by Mike Hulme

10,000 seater stadium

400m running track

New 6th Form College

Multi-screen cinema

Health club

Indoor sports hall

Bowling alley

Conference centre

Leigh East pavilion

Harriers clubhouse

Student housing

Car parking

A SPORTING CHANCE

by Mike Hulme

FULL plans for Leigh's state-of-the-art Sports Village complex have gone on show for the first time.

Work on the multi-million pound flagship scheme, based on land between Marshall Street and Atherleigh Way, could start in 2004 and be completed 18 months later.

A formal planning application will go to Wigan Council on March 31 with a decision expected the following month.

In the last week, members of the public have been able to view the plans and council spokesman Hugh Patterson says the response was 'very encouraging.'

As well as plans for the Sports Village, applications to redevelop sites at Leigh East RL, Leigh Harriers and Howe Bridge will be submitted at the same time.

The complex is not only sports orientated. The entire Marshall Street site is earmarked for education, leisure and retail as well as sport.

The central elements of the complex will be a 10,000 all-seater stadium for use by Leigh Centurions RL and Leigh RMI; a 400m synthetic athletic track for Leigh Harriers and a brand new Sixth Form College.

The stadium will also house office space and corporate facilities with the new college attracting all sports courses to the Leigh campus from Wigan. Leigh East will have use of three new pitches which are on the current former BARLA ground as well as having a purpose-built clubhouse on site.

As well as a new running track, Leigh Harriers will have a field event training area and all-weather pitches.

Designers stress the the whole project is community based, not simply aimed at sports. It will cater for the needs and requirements of a wide cross-section of local people.

Provision has been made around the stadium and college for retail and commercial leisure. It includes a multiplex cinema, fitness club, restaurant, conference suite, nightclub and various bars.

The plan also allows for the possibility of apartments on site and a small housing complex alongside Atherleigh Way, plus an indoor sports hall for the general public, gymnasium and health club.

All access to the site, during construction and after completion, will be from a new junction off Atherleigh Way. No traffic will be allowed through the Schofield Street/Etherstone Street estate.

Linked in with the main scheme are the redevelopment of Leigh East's existing ground at Grasmere Street; Leigh Harriers HQ on Holden Road and Howe Bridge.

East's current home will be used for retail outlets, again with traffic routed directly off Atherleigh Way. Harriers' HQ will be sold for housing while at least five additional soccer and rugby pitches will be laid on land adjacent to Howe Bridge Sports Centre.

The entire scheme has the support of Wigan Council, Wigan and Leigh College, Leigh MP Andy Burnham and the Leigh Sports Development Partnership.

Mr Burnham says: "This exciting project would put pride back into Leigh. It will give our young people access to first class education and sports facilities and bring much-needed leisure and commercial facilities to the town.

"It will help transform Leigh's image and act as a catalyst for future regeneration.

"I have championed the concept of the Leigh Sports Village all the way and am thrilled by the ground-breaking project that has emerged."