Keep off the grass!
ANGER OVER PLANS TO RIP UP FIELDS FOR 3G FOOTBALL PITCHES
RESIDENTS have expressed their anger over plans to plough up grass fields and replace them with artificial football pitches.
Manchester council has revealed revised plans for Hough End Playing Fields and Leisure Centre.
Despite the new designs having a focus on sustainability and environmental impact, some residents worry that the development will unnecessarily impact a green space.
The council have now asked locals for their input on the new plans in a consultation.
Residents campaigning last year forced the council to go back to the drawing board.
The revised plan includes a twostorey extension to the existing leisure centre which will be used for changing facilities, a cafe, a community/education space, and a health and fitness space.
There will also be two full sized artificial grass football pitches, improvements to the existing playing fields and new car parking facilities including more bike parking and electric car provisions.
Peter Lythgoe, a member of The Friends of Hough End Fields said: “They seem to have taken very little on board from what people said, I must say.
“None of us object to more people using the fields for any sort of recreation.
“But we do object to it being put behind a paywall and it damaging the ecology of the area.
“I’m constantly being assured that this is for the future of local children, but the local children can’t afford to hire a 3G pitch, the local children don’t need to drive there.
“The greatest issue for the future of local children is that we’re at a tipping point in the climate emergency and they want to destroy five acres of grassland.”
The council believe the new plans have taken into account the requests of residents and campaigners and do not include all of the originally suggested 3G pitches or the softball and baseball pitches which were in the original plan.
Similarly, they suggest that these plans meet the needs of the community but are still open to hearing opinions at consultations this week.
Despite this, some local residents believe that the changes are not in line with the council’s stance on the climate crisis.
Peter added: “The major source of contention, for me and a lot of the group, is the destruction of five acres of grassland to be replaced with concrete and plastic.”
3G pitches are made from synthetic turf, sand, and rubber infill, which residents argue is not environmentally friendly.
Peter added: “I find it hard to believe that the council can’t see that they should be promoting this space as a flagship of green credentials and how they could enable people to enjoy sports in a way that supports the Greater Manchester council’s policies on cutting carbon costs.”
Peter believes that by utilising the already existing football pitches, having portable flood lighting for evening training, and rotating the use of the pitches already available, there would be no need to build artificial football pitches. However, a key principle of the council’s proposed development plan is to ‘position low carbon and nature-based solutions at the forefront of the design approach.’ The council argues that the new plans will fit in with the wider push to cut carbon emissions. Another local resident, who asked only to be named as Paul, said: “I don’t support it. I think they would do much better to support the facilities they already have available.
“Talking about the 3G pitches, they’re really bad for the environment. It’s a move in the wrong direction.”
Another resident of Withington, who asked to be named as Joyce, said she had been visiting the fields all of her life and worries about the impact the development will have.
She said: “It’s been like this for years, it’s amazing. So many people come here and bring their dogs, have picnics.
“I’ve always come here with my family and dogs.
“It’s just a shame really, they’re going to ruin the fields and cut the trees down.”
However, the council have suggested that the development of the site will lead to a ‘significant increase in people participating in sport and physical activity.’
Coun Rabnawaz Akbar, executive member for neighbourhoods said: “We have listened carefully to all the residents’ feedback that we received before the summer, and we have used that strength of feeling and community knowledge to help shape these revised plans.
“Our investment to enhance Hough End Playing Fields site has the potential to become a catalyst for improving the area, putting the community at its heart with the intention of creating sustainable, high-quality playing fields and the green and open spaces that promotes people’s health, happiness and wellbeing”.
The consultations to hear public opinion on the revised plans will take place at Broughton rugby club.
The dates and times for the consultations:
Saturday , December 4 10am12pm (Session 1: 10am / Session 2: 11.05am)
Wednesday, December 8 6pm8pm (Session 1: 6pm / Session 2: 7.05pm)
The major source of contention is the destruction of five acres of grassland
Peter Lythgoe, Friends of Hough End Fields