A BOLTON secondary school has scooped a £316,000 sports lottery grant to create a new sporting facility.

Thornleigh Salesian College is one of four Bolton schools to benefit from the £500,000 bumper pay-out. Thornleigh's share will be spent on a full-size synthetic turf hockey pitch with floodlighting and fencing.

Hockey to county standard will be played on the pitch as well as seven-a-side football, basketball, after school and summer activities. It is estimated around 2,000 people will benefit from the pitch including the school's 1,560 pupils, other schools and community users.

Planning permission was granted by Bolton Council in June last year for the pitch, at Sharples Park, Astley Bridge, despite some residents saying the pitch would only add to traffic problems.

Deane School has been awarded £88,600 to convert an existing fitness room into a dance studio. The new facility will target girls from ethnic minorities through female-only fitness sessions including pilates, aerobics, yoga and fencing. It is hoped the fitness classes will attract more than 6,000 people from the nearby community.

Markland Hill Primary School is using its £34,400 to expand the school hall for PE lessons.

There will be improved facilities for gymnastics, PE, athletics, football, rugby, cricket, netball, rounders and hockey.

St Brendan's Primary School in Harwood will build a multi-use games area for the 180 school pupils and for 120 children from other schools and nurseries with a £12,683 grant.