Heaton Park

This film shows the area of open parkland in Heaton Park that Goals Soccer Centres wants to redevelop into a sports complex. The centre will include 13 floodlight caged astroturf five-a-side courts, a skate park, climbing wall, astroturf tennis courts as well as a licensed bar.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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[edcorkie]

Too right i'm celebrating this is a great decision. With Children soon to be going to St Monica's who will get free use of the facilities this is just what we needed.

The sports centre will be very popular and used daily unlike the bowling club.

Had to laugh at the small crowd outside the town hall whose average age must have been 70 with there libdem printed placards. There'll be ten times that number queing to get in to the new centre.

[edcorkie]

The brand new facility will be tucked away in the northwest area of the

park next to the bowling-green and pavilion, which were purpose built for

the Commonwealth Games in 2002. It will be created in the area

traditionally utilised for sports activity and will use 3.4 hectares of the

260-hectare park, leaving the rest of the parks vast landscape undisturbed

and enabling the other park activities to continue as normal. Still leaves you 256.4 hectares of park for everyone.

[thirteenfingers]

And the really sick part, is the celebratory 'tone of voice' with which you posted that comment.

Proper process was ignored. Party politics and a small handful of people took away the last line of defence for open, historic parkland enjoyed for free by thousands and handed it on a silver platter to a private corporation to destroy; even though you "can't believe" it has been granted permission, your "new footie boots" jibe is bewildering in the face of what actually went on.

[thirteenfingers]

In a truly corrupt bit of scumbaggery it was passed.

Planning is a NON party political issue, yet all the Labour councillors voted against extra time for statutory reports *omitted* from the proposal to be considered against a site visit and then FOR the proposal.

The press release announcing the permission was released mere minutes after the "decision" was made.

There was no planning process, no committee meeting, merely party-political steamrollering of opposition and historic parkland.

[edcorkie]

Get in there I can't believe the council have given it permission. Better go and buy myself some new footie boots.

[edcorkie]

I was in the park today speaking to one of the council groundsmen who told me there was twice as many trees cut down when the park was revamped a few years back than what are intended to be cut down for this centre. Where were all the tree huggers then? Stop using the trees as yor argument when noone complained last time.

It just sounds like you've got something against 20 to 30 year olds. Do there opinions not count?

[edcorkie]

Who keeps deleting my comments? I thought the libdems were for free speech?

[thirteenfingers]

Heaton Park was sold to Manchester Council to be kept for the recreation and enjoyment of the public (not "Manchester public" - just "public")...

...nothing about converting par to an eyesore commercial facility.

Why have Manchester Council not considered any other location for it?

Why have they chosen the point of the city furthest from any Mancheser voter?

Not that it's only people from Prestwich that object... Park users from Salford and Manchester do too. Relevant questions though.

[thirteenfingers]

What does that have to do with Grade 2 listed historic parkland, greenbelt, protected species, local roads unable to cope with traffic for the park, light pollution and noise?

You're avoiding those points so far, so I don't expect much, but I ask anyway, just to see.

Turning free-for-all open spaces into £50/hour 5-a-side pitches is bad enough without all the above problems.

Tell you what - why don't you avoid those questions again and tell us how Prestwich has no say?

[edcorkie]

Its seems the people of prestwich are on a good thing. Great park on their doorstep and don't pay a thing. And then complain when they decide to use a small part for what would be a well used facility. I hope the planners take this into consideration this would be a very popular sports centre instead of just anither place for dogs to shite.