Lostock Hall Academy seeks permission to hire out sports facilities used by clubs for 35 years
A school that has hired out sports facilities to the community since 1989 is now having to seek the correct permission.
Leaders at Lostock Hall Academy have applied to South Ribble Borough Council for a Lawful Development Certificate for an Existing Use in relation to the existing tarmac courts, despite decades of community use.
The use is in relation to that outside school times, all year round between 4pm and 10pm on Monday to Friday, on Saturdays between 9am and 12.30pm and on Sundays between 10am and 4pm.
The school says that the courts have been built and in continual use by various community groups outside of school hours for a continual period of over ten years and in daytime use by community groups in school holiday periods, between Monday and Friday from 9am to 6pm, again over a period of 10 years.
A schedule of use included with the application shows they have been regularly used for netball, football, tennis and rubgy, by the likes of Leyland Warriors Rugby Club, Bamber Bridge Football Club and Leyland Junior Netball Club.
The application contains 15 signed affidavits about the continious use, and details of a schedule of use by the likes of recent refurbishment.
A decision will be made in coming weeks by South Ribble planning chiefs.