£17m plan for soccer ‘hubs’

KicK-off is drawing closer for a multi-million pound sports facility scheme.

A council committee this week gave its approval for phase two of Wigan’s Parklife project.

Part funded by the football Association, Premier League and Sport England, it will provide three hubs with state-of-the-art facilities.

The council has already invested £54,000 into the scheme, covering costs for initial works to establish the locations of the three hubs; Howe Bridge (Atherton), Laithwaite Park (Newtown) and William fosters (ince).

Phase two of the scheme will see the town hall invest a further £166,000 for detailed designs and planning application preparation.

it is expected to be rubber-stamped by the council’s ruling cabinet later this month.

The overall cost of the scheme is expected to be £17m of which the council would be required to contribute £6.9m, according to a town hall report.

All costs are split 60/40 between Parklife and the local authority, with the council’s share found through ‘prudential borrowing’, according to a committee report.

The hubs will provide facilities for local teams at favourable rates and each will include several grass and artificial pitches in addition to changing room facilities and could be in place by 2020.

if the council commits, the designs for each hub would return before the scrutiny committee.