Preston North End’s proposal for a Premier League quality training complex and hundreds of new homes being built on a former golf course looks set to go ahead.

Planning officers at Preston City Council have recommended councillors ignore hundreds of objections from nearby residents.

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PNE want to build the new training ground on part of Ingol golf course with a new access road off Walker Lane.

To help finance this a proposed 450 homes would also be built on the golf course – although the club say a new public park would be created as part of the development.

However, Wyre and Preston North MP Ben Wallace has written to object to the plans and he’s joined by a further 267 letters of objection.

Read more: Take a virtual tour of PNE’s proposed training ground

Ingol and Tanterton Neighbourhood Council and the Ingol Golf Village Residents Association have both objected to the scheme.

Mr Wallace states the impact on the highway network and loss of green space would have a huge loss on the area.

Letters objecting to the development highlight how Walker Lane does not have the capacity to support any extra traffic and the golf course is a viable business – although it is not trading at the moment.

The Ingol scheme is not contained within the city council’s development plan for the city – but would provide a welcome boost for the city council which is under pressure to build hundreds of new homes each year to meet the city’s growing population levels.

Read more: Preston’s response to the PNE training ground plan

Planning officers in their report, recommending the scheme for approval, state: “A considerable number of objections have been received in relation to the proposed development and the application does not accord with the development plan, as set out in previous sections of this report.

“The application would however result in a number of benefits which are material considerations and carry sufficient weight to overcome noncompliance with the development plan. These benefits relate to the creation of a significant amount of new public open space and the management and maintenance of that public open space in perpetuity, along with the provision of a new, high quality first team training facility for the city’s only professional football club in order to realise the club’s ambitions to compete at the highest tier of English League football.

“The proposal would also deliver a significant number of new dwellings within a sustainable location, contributing to maintaining the Council’s five year supply of deliverable housing land together with a 30% provision of on-site affordable housing. The proposal would constitute an appropriate form of development in layout and design and would not, through appropriate mitigation, have any significantly adverse impacts on traffic and highway safety, ecology and nature conservation, amenity, ground conditions, utilities drainage and flood risk or archaeology and cultural heritage.

“As a result of the significant benefits proposed as part of this application, it is considered that there are sufficient material considerations which outweigh the proposal’s noncompliance with the development plan. Therefore, in accordance with Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the application is recommended for approval.”

A condition has been set on any approval being given – Preston North End must agree a Section 106 deal (where money is given to the council for community facilities) by 31 August or the plans would be refused.

Councillors meet on Thursday 15 June from 2.30pm to consider the plans.

What do you make of the PNE plans? Let us know your views in the comments below