VILLAGERS will get a much-needed new community centre if plans for a unique housing development go ahead.

The community of Gregson Lane and Coupe Green in Hoghton, have been raising funds to replace their outdated community centre for the past five years with huge support and goodwill from residents.

But despite the efforts of the volunteers, with the prospect of no grant funding available, it looked unlikely the target could be reached.

Now though, a local landowner, Jennifer Turner, has generously agreed to provide funds for the new centre by developing one field for housing.

Details of the scheme have been put before South Ribble Council’s planning officers for a low-density development of 75 high-quality homes of varying sizes, plus a wildlife meadow, on the plot of land off Daub Hall Lane.

If the plans are approved, funds from the housing development, which would be built by Rowland Homes of Leyland, will be paid directly to the community centre appeal fund to cover the whole cost of the new facility before a single brick is laid on the housing site.

The land is currently designated as Protected Open Land under the South Ribble Local Plan – a lesser degree of protection than the surrounding Green Belt – but the vast majority of villagers are hoping that, as the development will be of community benefit, the planning committee will approve the plan.

Jacqui Gibson, chair of the Gregson Green appeal fund, which is supporting the application, said: “We have spent years working to raise money for a new centre but reaching the goal has proved impossible because grant funding simply is not available to us. Our current community centre has no changing rooms or disabled facilities and is no longer suitable to meet the needs of the local community. We had almost given up hope until this unique opportunity was offered to us. We are all looking forward to the day when the new community centre is finally built.”