Sport England make last gasp challenge to stop housing on former Lostock Hall school field

The national body stepped in as South Ribble Council was about to sign off an application to develop the former playing fields at the old Lostock Hall Primary.

It opposed the plan, feeling it would mean the loss of valuable sports facilities in the area. But the objection looks like being ruled offside when the planning committee meets on Thursday to reconsider the scheme.

Planning officers say they have looked again at the proposal by Westchurch Homes and feel it does not contravene rules over the development of former sports fields.

The school closed in 2010 and moved to a new site. The former buildings were demolished in December 2021.

The council's planning committee approved the scheme for eight one-bedroom apartments and 42 houses on the site off Avondale Drive back in December. It agreed to the scheme providing the developer agreed to make financial contributions towards public open space and affordable housing.

But before the deal could be sealed Sport England raised its 11th hour objection over the disappearance of another sports field, something it has been campaigning against nationally for years.

The organisation is arguing that because the field has been used for sport during the past five years it should not be developed for housing under a Town and Country Planning Order which protects playing fields. Google aerial images show the site was marked out as a mini football pitch in 2018.

Sport England formally objected, saying there is a "deficiency in the provision of playing fields in the area" and asked for the matter to be referred to the Government for determination.

But planning officers at South Ribble say that after seeking legal advice they are confident the council can approve the application and have recommended councillors give it the thumbs up at Thursday's meeting.

In a report they say: "It is true that there would be some loss of a playing field, but the council has undertaken consultation on the basis of the field not being a playing field used by an educational establishment within the last five years– regardless of any other informal use the landowner may allow on the site which is now secured and inaccessible.

"It is also true that the council's Playing Pitch Strategy does support retention of playing fields, but technically this is not a ‘playing field’ and considerable weight must also be given to the Local Plan allocation for the site which has been through robust examination, and conveys its designation as an allocated housing site.

"On the matter of whether this should be passed to the Secretary of State the council has taken legal counsel advice and their opinion is that, as the applicant’s agent asserts, the use of the playing field in this case in the five years before the planning application has been by other than an educational institution, the proposal should not be passed on for determination."

When the scheme was first revealed the council received 53 letters , although some were from the same individual. Amongst the objections raised were concerns over flooding, traffic congestion, parking, pedestrian safety, loss of privacy and "too many houses in an already busy area."