A FOOTBALL club has been granted planning permission to build a controversial retaining fence around the perimeter of King George V Playing Fields.

Accrington Stanley recently agreed a 100-year lease with Hyndburn Council for the playing fields in Royds Avenue on the Hollins Estate to provide a permanent training facility for the first team, Under 23s, youth team and academy.

Now it has been granted planning permission by the council to build a 4.5m high green powder-coated metal boundary fence around 40,000 square feet of the site to protect the playing surfaces.

Almost 50 local residents objected to the proposal claiming it would prevent access to the fields for elderly people wanting a stroll, local families, children to play football and dog walkers.

Accrington Stanley managing director David Burgess said: "We will be installing a brand new drainage system and fully reinstating the grass pitches, the changing rooms and the car park and we need to protect them as we will be spending over half a million pounds on bringing the pitches and facilities up to League One training standard.

“We want to work closely with the residents and local community who will still have access to the outside perimeter of the playing fields, albeit outside the protective fencing.

“This site will be the first proper training facility the football club has had since its reformation in 1968 and we want to make it something special for the club and the town to be proud of.”

Brian Bainbridge of Royds Avenue, who led the objections, said: "I am very disappointed. There was a lot of opposition to this fence."