Planners to decide on Orford Park Project

NEARLY two decades after being first proposed, Warrington’s £30 million Orford Park community sports village is set to go before a special meeting of the town’s planners, tomorrow, Thursday, who are expected to give it the green light following just eight objections.
Key areas of concern from those opposing the project include the positioning of a skateboard park, anti-social behaviour, increased parking on Hallfields Road, inadequate bicycle access to the site along Winwick Road and the specification of the proposed swimming pool not being fit for purpose.
If members of the local planning committee do approve the project the application will be referred to the Secretary of State who will decide whether to call in the proposal for his own determination.
Meanwhile major cash injections have been confirmed by national and regional sponsors enabling the public, private and voluntary sector development to go ahead.
Fifty acres of land in a high profile location next to the A49 Winwick Road will be transformed into a valuable community asset providing a wide variety of leisure, health and education facilities on one site.
There will be football pitches, library, health centre and numerous other facilities.
The village is designed to help promote key local, regional and national aims including:
*Promoting healthy lifestyles and independence.
*Increasing the number of people participating in physical activity from 22.8 per cent to 34.9 per cent.
*Improving lifelong learning, the local skill base and employability of local people.
The sports village will not only provide a focal point for the local community and boost local pride and identity, it will also represent a London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games legacy for the North West.
The North West Development Agency has approved an investment of £3.6million to the scheme.
Other partners in the scheme include Sport England, the Football Foundation, Warrington Town FC, NHS Warrington, William Beamont High School and Warrington Collegiate.
The community sports village is scheduled to open in November 2011 and will provide a blueprint for the delivery of future community sports facilities which is transferable nationwide.
Local councillors Mike and Kate Hannon are supporting the proposal.

Pictured: Representatives from the local community, council, ward councillors and partners celebrate the council’s executive board giving their backing to the Orford Park Project last year.