Town could become Olympic training hub

A town could become home to a unique training facility for one of the Olympic Games' newest disciplines after plans for a specialist obstacle course were approved.

The facility will be built at Wilsons Playing Fields in Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire, after Hyndburn Borough Council granted planning permission.

Application documents said the development was intended to support the growing obstacle racing discipline in modern pentathlon and was believed to be "the only training rig of its kind north of Bath in the UK".

The permanent facility will be within the athletics track at the Whalley Road sports complex, operated by Hyndburn Leisure.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, plans show the steel-framed structure will measure about 10.5m (34ft) long, 6.5m (21ft) wide and up to (13ft) 4m high.

It will occupy a 272 sq m compound in the centre of the athletics infield and be surrounded by 2.4m (6.5ft) high anti-climb fencing.

The development reflects a major change in modern pentathlon, with the sport's governing body replacing horse riding with obstacle racing.

The new format has since been approved for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Modern pentathlon will now consist of fencing, swimming, obstacle racing and the laser run, which combines running and shooting.

Olympic organisers have described the obstacle element as a head-to-head sprint course inspired by the popularity of Ninja-style challenges.

A council report said the rig would be positioned alongside existing athletics infrastructure, including the pole vault and javelin areas, and would not result in the loss of any sports provision.

The report also noted that goalposts, lighting, fencing and sports equipment already exist across the wider site, reducing the visual impact of the development.

No objections were received from statutory consultees, including Sport England and the council's ecology officers, while nearby residents did not submit any comments.

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