Vital extra car spaces proposed for Common Edge Community Sports Village

A plan for extra car parking spaces at Common Edge Community Sports Village has been submitted to Blackpool planners.

The £6m sports village opened in July 2023 and continues to be a popular sports destination within the borough.

Part of the development at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, it boasts 14 grass football pitches and plays host to major events, such as the Blackpool Cup, which attracts football teams from across Europe to the town.

More than 400 youth teams and over 12,500 people attend the Blackpool Cup tournament each year over Easter.

The Common Edge amenity also boasts a full-sized 3G artificial grass football pitch and sports pavilion with changing rooms and community space, along with a grass rugby pitch and training area.

To provide a long-term solution to parking issues at the site during major events, an application has been submitted to planners on behalf of Blackpool Council for 40 permanent new car parking spaces, adding to the existing 194-space car park.

As par of the latest planning application, a covering letter on behalf of Blackpool Council stated: “To support visitor numbers during these periods a requirement for additional parking spaces has been identified.

“This has previously been applied for on a short-term basis. Now that land to the north of the sports village has been brought forward for reserved matters consent, the extent of land available for permanent car parking provision is known.

“As such, a linear area comprising 1,335 sqm is to be set out for parking provision totalling 40 no. spaces.

“Landscaping will be provided around the boundaries of the site and a pedestrian link provided to the spine road to the north. Vehicular access to this area will be via the sports village’s existing car park.

“The existing temporary area of parking would be removed to facilitate this development and to support the employment development to the north being built out. The proposed surface of the car park would comprise compacted gravel.”