Sports chief: Playing fields are not at risk
BOROUGH sports chief Cllr Phil Harris has moved to deny ‘rumours’ that playing fields could be at risk under Halton Council’s draft Local Plan.
Cllr Harris said these areas are protected as ‘valued green space’ in the key document, which sets out land usage for the next two decades.
He said that he has arranged for council officers to review the blueprints relating to sports provision to make sure there are no inconsistencies that could be misinterpreted.
Cllr Harris said he was also making submissions in his capacity as Hough Green ward councillor and as portfolio holder for sport and recreation.
Moving to reassure residents who have asked about privately-owned playing fields, he said that these sites have a presumption against development unless they had been previously assessed as surplus under Sport England policy.
He said they also count towards the borough’s supply of outdoors sports areas alongside private sport clubs and councilowned and school playing fields.
Cllr Harris told the Weekly News that anyone concerned about protecting such facilities should write in support of ● Local Plan policies that protect them, adding that this would strengthen their protection after this round of consultation ends.
He also urged any team using fields for training should tell the council so data records are accurate, even if the use was unauthorised, because otherwise the need would be ‘under-assessed’. Cllr Harris said: “I have heard some rumours have been generated on social media posts about some council-owned playing fields being threatened by the current Local Plan consultation, but wanted to reassure people that no council owned playing fields have been proposed for change of use.
“Council policy on playing fields is to protect and where possible enhance them.
“We need all the current stock identified in the Playing Fields Strategy and this has been made clear at meetings held with the Halton Sports Partnership who support the council stance on this.
“Members of the sports partnership who are volunteers and represent local sports clubs are actually helping the council to update data on usage by local teams.”
He said anyone who wants to make representations should email or write to Halton Council’s forward planning team or respond online via the council website.
There are also copies of the Local Plan consultation in Halton’s public libraries.