ONE of the key landmarks has been reached as sports development chiefs master-mind the creation of Burnley’s £2.5million Prairie Sports Village.

The first young players have been training on the floodlit artificial pitch at the complex, which has been backed by Burnley FC, the English Golf Union and the Rugby Football League.

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Under the terms of the funding, £350,000 of which came from Sport England via the National Lottery, the synthetic surface had to made available for community pro-grammes.

And Burnley FC in the Community and the Clarets’ girls and ladies sides have already planned out develop-ment activities at the Prairie in the coming weeks.

Coun Bea Foster, leisure executive member, said: “This FIFA standard 3G pitch is the first part of an exciting project that will rejuvenate the complex and put it back at the centre of local sport, creating a valuable resource, not just for training purposes, but also as a playing surface for all seasons of the year.”

Eventually the sport village will also boast a new sports pavilion, with changing rooms, a fitness centre, a golf pro shop, and a golf driving range, as well as a lounge area.

Paul Foster, development manager for Burnley Leisure, which will run the site, said: “Prairie Sports Village is set to become a real hub for local sport and this top-quality pitch is perfect for junior weekend fixtures throughout the winter.

“When the full complex is finished next year it will provide for people of all ages, from holiday sessions for children to healthy activity programmes for older adults.”

The Football Foundation also weighed in with £350,000 and the council borrowed £1.5million to ensure the scheme went ahead.

Leisure chiefs have previously said the all-weather pitch could be suitable for American football, with Burnley Tornadoes, cited as another possible interested party. Early discussions also centred around the Clarets hosting their disabled football programme on the upgraded surface.