Mill Hill Juniors FC upgrades set for approval by council

Blackburn with Darwen Council's ruling executive board is set to approve the £317,900 deal to allow the improvements at Mill Hill Juniors Football Club when it meets on Thursday.

The authority owns the Green Lane Playing Fields from which it operates.

The refurbishment will allow the club to expand adding one team a year to its operations.

A report to the meeting by the council's public health and leisure boss Cllr Damian Talbot said: "The project will improve the drainage of the pitches and the purchase of grass pitch maintenance machinery along with fencing and containers for storage.

"As part of the project, an existing defunct changing room building currently used as a maintenance store would also be refurbished to provide a pavilion with a kitchen/servery, office space and toilets.

"Mill Hill Juniors FC has a 25 year lease on the green lane football pitches with 20 years left to run.

"The grass pitches at the Green Lane site serve numerous teams within the club but they suffer from acute drainage problems.

"Upgrading the grass pitches at Green Lane will help consolidate the number of football teams and allow for steady sustainable growth of an additional team each year over the next five years.

"The Football Foundation has approved a capital grant offer of £249,121 which represents 78.4 per cent of a total project cost of £317,900.

"The funding gap between the grant and the total project costs will be paid for using funds provided by Mill Hill Juniors Football Club."

The report recommends approval of the council to act as Accountable Body for the funding, negotiate the legal agreement for the grant with The Football Foundation and the club, and procure the works necessary.

A planning application for the scheme was approved on May 25.

Mill Hill Juniors Football has more than 500 players aged from three to 16 and close to 80 volunteers.