BOLTON Wanderers says it is taking legal advice over delays in plans for its new £3 million football academy at Lostock.

Club chairman Phil Gartside criticised developers First Industrial for still not completing a deal, agreed last summer, to transfer a four-acre parcel of land at Lostock Hall Farm to Wanderers so it can build the Academy.

Mr Gartside said: "Despite the club's efforts, contractual completion has still not taken place and the site has not been transferred to the club as agreed.

"Whilst we continue to explore alternatives, all we want First Industrial to do is to honour the agreement it entered into with us."

The contract also commits First Industrial to pay for a new access road and other remedial works.

The scheme would see the academy building and indoor football school based at the site of one of the disused industrial units on the former BAe site.

First Industrial is a subsidiary of First Investments, which is run by Chorley-based entrepreneur Tim Knowles and manages the site for owners Lostock Properties Ltd.

Wanderers, who are laying out 13 training pitches on land to the East of Mill Lane, say they are committed to using them.

Even if the deal with First Investments falls though, they will still build a pavilion next to the pitches so they can be used by their young players, aged eight to 17.

But without the deal with First Investments, the academy, currently based at Euxton, would be unable to relocate fully back to Bolton.

Mr Gartside said: "The long term strategy - and the reason why we've already invested so much money - is to relocate the whole of the academy back into the borough and close to the Reebok stadium.

"We have looked at our legal position and we do have various options available to us. However, it would be very disappointing for all involved if this exciting project could only be progressed through court proceedings."

First Investments says it remains committed to the deal it has with Wanderers.

A company spokesman said: "The transfer of the land has been hampered by technical and legal delays which is unfortunate.

"However, Lostock Properties and Tim Knowles of First Investments, as managers of the site, are positively working with all parties, including Bolton Wanderers, and the two local clubs, Lostock Sports Club and Ladybridge Sports and Leisure, to produce a mutually successful outcome in due course.

"We hope shortly to able to confirm that matters can proceed as planned."

The development of the Wanderers Academy is part of a larger scheme put forward by First Investments involving homes and business buildings on the 16-acre site previously occupied by BAe and Lostock Sports Club.

Persimmon Homes is hoping to build 124 flats and 178 houses on part of the site and is seeking approval from Bolton Council today for the layout and appearance of the buildings.

First Investments already has outline planning permission for the residential development but it is subject to several conditions, including the relocation of Lostock Sports Club.

No homes on the site can be occupied until a new access road has been put in for the adjacent Greenhalgh's bakery and until Wanderers' training building and indoor football school have also been built.

Last month, Lostock Sports Club announced it was planning to merge with Ladybridge Sports and Leisure and move to its sports complex at Tempest Road, Lostock.

First Investments says it is putting in a planning application to improve facilities at the Ladybridge site, including new football, rugby and cricket pitches, a new bowling pavilion and an extended sports pavilion.