A SOCCER dome style development could be created at popular playing fields in Burnley if an injection of private cash can be found.

Council bosses have drawn up plans to offload part of the Prairie site, at the junction of Colne Road and Windermere Avenue, and grant a 30-year lease to developers.

They will be asked to invest around £1.7million in the site, providing better facilities for people in the area, with Burnley Council ensuring community groups can still use the current 11-aside pitches for a reasonable cost.

The lease-out will allow investment to be poured into the Prairie site which cash-strapped Burnley Council would otherwise be unlikely to be able to afford.

Eight five-a-side pitches and one seven-a-side floodlit football pitch, which could be opened from 10am to 10pm, would be created under the scheme.

This soccer dome style dev-elopment, which could include synthetic turf pitches, would provide the developer with a steady return for their original investment over the 30 years.

Existing buildings would also be demolished and replaced by new changing rooms, a clubroom and a car park.

However, the main 11-a-side pitches would remain.

The proposal by town hall chiefs has been backed by Darren Reynolds, who represents the area on Burnley Council.

He said: “This is a good idea. We need a specific sports facility developer who can come along and improve the services offered at Prairie.

“If we can improve that for the kids and others who use the playing fields, it will be a great result.

“The council will still control the charges, so there will be no hikes to the existing fees.

"The last thing we would want is for the facilities to be inaccessible.”

The Prairie playing fields are among the biggest sporting facilities in Burnley, and often play host to weekend football matches.

Burnley Council community services director Mick Cartledge said: “We have gone out to tender for a private sector developer to improve the football facilities at the Prairie playing fields.

“We are looking for proposals that will create new changing rooms and new synthetic turf pitches.”