved spectator facilities.
- Four covered padel courts, which received strong local support during the consultation.
- A permanent base for Longridge Gymnastics Club, currently operating from rented facilities four miles away in Ribbleton.
- A 1.5km recreational running and walking route integrated into green spaces for community use.
Planning Considerations and Environmental Assessments
Although the plot is in open countryside, the planning statement argues it is not a remote, isolated landscape but a logical extension of recent residential growth in the area, with housing permissions already granted along Halfpenny Lane, Inglewhite Road, and Chipping Lane. An odour assessment related to nearby pig farming at Belmont Farm found only a slight, non-significant risk, with the southernmost parts of the site avoided for residential development due to potential odour impacts. Preston City Council previously decided against requiring an environmental impact assessment for the project.
