New sports village part of plans

Shrewsbury will get a second sports village if the town's two post-16 colleges co-locate on one site, it was revealed today.

Shrewsbury Sixth Form College and Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology will soon be asking borough council planning chiefs for permission to relocate the sixth form centre to London Road.

The buildings of both colleges will be completely replaced in the multi-million pound project.

The planning application was due to be submitted on October 15 but had to be delayed while final details were sorted out.

A college spokesman said if the co-location went ahead, the town would see a wide range of sporting facilities for community use as well as providing pupils with modern equipment.

The London Road site, which currently includes a multi-use sports centre and a recently refurbished running track plus pitches for football and cricket, is already used by the wider community.

But the fitness centre, which is more than 20 years old, will be replaced by a four-court sports hall, a multi-purpose gym, a synthetic surface area designed for a variety of uses, and an all-weather playing surface.

A college spokesman said: "The plan is to maximise opportunities for sport and increase flexibility regarding the number of games that can be played.

"A new cricket pitch is included in the rearrangement of pitches which the building of the colleges' new premises will involve.

"The number of new football pitches, replacing the present provision, will see extra emphasis on young people, with three mini-pitches, five youth pitches and five senior pitches.

"Thanks to funding from the Football Foundation and the borough council, as well as the colleges, there will be a new 10-room changing block."

The running track on the campus will continue to be available for both college and community use.

If planning permission is granted for co-location, the sporting facilities would be in addition to the Shrewsbury Sports Village at Sundorne Road.

By Rebecca Lawrence