DOZENS of angry residents have objected to a football club's plans to fence off a playing field.

In March Accrington Stanley FC agreed a 100-year lease for the King George V Playing Fields in Royds Avenue on the Hollins Estate from Hyndburn Council at a cost of £550,000.

It will be used as the club's first ever training ground.

Now it has applied for planning permission to build a 15 foot high green powder-coated metal boundary fence around 40,315 square feet of the site to protect new pitches.

The application says this will 'provide an enclosed training ground' adding: "The area will be accessed through various gates within the fence."

But now almost 50 residents near the fields on the Accrington/Baxenden boundary have banded together to oppose the scheme.

Objectors' spokesman Brian Bainbridge of Royds Avenue, said: "Local people are up in arms about this.

"This is a much-used and much-loved public open space and Accrington Stanley should not be allowed to take it away from us.

"It is used for elderly people wanting a stroll, local families, children to play football and dog walkers.

"This is a public amenity which during lockdown it was used by a lot of families wanting to allow their children to run around safely.

"I know of almost 50 people opposed to this fence and many have objected to the council. We are ready to make our case to Hyndburn Planning Committee."

Accrington Stanley's managing director David Burgess said: "A planning application has been submitted to the council for the renovation of the football pitches at King George's including new drainage throughout and a protective fence around the football pitches.

“The public will still be able to access the outside perimeter of the playing fields, albeit outside the protective fencing.

“This site will be the first proper training facility the football club has had since its reformation in 1968 and we want to make it something special.

"There will be times allocated for supervised community use on a facility that currently is unusable for most of the year due to poor drainage and maintenance.

“Accrington Stanley brings valuable revenue to the town.”

Hyndburn Council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson said: "The planning application will be considered in the proper way and objectors will be listened to.

"You can understand why the club want a fence to protect their investment in the training ground from easy access which can lead to cars and motorcycles damaging the surface not to mention dog faeces."