A CRICKET club at the heart of a new £4.6million East Lancashire Sports Village has added state-of-the-art covered nets to its redevelopment plans.

Darwen Cricket And Sports Club in Mostyn Street is already in the process of building an extension with covered seating to its Birch Hall ground.

Now it is seeking planning permission for the replacement of existing cricket net facility with a 15.3metre by 36.7m canopy with LED lights over three cricket lanes to be used for sports practice with installation of associated surface and netting around the canopy.

They will be open to all members of the public offering the opportunity to practice and play cricket throughout the year.

In August the 121-year-old club was given planning permission to build single-storey extension to its clubhouse providing additional seating would be provided internally together with a new covered and glazed spectator area.

Its modernisation is a key part of the Darwen Town Deal’s plans for a new £4.6m East Lancashire Sports Village with AFC Darwen and Junction4 Skatepark.

A supporting statement with the latest application to Blackburn with Darwen planners says: "The new facility will replace the existing net area within the cricket club.

"This area is currently located in close proximity to properties at Laneshaw Close and Leven Grove. The new facility has been positioned to be further away from these to improve the relationship.

"This facility proposed by total-play Ltd is a new approach to outdoor cricket net provision.

"It means that there will be no more 'rain stops play'. The total-play ‘Cricket Shield’ is a climate protection system for outdoor cricket facilities

"It bridges the gap between a traditional outdoor system and an indoor centre.

" Providing protection from wet and windy conditions ‘Cricket Shield’ offers clubs the chance to increase usage levels of a typical outdoor non-turf facility without the prohibitive costs of a permanent building.

"It combines a fully-integrated package to bring facilities to life on dark and gloomy days or during evening use, including an English Cricket Board (ECB) approved playing surface designed to simulate the performance of a natural pitch.

"The surfacing used will be artificial grass to replace the existing surface albeit the visual impact will be the same.

"A facility such as this strongly supports the ECB’s aim of enabling wider access to the game.

"The proposals would be entirely complementary to the existing facility."