PLANS for the construction of an all-weather football pitch at a Ribble Valley sports club have been rejected by council chiefs.

Gary Hoerty from Gary Hoerty Associates in Clitheroe submitted the application on behalf of Langho Football Club for the site on Dewhurst Road.

However, Ribble Valley Council's planning and development committee refused the scheme on the basis of affecting 'visual and residential amenity' on local people.

The scheme would have seen floodlights and an extension of the existing car park.

In the planning documents it said: "The all-weather pitch will offer significant benefit to the club over the existing grass pitch being playable all year round and for longer hours due to the artificial lighting and avoiding games being cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch.

"The proposed new pitch will be constructed to the Football Associations 3G approved standard and it’s dimensions are such that, in addition to matches using the whole of the pitch, three groups can train on the surface at the same time by playing across the pitch."

There were five letters of support from local sports clubs about the scheme while 21 letters of the objection were also considered by councillors.

Mick Ellison chairman of the club said they would be looking at their options to move forward.

He said: "We are looking at why the councillors voted against the officer's recommendation to refuse the application.

"It was unanimous so we will not be appealing it.look at other partner clubs or schools where we could see if it would happen.

"We have 30 teams playing and have got a small pitch but our teams are having to go to Pleckgate, Our Lady and St Johns or Blackburn Central High School just to train. I have been involved in football for 25-30 years and there seems to be an unwritten rule between November to February that you get one game and then it is called off and that is not right in trying to develop young people.

"We are also looking at our other site near Northcote to see if they would approve it.

"In the current COVID situation kids have been in lockdown for so long and we face the real prospect of not being able to play because grass pitches are not fit."