Clitheroe Rugby Club unveils plans for new spectator stand after storage container appeal setback

Clitheroe Rugby Union Football Club has unveiled plans for a new spectator stand and storage building at its Silcock Park ground – after losing a planning appeal over four storage containers earlier this year.

The club has submitted a fresh application to Ribble Valley Borough Council for a purpose-built facility alongside the halfway line of its pitch on Littlemoor Road.

The proposed building would include a covered, two-tier spectator stand with seating for around 24 people, together with secure storage for grounds maintenance machinery, equipment and playing kit.

The plans follow the refusal of planning permission for four storage containers currently used by the club, with a subsequent appeal dismissed in February this year because of concerns about their visual impact.

Club officials say they accept that decision and have worked with planning consultants to develop an alternative which would meet their storage needs while being more in keeping with the surrounding area.

The proposed building would measure approximately 14 metres long and four metres deep, with a height of two metres at the rear, rising to 3.3 metres on the pitch-facing side.

It would feature a stone base designed to match an existing garage at the ground, vertical timber cladding and a slate-effect roof.

The club says the design would be considerably less intrusive than the existing containers, particularly for residents living nearby.

In a statement accompanying the application, the club said: "We accept that the siting of the existing containers was not right, and this application is our attempt to land something that is both compliant and genuinely better for the setting."

It added: "The club has a genuine, year-round need for secure on-site storage for grounds machinery, pitch maintenance equipment and playing kit. Without it the pitches cannot be maintained and the club cannot operate."

Under the proposals, all four existing containers would be removed once the new building was completed and ready for use.

The club says this would also allow it to clear the prominent corner of the site nearest homes on Littlemoor Road.

No trees would be removed or pruned as part of the development, while the club says the building would not create additional traffic or parking demand.

The plans have been drawn up by PD Construction Consultants, with the club hoping to complete the project during its 50th anniversary season in 2026-27.

Clitheroe RUFC has played at Silcock Park since the 1970s and says the development would provide a long-term solution to its storage problems while improving facilities for spectators.

The club added: "This proposal removes the storage containers from the site, clears the prominent corner nearest the houses on Littlemoor Road entirely, and replaces them with a single, purpose-designed building of stone and timber."

It said the scheme would meet the operational needs of a long-established community sports club while addressing the concerns raised during the previous planning appeal.