AN application has been made for the Bridge Lane rugby ground at Appleton to be designated an asset of community value.
If approved by Warrington Borough Council it would mean the ground – currently used for training by Warrington Rugby Union Club and also by local people for dog walking and informal recreation – would be protected from development for up to six months to give time for the local community to raise funds to purchase it.
The ground was once the club’s main playing venue but after the clubhouse was destroyed in an arson attack the club moved to Warrington Sports Club at Walton Lea in 2002. The ground then lay unused for years until the club started using it again for training
The application for the ground to be designated an asset of community value comes from Appleton Parish Council who have campaigned for years for the ground to be preserved for sporting purposes. Warrington Borough Council owns the ground but the club has a 99-year lease with runs until 2058.
Controversial proposals to build more than 50 houses on the field were put forward in 2015 but were opposed by the parish council and were never progressed.
The club first used the ground in 1961.
