Rovers’ plans to combine their two Brockhall training bases have been shelved amid ‘immense’ opposition to the proposals.

The club are looking at the possibility of identifying a suitable site in the Blackburn with Darwen area, but chief executive Steve Waggott insists Rovers will continue to fund the maintenance of their two current training bases in the meantime.

Plans published in February outlined said the club were looking into the prospect of selling the land which occupies the Senior Training Centre for housing which would fund a new facility at the Academy base. A public consultation was held in March but didn’t require the necessary support required to move to the next stage of the development as outlined in April.

The club said it would consider other options, including another site outside of the Ribble Valley, with the Borough Council having objected to the amalgamation plans which also drew criticism from local residents.

“I wasn’t surprised by the hostility around the residents because obviously any change can be a real threat to them,” Waggott explained.

“The planning consultancy had been pretty confident it would reflect quite well within the Brockhall Village, but I was a little surprised by the Borough Council not supporting us, potentially political support.

“We wanted to push forward with our Category One Academy, this wasn’t to put it in jeopardy, it was to enhance that.

“If you watch training you see six to eight Academy players on the fringe and really making an impact on our first-team.

“If they were all in the same building on a day by day basis then I could only see that as being a step forward and a really progressive move for the club.”

Plans would have seen 170 housing units build on the land where the STC currently is, an impressive facility Rovers have been using for over 25 years.

Having been met with opposition, Waggott says the club will look at the viability of other sites, and maintains than a one size fits all training base would be the best option for the club.

He added: “It was establishing a point of principle as whether we could, if Ribble Valley Borough Council allowed, us to join the two sites down at the lower site that’s currently occupied by the Academy and then redevelop this site with so many residential units.

“The opposition was immense both from Ribble Valley Borough Council and not a lot of political support either, so that’s been completely shelved at the moment.

“We are looking at whether another site can be acquired in the Blackburn with Darwen Council area and would that be a possibility going forward. At the moment, all planning regarding this site and combining it with the Academy down on the lower site has been shelved for now.”

The upkeep and cost to run two separate sites had been put forward as a reason behind the club’s amalgamation proposals. But despite plans having been drawn up to move away from the STC, and other sites now being explored, Waggott says money will continue to be invested in order to keep the facility at the highest level possible.

He said: “We’re still maintaining it to a high level. We’ve got a swimming pool to look after, we’ve invested a lot into the grass again.

“The pitches at the STC are unbelievable and (Head of Academy) Stuart Jones said they’re the best they’ve ever been down at the Academy.

“The investments have been worth it.”