New sports plans revealed
Plans are being made for a new state-of-the-art community sports complex at Edge Hill University's Ormskirk campus.
A public exhibition, to be held in February, will explain the proposals and give members of the public the chance to speak to Edge Hill representatives and the design team.
The need for further expansion of the University's facilities was identified in 2005 by the Government Planning Inspector appointed to conduct the West Lancashire Replacement Local Plan public inquiry. To allow further academic growth, and the expansion of these valuable community facilities, the University is proposing the creation of a purpose-built modern sports complex on land to the east of the present campus. The new development will be served by a new access road and junction formed onto the A570 St Helens Road, together with new cycle lane and pedestrian routes, and a bus-drop off point.
Dr John Cater, University Vice-Chancellor, said: "With an increasingly competitive Higher Education market place, the continued enhancement of University facilities is critical.
"All redevelopment opportunities on the campus have been exhausted, so we need to relocate and improve the current sports facilities to enable further development. These proposed facilities will be unrivalled in the area and be fully available for use by the local community."
The proposed outdoor facilities will include running tracks, rugby, hockey and football pitches, athletics field, netball and tennis courts and a trim trail with exercise stations. Asingle storey building will accommodatean eight-court sports hall with viewing gallery for basketball, netball, badminton, five-a-side football and general sports use, a 25-metre swimming pool, a 100-station fitness suite, aerobics studio, health suite with sauna and steam rooms, a café and lounge area.
New ecological features and wildlife habitats will be created, including mixed-woodland areas and footpaths linking to Ruff Wood, wildflower meadows, open grassland and a new wildlife pond, and structural screen planting and hedgerow replacement. The whole development will incorporate sustainable drainage and low carbon design and building technologies.
- Members of the public can send their views about the project by email to newsport@edgehill.ac.uk, or by writing to Edge Hill Sports Development, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP.
- All comments should be received by Sunday 28 February 2010.
Published: Wed, 20 Jan 2010
Comments
Tom Dobbing, about 1 year ago
1. What is the projected increase in student numbers 2. Although facilities may be offered for use to the public, what will the public have to pay, and will the facilities only be availble at inconvienient times. 3. More students will mean more cars, more environmental pollution in the Ormskirk area, more pressure on a already streched public services, what are your plans to elevite the pressure 4. Is the £200 million investment ultimatly coming from the tax payer 5. Will there be sport activities taken place on weekend, if so what times and what levels of noise pollution will this cause. And will you be landscaping in decorative natural sound barries 6. Why propose this project when it is wildly thought, due to countrys financial state, that student numbers will be reduced and funding cut, and that after graduation student unemployment is high and a great number of students end up doing jobs that dont require a degree 7. Would the sport students you take be the ones that have failed to get in Loughborough. 8. How bright will the flood lights be
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