BLACON could soon be home to two new state-of-the-art community sports hubs.

Last month we reported on how the King George V Playing Fields could be transformed thanks to a new scheme backed by Chester FC Community Trust and Cheshire West and Chester Council, with the unveiling of a proposed sports hub offering a new 3G football pitch and clubhouse, among many other facilities.

Now council planners have given the green light to plans for a separate sports hub at Blacon High School, one which would benefit hundreds of schoolchildren day in, day out, while also boosting the health and well-being in the wider community.

Rachel Hudson, Blacon High School's headteacher since January, explained what the plans – which have been two years in the making – meant to the school and the local area.

She said: "We are delighted that planning permission has been approved for the sports hub at Blacon High School. It is going to be of huge benefit to students and the wider community, promoting healthy living and fitness, enhancing opportunities for young people and building upon the existing sporting facilities we have here. We are really excited about it, it's amazing news.

"We have engaged with local residents on these plans and now any concerns they had have gone."

The school has been the focus of significant development in recent years, with the school's own £12 million building opened in 2016 being followed by its 3G artificial grass football pitch – funded by the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund – opening in November 2017.

The school's acting deputy headteacher Dave Sabri explained the sports hub would enable the school to offer students a wider range of sporting options.

He said: "It's going to be incredible for the students and the school. We will have a sprung floor so we can have dance gymnastics – it would be great to have a club set up here, just like Blacon Boxing Club do – and dodgeball, and maybe table tennis."

Mrs Hudson added: "There is a real need for people to be engaged in rewarding activities and the football, boxing, dance and gymnastics facilities will help as a result of this project, for many generations to come.

"Our school will benefit massively, as will the Blacon Education Village."

The high school's five feeder schools of The Arches Community Primary School, Dee Point Primary School, Highfield Primary School, J H Godwin Primary School and St Theresa's Catholic Primary School will also be able to make use of the sports hub, Mrs Hudson said.

Asked if Blacon would be able to support two community sports hubs, given that plans are under way to create a £1.6 million centre on the King George V Playing Fields, Mrs Hudson said: "I believe so, yes – the community needs it and deserves it. The more we can do to promote and benefit health and wellbeing the better."

Blacon Boxing Club is based at the school and, Mr Sabri said, has played an integral part in making sure plans for the sports hub were possible.

"We have got all volunteers at Blacon Boxing Club and for them it's giving to the the community that means so much to them.

"[Head coach] Ross Broadbent is the driving force behind this plan, with the support of his family. He is really the face of Blacon Boxing Club and has been helping to plan it for a long time."

For Mr Broadbent, the new sports hub would help take Blacon Boxing Club to "the next level", as at present they don't even have a punching bag or a mirror at the current facility.

He said: "We founded the club in July 2016 and we now have 200 members, mainly kids, aged from seven up to adults.

"The club is going from strength to strength and we have had kids competing in Lincolnshire and Carlisle – three years ago they didn't have any boxing training. It's not like football, the first time you step into the ring it can be daunting. They have done unbelievably well, I'm really proud of them.

"Alfie Coll had his first skills bout in Liverpool; our first girl to compete, Nelly Davies, 14 years old, competed in Carlisle with Bradley Broadbent and Ellis Cooke; in Lincolnshire we had Robin Thomas and Ellis Cooke in skills bouts; we had a show at Blacon High School the other week and in skills bouts were Bradley Harley, Hayla Woodiwiss, Leo Heath, Robin Thomas, Nelly Davies, Ellis Cooke, Charlie Durkin, Alfie Coll and Jay Thelwell.

"We also had Robin Thomas fight in Southport and Charlie Durkin doing a skills bout in Crewe – he also had a skills bout at the Deva Academy Boxing Show with Jackson Heath.

"We will also be having a boxing show at Blacon High School on Friday, April 26 at 7pm, when all the kids will be competing."

Blacon Boxing Club has also benefited the community through a number of charitable initiatives.

Mr Broadbent explained: "There is a proper community feel to it, with a lot of charity work. We bought a mobility scooter for someone, and a chair lift for a lad who has got cancer.

"This Easter weekend we have a DIY SOS style project at Highfield Primary. We have got builders and labourers brought in to do work for free that would have otherwise cost the school about £3,000.

"Now this time it's us who needs the help."

The boxing club has announced it will hold a dinner show at Chester's Crowne Plaza Hotel on June 29, with proceeds going to fund the sports hub development. Businesses, groups of friends and sponsors are invited to contact the club at blaconboxingclub@gmail.com for further information.

A crowdfunding page has been set up at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/blaconboxing for people to donate.