Linnets backing move next door

The Linnets threw their weight behind an application submitted by Chequer Properties to West Lancashire Borough Council this week. A public consultation into the plans is now underway and runs until November 27 before the application goes to the local authority's planning committee.

Under the proposals, the developers who acquired Victoria Park in 2010 would build a brand new ground featuring a two-storey main stand and clubhouse, a single-storey second stand with floodlights and a car park.

The First Division North club would need to find an estimated £300,000 to renovate their current home and as part of the plan it would be de-listed as an asset of community value to be developed.

Burscough chairman Mike Swift told the Southport Visitor on Wednesday that he believed the proposals to redevelop their current home in order to move into a modern new one next door are the best way forward after past financial struggles forced its sale.

He said: "It's a very exciting time for the club, which is a century old. Subject to planning permission, it is an application for significant investment in the ground and facilities. The current facilities are tired and the development brings forward advanced facilities for supporters and players."

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