A DRY ski-slope is to become a UK-renowned centre for ski-jumpers after a £1.1million upgrade was approved.

Parts of the course at Ski Rossendale, in Rawtenstall, will be redesigned as the Haslingden Road social enterprise aims to attract adventurous skiers with Olympic goals. Between £450,000 and £500,000 for new runs is being provided by Sport England.

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Under the blueprints, two ramps will be installed in the north west corner of the site, supported by an access tower, and a timber lodge below would serve as a training HQ for aspiring ‘park and pipe’ athletes.

Rossendale councillors heard that the existing slope would be excavated by up to four metres in two staggered areas, then built up again to provide a steeper profile for the pursuit.

Skiers would descend from a four-and-a-half metre high access tower at the top of the gradient, running along a faster grade artificial material to generate extra speed before the jumps.

An airbag landing zone would be fixed beneath each descent to cushion the impact, the borough’s development control committee was told.

Clive Williams, the scheme’s planning agent, said: “The proposed new reduced-risk training facility will provide a first-class training facility for GB park and pipe elite athletes and its location within the already excellent existing dry ski slope facility at Ski Rossendale is complementary to the existing use.”

The timber lodge at the base of the slope, used as a cafe, would be reconfigured to provide a training room, dining area, meeting space and rest lounge, he said.

Mr Williams also pledged that the training facility, when not in use by the elite athletes programme, would be available for use ‘by a wider audience’ to broaden interest in ‘new and upcoming’ winter sport.

Ski Rossendale has been run as a social enterprise since 2011 since breaking away from Rossendale Leisure Trust. This year the venture, which has been supported by the council, heard it would receive £600,000 from Sport England towards family and learning slopes, a new cafe and other improvements for 2017.