Lancashire County Cricket Club has received the green light from the government for its dream to secure Test cricket and bring the Ashes back to Old Trafford.
Government Office North West has informed Trafford Council that its approval in March of the planning application to redevelop Old Trafford cricket ground and the surrounding area need not be ‘called in’ by the government.
The Old Trafford Partnership, made up of Lancashire County Cricket Club, Trafford Council, Ask Developments and Tesco, welcomed the decision, which means that preparation work will continue on the plans to redevelop the ground.
Without substantial redevelopment, the England and Wales Cricket Board had confirmed that after this year’s Test Match against Bangladesh there would be no more Test match cricket at Old Trafford and the future of international cricket in general would be in jeopardy.
If Old Trafford is to remain an international venue, construction work must start in the near future to meet strict deadlines set by the game’s governing body.
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