New sports and community centre planned for this Preston area

The Quwwatul Islam Preston Muslim Society has proposed the two-storey development for a plot of land on Deepdale Mill Street, opposite the separate mosque and education centre buildings it already operates.

A planning application submitted to Preston City Council says the new facilities would be open for private hire to “anyone within the local community“ – including the general public, clubs and organisations.

The site would feature a 3G football pitch for up to 12 players on the ground floor and a multi-purpose sports court on the level above.

Two community halls would also be created, split into female and male spaces – although a folding wall partition would enable them to be turned into a single larger area.

The development would also include showers, changing rooms, a kitchen and food serving counters – along with a ‘Janazah room’, a space used for prayer after a member of the Muslim community passes away.

That element of the scheme is described as being “essential”, because local Janazah services are currently held in the nearby Little Sparkles Nursery – also owned by the society – which the application document says is “far from ideal”.

“The proposed development offers a more suitable and respectful environment for such a use,” it adds.

A 17-space car park would be provided, with users of the community and sports centre also having access to the 42 spaces at the education centre site, if an overflow was required.

Advice had been sought from the city council before submission of the application, which revealed that the authority was “supportive” of the blueprint. The site had previously been allocated for housing, but there was said to be “lack of…potential” for that use, because of its irregular shape.

The plot was most recently occupied by Loomis Security, which rented a small two-storey office building. However, the majority of the land is hard-surfaced and has previously functioned as an HGV holding area.