Historic East Lancs cricket club set for modern overhaul

Church and Oswaldtwistle Cricket Club have been given permission by Hyndburn Council to transform its current spectator area into a more accessible, comfortable and ‘welcoming environment’ for visitors to its West End ground.

In its application, the 170-year-old club explains that much of its ground had been built during an era when cricket was a mass spectator sport in East Lancashire, with ‘exceptionally large crowds, often comprising workers from the surrounding cotton mills’.

But times and the sport itself have changed, with increasing numbers of spectators and families visiting West End for a more diverse offering including junior, women’s and disabled cricket programmes, as well as its league matches.

To better facilitate this new era of the sport, the club wants to make major changes to the viewing area which have become ‘largely obsolete for modern use’ through deterioration over the decades, as well as a lack of accessibility for disabled fans.

“In their current condition, the facilities fail to meet contemporary expectations for accessibility, inclusion, safety and spectator comfort,” the club states in its Design and Access statement.

The document details a number of improvements to meet these modern expectations, including removing the fragmented step access to its viewing terrace in order to create a single unified platform level with ramped access.

This spectator area will be transformed for a better viewing experience, with the old and dilapidated roof over the tiered spectator stands being removed.

The club says this will eliminate a ‘visually poor element of the current development’ and improve views.

The approved plans also include details of a glazed balustrade in the same area, which will also improve sightlines. This balustrade will be made of toughened glass to ensure their hard work is not undone by a stray cricket ball.

Visitors will also notice improved features that improve the visual appearance of this spectator area, with decorative timber panelling covering the breeze block wall to the rear of the stands, alongside a number of landscaping and planting improvements that should make West End more aesthetically pleasing.

Improvements will also be made to the club’s current committee room, which will be externally clad in red cedar, which they state will provide ‘a warm and contemporary appearance’.

In approving the renovation, Hyndburn Council’s planning officer stated: “In conclusion, the proposal would improve the appearance of the existing spectator facilities through the refurbishment of the committee room, the use of high-quality materials, and the enhancement of the surrounding area with new screening and planting.

“The works would create a more attractive and modern appearance whilst remaining in keeping with the established character of the cricket club.”