Families in Broughton, Salford, are fighting to reopen a local football pitch and stop it from being developed into 20 new homes by the local authority.
The community field on Cheltenham Crescent is described as ‘vitally needed’ recreational space for youngsters. The council-owned land has been included in the local plan for housing, which the authority says is needed to address the city’s housing crisis.
Mum of seven calls for green space
“I remember when I was younger and it was used as green space,” said local mum-of-seven Mrs Numan. “It was vital for everyone but especially for local teenagers to be able to kick around a ball. Currently my teens are having to travel out of the neighbourhood to play football – it leaves them vulnerable. My sons have had their bikes stolen.
“We’ve been trying to get it turned back into a recreational space and we were really close – then we found out about this plan to turn the green into 20 homes. That’s not going to make a big difference to the housing crisis – meanwhile having somewhere for young people to breathe fresh air and do some exercise makes a massive difference.”
Pitch closed for years
The pitch has been closed off by the local authority for several years due to ‘not having sufficient changing facilities’. Residents argue these are not needed, as most young users live locally, and have proposed crowdfunding new changing rooms.
“We’d actually been asking for a while for this green to be turned back into a recreational space,” Mrs Numan added. “We thought we were really close – then we found out about these plans.”
Over 500 consultation responses
Residents submitted more than 500 responses during the local plan consultation, according to councillor Andrew Walters. “That is an extraordinary level of engagement for one relatively small site,” he said.
The Kersal and Broughton Park councillor and Independent Leader of the Unwhipped Group explained the council legally would need to approve the local plan this November, but he hopes to bring the issue to the attention of the government’s Planning Inspector.
He said: “We hope the Inspector will recognise the strength and substance of the concerns and call a dedicated hearing session on the allocation. That would allow residents and their representatives to explain directly why they believe the plan should be amended and the site removed.
“This neighbourhood has very limited open space and families have repeatedly raised the lack of places for children and young people. Recreational use deserves serious consideration – it should not be dismissed simply because the site currently has no changing rooms or toilets.”
The council was contacted for comment.
