A new Lancashire Cricket facility

Lancashire Cricket and the county council are working together to build a new high-quality professional and community cricket facility in central Lancashire, which will be the first facility of its kind.

This new facility will brings together different teams and ages in a unique development, in addition to the county ground at Old Trafford. It will also become a Women’s Centre of Excellence for the North-West of England and will help Lancashire Cricket continue to bring through both men’s and women’s cricketers of the future.

Farington will encourage sport, fun, participation, health, wellbeing and activity in a safe and managed environment.

Contents

Our plans

John Hartnett, Tom Bailey, County Councillor Aidy Riggott, Mark Chilton, Phoebe Graham, Katherine Fletcher MP

The site will provide new high-quality cricket facilities with two full-sized pitches and natural sloping terraces, hosting a number of men’s and women’s competitive matches each year.

The second pitch will support community, recreational and youth cricket, as well as offering a new training facility for the club.

A single pavilion building will provide changing and fitness facilities for players. A covered net facility is also included in the development.

Latest updates and timeline

An artist's impression of the proposed development shown from the air, with two pitches and the pavilion in between and the practice nets to the left of the pavilion.

Construction is now taking place and we'll provide updates on key activity as this work continues.

With a 19-month build time, it is hoped that cricket could be played at Farington in the 2025 cricket season.

See our news release announcing the start of the work - Work starts on pioneering cricket facility in central Lancashire.

Location

The Farington site is in South Ribble, off Stanifield Lane, close to the roundabout junction with the A582 Farington Road.

The proposals have been designed to minimise impacts on neighbouring residents, the local community and to preserve the nature of the Green Belt.

The proposed development is mainly cricket fields with limited construction of buildings. The proposals have been sensitively designed to preserve the openness of the Green Belt. The land was mainly low-grade agricultural land.

Sustainability and green infrastructure

A computer generated image of people watching cricket on one of the pitches with trees in the foreground and the pavilion in the background.

New tree and wildflower planting, green spaces and sympathetic ecological landscaping will provide an attractive setting, encourage wildlife and provide screening for local residents.

We are also looking to maximise sustainability benefits and opportunities for the low carbon agenda.

Access and transport

The site will be accessed from a new junction off Stanifield Lane. Accessible by public transport, it is close to existing bus routes and local railway stations.

Cycle and car parking will be provided on the site. Pedestrian and cycle crossings will be provided where necessary.

Our highways team and transport consultants will develop a transport strategy for the site, covering day-to-day use and match days.

Community and wider use

Bringing community and elite sport together, this facility will support the development of community, youth and women’s cricket.

While the second pitch will be used for training, it will also be made available to the community, which could include recreational cricket clubs or schools. Lancashire’s Disability Team will also make use of the facilities.

The facility will help the Lancashire Cricket Foundation to deliver a number of their nationwide cricket programmes such as All Stars Cricket and the Dynamos Cricket programme, which links in with The Hundred, which is ECB-run. These all have the aim of increasing participation in cricket.

Planning process

A planning application was submitted to the county council. This considered all aspects of the development, including design, transport connectivity, environmental impact, noise, lighting etc.

The plans were approved by the county council's Development Control Committee at their meeting in March 2023 – view the meeting agenda and minutes.

The application was referred to the Secretary of State for consideration – this is normal practice when proposals would affect the green belt. The Secretary of State was satisfied with the decision, so planning permission has now been granted.

View the planning application.

Get in contact

We will continue to provide progress updates on this page.

If you would like to speak to somebody about this project, please contact emily@royalpilgrim.com or call 0800 089 0362.

About Lancashire Cricket

Lancashire Cricket, one of the leading 18 First-Class counties within the domestic structure of England and Wales, was formed in 1864 and is based at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. 

One of the club’s main responsibilities is to grow the game of cricket in the North West. As a county, that is one of their key remits, as well as looking to be successful on the field and developing their own home-grown players through their Academy.

Cricket is a sport that can bring communities together. They want to harness this spirit, and lead on the development of the game, which can deliver fantastic health and community benefits, for all ages.

The club has a vision to create the best place to enjoy cricket in the world. This vision can be achieved through three core elements of Lancashire Cricket, which have the following aims:

  • To be the best cricket club in the world
  • To grow the game by offering the best experiences in the world
  • To create the best all-encompassing cricket venue in the world 

The Lancashire Cricket Foundation, established as the club's official charity, works across the North West to develop and deliver a range of projects, programmes and events designed to engage, excite, inspire and improve individuals and communities through cricket.

The Lancashire Cricket Foundation provides governance for the recreational game and high-quality experiences that make a positive difference to the lives of the individuals and communities we engage in order to grow the appeal of the game at all levels.

More information about Lancashire Cricket.

After opening

Emirates Old Trafford will continue to host all major matches. Farington will be Lancashire Cricket’s second ground.

Some competitive matches will continue to be played at the Out Grounds.

All of the County’s teams will be able to play or train at Farington, including the Men’s First XI and Lancashire Women.  County cricket formats could be played there, apart from The Hundred and International fixtures.

Some one day and T20 matches could be played at Farington. A T20 could attract up to 5,000 spectators, although major matches will continue to be played at Emirates Old Trafford.