The city council intends to scrap plans for Ashton Park Sports Hub a little over three months after granting planning approval for the project.
Preston City Council is expected to formalise the decision to cancel the £9.7m Pedders Lane project at its next full council meeting.
The Ashton Park scheme proposed the creation of a two-storey clubhouse with changing rooms on the ground floor, and classrooms on the first floor.
Outside, it would have featured six grass pitches, a 3G pitch with six floodlight columns, and 120 parking spaces.
Local opposition to the scheme and rising costs on other projects within Preston’s Levelling Up Fund programme prompted the decision to scrap the sports project.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Leader of Preston Council Matthew Brown said cancelling the Ashton Park project would free up funds to spend on other developments.
Preston was awarded £20m in the second round of the previous government’s Levelling Up Fund to spend on improving four parks: Ashton Park, Moor Park, Waverley Park, and Grange Park.
Other developments to be funded with LUF cash include bringing the Old Tram Bridge in Avenham Park back into use, public realm upgrades to Friargate South, and a new cycling route to the University of Central Lancashire.
Cllr Martyn Rawlinson, deputy leader of Preston City Council and cabinet member for resource, explained the decision to axe the sports hub.
“The previous government’s Levelling Up Fund competitions were awarded on a fixed funding envelope at a time when project costs across all areas were rising.
“We were required to submit a fixed scheme and we have been advised by civil servants that no additional funding can be made available and further changes can only be considered with further detailed submissions. With build cost inflation at unprecedented levels in recent years, the practicalities of balancing project budgets, this has led to some significant challenges and difficult decisions being made.
“The competitive nature of the process, and the timescales allowed, have limited a greater degree of flexibility and changes were ultimately inevitable. Needless to say, we always deliver the best schemes we can for the people of Preston when we are offered funding to do so.”