Etc Urban wins planning for £6m leisure development

A £6m plan to site only the second curling rink in England in Lancashire has been approved.

The Flower Bowl is the new development for Barton Grange garden centre, near Preston, which has been approved under delegated powers by Wyre Council.

Architecture and design practice Etc Urban – which has offices in London,  Preston and Manchester – designed the scheme, which also includes a cinema, twnpin bowling, a diner-style restaurant, fish and chip restaurant and an ice cream bar and coffee shop.

It will also include a shop where people can buy and hire kayaks to use on the nearby Lancaster Canal.

Etc Urban’s designs for the development at Brock are for a single-storey building with an eco-friendly grass roof, which might eventually have sheep grazing on it.

Philip Thornton, Etc Urban architectural director, said: “This is a project that will bring exciting new entertainment and leisure facilities to the area as well as creating much-needed new jobs.

“The design brief is for quality premium facilities for visitors to enjoy, including the curling rink, which will introduce the sport to a whole new audience in the north of England.

“Barton Grange is committed to a curling centre of excellence based in Lancashire, which may even uncover some future British Olympians.

“Throughout the design process we have worked to develop a sustainable, eco-friendly building that is in keeping with the rural nature of the area and enhances the facilities that make Barton Grange one of the area’s top attractions for visitors.”

Work on site is expected to begin later this year, with the development opening to the public in 2017. It will add to the range of attractions at Barton Grange, which has grown steadily since opening in 2008.