COUNCIL bosses have granted a new 15-year lease to a soccer club so it can improve its ground and changing rooms.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough finance boss Cllr Andy Kay has authorised the cancellation of the agreement for Green Lane football pitch with Mill Hill Junior Football Club and its replacement with new long-term deal.

He said: “This will allow them to lever in external funding to renovate and manage the facility going forward whilst conforming to certain conditions detailed in the lease.”

The club runs more than 30 teams for 250 plus three to 16-year-old football players,

Cllr Kay said: “Single pitch facilities have become unviable from a council perspective.

“A long-term lease will enable Mill Hill to draw down funding from the Football Association and/or Sport England to improve the drainage of the football pitch and refurbish the changing room block.”