A SUCCESSFUL 121-year-old cricket club can go ahead with expanding its provision for spectators.

Darwen Cricket Club has been granted planning permission to add an extension with covered seating to its Birch Hall ground on Mostyn Street.

Originally founded as Darwen Etrurians Cricket Club in 1901 it plays in the Lancashire League.

Now Blackburn with Darwen Council has approved the scheme, supported by local councillors of all political parties, with three conditions,

A report by planning office Christian Barton says:"The application site is a cricket club located within the settlement of Darwen and the Birch Hall Cricket Ground Green Infrastructure allocation. "The site comprises of a central cricket pitch with various clubhouses and outbuildings lining its peripheries.

"The clubhouse has red brick and rendered elevations, a concrete pan tiled roof, and uPVC doors and windows with security shutters.

"This application involves the erection of a single-storey extension to the South-East elevation of the clubhouse.

"Additional seating would be provided internally together with a covered seating area.

"The proposed extension would have a footprint of circa 60 square metres and a mono-pitched roof up to five metres in height.

"It would feature a ramp up to the central access doors.

"Render and concrete tiles would be used to finish the extension and it would be fitted with uPVC windows and powder coated aluminium doors.

"A glazed balustrade would be installed enclosing the covered seating area and access ramp.

"The submitted floor plans show a number of internal reconfigurations to the existing bar area and function room.

" No public comments have been received

"The scale of the proposed extension would appear proportionate to the existing building.

"Moreover, the proposed external construction materials would be visually appropriate for this development and site, as would the installation of glazed balustrades.

"The limited scale of the proposals would not increase the capacity of the site to a point that would require additional car parking provision.

"Development proposals should proceed without delay."

In 2016 its pavilion underwent a £10,000 make over.

The cricket club is part of the Darwen Town Deal's plans for a £4.6m for a new East Lancashire Sports Village with AFC Darwen and Junction4 Skatepark.

The scheme has been welcomed by Darwen East Liberal Democrat Cllr Paul Browne, Darwen West Labour councillor Brian Taylor and Darwen South Conservative Cllr Kevin Connor.