A LOTTERY bid for up to £1million has been launched in a bid to transform sporting facilities at Burnley's Towneley Park.

A serious fire destroyed a wooden pavilion at Lower Towneley playing fields in Christmas 1996 leaving schools and football teams without changing facilities.

The site is owned by Lancashire Council Council and tomorrow the development control sub-committee will be asked to approve temporary changing facilities.

County Coun Tony Martin said: "We are going to put together a lottery bid for Sports Council funding to build a new pavilion with proper facilities including hot and cold running water, separate changing facilities, improved security and also making improvements to the pitch at Lower Towneley.

"We are hoping to submit a joint bid with Burnley Council, who own Higher Towneley Playing Fields, to upgrade the pavilion there and also carry out improvements to the pitch.

"We have insurance money from the fire and once we have paid for the temporary facilities we should still have about £60,000 to go into the lottery application.

"If Burnley Council submit a joint bid we would be looking at a scheme of up to £1million for both playing fields." The original changing facilities were built by Burnley Borough back in the 1950s, but they had been vandalised over the years before the fire destroyed the structure. The playing fields are used by local primary schools Brunshaw, St Stephen's and Burnley Wood, but the lack of changing facilities has meant children getting changed on coaches or in cars.

County Coun Martin said: "That is clearly unacceptable and it has been highlighted in recent Ofsted reports.

"The old wooden pavilion did not have separate changing facilities and only cold showers. Our plan would provide facilities for the next century.

"The bid is supported by the schools, Saturday and Sunday sporting leagues and hopefully we can attract other sports to use the facilities."

The temporary facilities will be on site for three years, which County Coun Martin said should give enough time for a successful lottery bid to be secured.

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