Burscough Conservative Councillor Ruth Melling has hailed 'a bright new future' for Abbey Lane play fields. It comes after the Conservative West Lancashire Borough Council's Cabinet agreed to lease the fields to Burscough Juniors FC, who will be offered the management of the facility on a 25 year lease. The council will also contribute £15,000 per year towards maintenance cost of a replacement drainage system. The Conservative Council has been very supportive of local community groups and clubs, with this being the latest in a series of measures which has seen more power given to grass roots organisations. The lease will include a stipulation that the fields, officially known as the Thomas Galvin Sports Ground, will remain open to wider community use. Cllr Melling said: "I am delighted the Conservative Cabinet agreed to offer the management of Abbey Lane playing fields to Burscough Juniors. We have been working hard on this, and the decision will give the fields a new lease of life. This is great news for Burscough and West Lancashire as a whole." Cllr David Sudworth, the Conservative cabinet member for leisure who approved the proposal, said: "Abbey Lane has had significant drainage issues for a number of years now. The Conservative Council had already earmarked £100,000 to tackle this - something West Lancs Labour councillors refused to support at budget time. With Burscough Juniors now hopefully coming on board, it is hoped they will be able to attract further monies from the Football Foundation to fund the remainder of the works, which are an estimated quarter of a million pounds in total. "This is a very positive move as it means, by working together, the fields will once again be able to be used to the full."