PROPOSALS to use £200,000 in funding to improve leisure facilities including part of a former sports ground closed in 1994 have been firmed up.

Councillors in Pendle are set to confirm proposals to spend £200,000 in Section 106 cash from housing developers when they meet next week.

At the Lucas sports ground in Colne Road, Reedley, a small play area and nature reserve would be created at a cost of £80,000 and a small fitness trail would be developed around the periphery of the junior football area costing £7,500.

At Heyhead Park, the existing senior play area would be extended at a cost of £13,000, while the junior playground would be improved to the turn of £48,0000.

An £8,000 trim trail would be installed and football and tennis courts would be resurfaced and marked.

A further £10,000 would be spent improving drainage at seven-a-side football pitches on the John Bradley Playing Fields.

Borough green spaces manager, Kieron Roberts, said: "The proposals provide the necessary outdoor recreation and play facilities to serve the residents of the housing development and the local vicinity through a mixture of on-site provision at Lucas Sports Ground and the augmentation of existing green space facilities in the Brierfield and Reedley area that also serve the community.

"These are the most reasonable and practicable projects to implement and take in to consideration important factors such as cost, demand, potential usage, the ongoing management and maintenance of the facilities, sustainability and ensuring liability and

ownership issues are kept to a minimum.

"The proposals specifically put forward for the former Lucas Sports Ground site reflect the demand and needs of local residents

"The ongoing management and maintenance of the above sites including the proposals in this report rest with Pendle Council’s Environmental Services. New equipment would be robust and vandal resistant and would be added to the playground inspector’s list for weekly inspection.

"We feel that the mix of outdoor recreation and play proposals put forward would provide better quality facilities for a wider range of residents within the Brierfield and Reedley area without placing too much additional liability and negative cost implications for the council in the long term."