ACCRINGTON Stanley Community Trust has revealed full plans for its proposed £2million community sports hub.

The charity is looking to transform Higham Playing Fields to include a full size floodlit artificial football pitch and three grass pitches for various forms of rugby and football.

The site will also include a new multi use building, an ECB approved artificial cricket wicket and a 55 space car park.

The trust has been working on the project since October 2015 and conducted an in depth feasibility study which found the Thorneyholme Road site to be the best location.

The reveal comes after more than 1,000 people signed an online petition to ‘save Higham Playing Fields’ from the development.

However Accrington Stanley Community Trust said the plans aim to increase participation in sport in the area.

CEO Martin Fearon said: “We have been carefully designing the plans over the past few months to ensure we have the best possible facility to present to the Hyndburn community

“The proposals will see the Higham Playing Field’s site safeguarded for sports for many years to come.

“This will become a facility for our community to be proud of.”

The new sports hub building would replace the current building which ‘no longer meets minimum requirements to service the site effectively.’

It would also include a 50 seat cafeteria, four FA standard changing rooms, two officials changing rooms, two education suites.

The floodlit pitch is suitable for five, seven, nine and 11 a side football and evening use will finish at 10pm.

The trust said figures for the playing fields show over the last 12 months there has been just 6,424 visits, which averages at 18 per day.

Mr Fearon said: “We believe that grassroots sport needs more investment and we are hoping to play a big part in this by providing this fantastic project for our community.”

The trust will be hosting a public meeting to answer frequently asked questions about the plans at 6.30pm on Wednesday, October 11, at Accrington Football Club sports bar.

The trust added the children’s play area was not part of this development and will remain the same.