Save Heaton Park

…. is how everyone involved in the Campaign feels after Manchester Council’s Planning Committee has today voted , about 9 votes to 5 votes to APPROVE the Commercial Soccer Centre in Heaton Park.

An impressive crowd of protestors made it to Manchester Town Hall on a Thursday afternoon and the public areas were packed with protestors.

Councillors first voted on a request made by local Prestwich Councillor Tim Pickstone for a site visit (so that the Councillors would consider this at their next meeting after visiting the area) but this was voted down about 9 votes to 5.

Then the campaign got a make its case when local resident Paul Toner spoke against the plans, together with statements from local Councillors Tim Pickstone, Wilf Davison and spokesperson for Ivan Lewis MP. A spokesperson for Goals Soccer Centres spoke in favour of the proposals.

There was controversy when it came to light that a response from the Garden Historical Society AGAINST the plans had not been included in the paperwork for the meeting. The GHS are a statutory consultee on this issue and they raised serious concerns about the impact of the centre on the historical character of the park, and on how it would impact on the entrance way.

A proposal to defer the decision to allow more time to consider this late objection was defeated 9 votes to 5. (Getting a pattern here?)

There was some debate by Councillors, but most remained silent.

Finally the proposal was approved by 9 votes to 5. Planning is a non-Party Political issue, but by chance……, all the Labour Councillors voted in favour, all the Liberal Democrat councillors voted against.

So, after all the hard work of the Campaign the proposal has been accepted. Everyone involved is gutted and devastated by the decision.

Manchester City Council is obviously very quick at writing press releases - this went out only minutes after the decision - interesting….

Claire
Donnelly/Chief.Ex
ecutives/MCC To

11/02/2010 14:48 Claire
Donnelly/Chief.Executives/MCC@mcc
cc

Subject
News release: Heaton Park plans get
go ahead

MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL
NEWS RELEASE

11 February 2010

A sporting chance for local community

Read the rest of this entry »

On Thursday, 11 February 2010, the Planning Committee of Manchester City Council, will consider the planning application from Goals Soocer Centres UK for a commercial 5-a-side soccer centre at the At Margaret’s side of Heaton Park.

Remember that these revised plans include a massive 2.4m perimeter fence around the site, as well as further fenced off car-park, going up towards the reservoir. You can view all the plans at Manchester Council’s Website.

This could well be our LAST CHANCE to save Heaton Park - this is the third time that Goals have submitted their plan, but the first that its actually made it to the agenda for a committee meeting. The recommendation from the Planning Officers is to “Approve” the report.

We’ve had a terrific response to the campaign so far: hundreds of people have sent in objection letters and emails; signed the petitions and written to the press. Thank you for everything that people have done so far.

We still need help to stop this application:

If you are available on THURSDAY afternoon, join us outside Manchester Town Hall (Albert Square side) at 1.30pm. We’ll be going into the Committee meeting (this starts at 2.00pm) together where we’ll be allowed one person to speak on our behalf. Its important that as many people as possible come along and show the strength of feeling against the proposal.

Its not too late to apply pressure to your elected representatives - MPs and Councillors. If you live in Manchester please email your councillor telling them how strongly you oppose the application and ask them to represent you. You can automatically email all your councillors by entering your postcode at this website.

If you live in either Bury South or Manchester Blakeley Parliamenary constituencies why not email your MP telling them how strongly you feel?

Bury South - Ivan Lewis MP (Labour): ivanlewis@burysouth.fsnet.co.uk

Manchester Blakely - Graham Stringer MP (Labour): Link to email

Carry on keeping up the pressure:
- tell your friends
- if you’re on facebook copy this message to your friends
- if you use twitter - tweet about this!
- use any opportunity in the press, or in internet discussion sites to object to the proposals.

Follow these links to the Planning Committee agenda and the actual report.

Agendaf

Report

Keep up the campaign!

Due to the huge public outcry Goals Soccer Centres have failed to present their plans to Manchester City Council Planning Committee for a second time.

They are trying everything they can to get these plans approved. It’s up to us to stop them.
They have tried and failed in other parks. We must fight them every inch of the way.

Goals have been stopped before

Regents Park - REJECTED
Mordern Park -REJECTED

Lets stop them in Heaton Park and make it three nil for all those people who love open
parkland.

We urge you to object to this new planning application
The new planning application from Goals includes raising the level of the pitches by
80 centimeters which is almost a metre higher than they were originally planned. Making this blot on the landscape even more obvious.

Additionally security fencing is also planned. This physical and visual barrier will effectively cut off this area of parkland and thereby detract from the special character of this area of the park.

You need to send your objections to Manchester City Council by 3rd February 2010 If you have already sent in an objection during the last consultation period you will still need to send in another objection.

A - Sign the Online Petition HERE

If you’ve already signed - find TWO friends to sign! - Ask them to join the “Save Heaton Park” Facebook Group.

Here’s the link to the petition to send to a friend in an email.
http://www.saveheatonpark.org.uk/?page_id=2

B - Download and email / send in an objection letter.

Download the letter here - you can amend this letter to include your own words and objectsion.

Email your objection to r.griffin@manchester.gov.uk

C - Write your own Objection Letter

Quoting Application No: 090370/FO/2009/N1

and send to:

Peter Babb
Head of Planning
Manchester City Council
P.O. Box 463
Town Hall Extension
Manchester
M60 3NY

D - Attend the Save Heaton Park Meeting
Find out what has been happening with the campaign.

Monday 25 January 2010
7.00pm Church House (St Margaret’s Road, Opposite the Church), Prestwich.

Thank you for all your support so far!

Goals Soccer Centres UK have re-submitted the planning applicaiton for the commercial soccer centre in Heaton Park for a THIRD time. Previously the application was to have been considered at the December meeting of Manchester Council’s Planning Committee, but this was withdrawn at the last minute.

Now the application is back AND IT GETS WORSE!.

- The site will be largely enclosed by a 2 metre high security fence around the perimiter of the soccer centre (this is shown on the plans below)

- A whole new section of the Park is to be enclosed by a securty fence - this is the car park to the left of the St Margaret’s Road entrance, right up to the Reservoir.

The new 2 metre high security fence will run down the park road along side the proposed development stopping at new gate that will be locked at night shutting the road. The fence will then run along the side of the existing car park up to the boundary with the reservoir effectively sealing off the rest of the park in the evening.

- Becuase of underground services, the artificial football pitches in the plan have been RAISED ABOVE GROUND LEVEL by almost 1 metre.

Download this full site plan here. (Remember this plan is only the soccer pitches area, and doesn’t include the extra fenced car park area the other side of the St Margaret’s Road gate.)

You can read the whole application at Manchester Council’s website here

Excellent article about the campaign to Save Heaton Park in the Big Issue in the North.

Read the story here.

Here’s a letter from Ian Pringle, from the Save Heaton Park campaign, in response to the article:

Dear News Editor,
I really enjoyed Ciara Leeming’s article, finding it balanced and informative. The article should make the controversial application by Goals Soccer known to a much wider audience beyond the large number of park users who are opposed to this application.
I found parts of the quote by Councillor Mike Amesbury misleading and inaccurate. Whilst it is true to say that HLF funded landscape restoration has taken place to create an historic core around Heaton Hall, it is the case that these works involved the removal of public tennis courts and bowling greens, which in themselves were historically part of the early municipalisation of Heaton Park.The park also contains a large golf course situated on the East side at some distance from the application site.
The proposed Goals Soccer site is adjacent to the Bowls Pavilion, which was built for the Commonwealth Games in 2001.Prior to this, there was a small childrens play area and an an informal area for football- hardly the case that “historically this area has always been used for sports activity.” Unless you also count the three, well used football pitches some distance to the South.
Readers may be interested to know that all of Heaton Park is designated as Grade II Listed historic parkland, at the centre of which is the Grade I Listed Heaton Hall. The Hall is the subject of an application by Manchester City Council for HLF funding for its urgent restoration. Cllr Amesbury has been quoted as giving the rental income from the Goals Soccer scheme as £90,000 per annum. This could thought to be a useful sum to put as match funding to the HLF bid for Heaton Hall.Unfortunately, it has already been decided that revenue from rental income will go into a pool for all of the parks in North Manchester. This must count as a double whammy for Manchester City Council!
Yours sincerely,
Ian Pringle. Committee member, Save Heaton Park

.

KEEP FIGHTING FOR OUR HERITAGE
SAY NO TO FORTRESS FOOTBALL
SAY YES TO JUMPERS FOR GOAL POSTS

For the second time in three months Goals Soccer Centres have been
forced to withdraw their planning application to build a sports centre in
Heaton Park. When will they get the message that a huge number of people
do not want their park fenced in and covered with concrete and astroturf.
As a result the Planning Committee Meeting to be held at Manchester
Town Hall on the 17th December 2009 has been cancelled.

Goals need to realise we are against their plans to build a sports complex in
the park. We say no to traffic congestion, parking chaos, noise and light
pollution, having 8 acres of our beautiful park covered in concrete and
astroturf, protected species such as bats threatened.

Thank you for your continued support.

Goals Soccer Centres planning application to build a five-aside
centre in Heaton Park

It’s time to turn up the pressure - we need your help.

Write to the Manchester Evening News
Lots of people have started to write to the Manchester Evening News. This
has raised the profile of the campaign and kept the pressure on
Manchester City Council
Write to:

Postbag,
Manchester Evening News,
1 Scott Place,
Hardman Street,
Manchester,
M3 3RN.

Or email them at postbag@men-news.co.uk

If you do email your letter please follow the following guidelines.
Please send plain text only and do not include attachments.

It doesn’t have to be a long letter. You could mention all or some of the
following, traffic congestion, parking chaos, noise pollution, light pollution,
air pollution, loss of historic parkland and greenbelt, protection of
endangered species such as bats.

Join the Save Heaton Park Facebook Group
Search for “Save Heaton Park” on Facebook. Current membership 1200

Attend Save Heaton Park Meetings and Events
We plan to arrange meetings and events to keep people informed and raise
the profile of the campaign

People might not know that the the St Margaret’s Road corner of Heaton Park was used as a camp during the First World War.

This postcard was sent from the camp to Katie from Jack. It seemed that Katie was too busy to write back…..

This image of the kitchens in the park relates to the processing of tens of thousands of men as they completed

Read the rest of this entry »

Goals Soccer Centres planning application to build a five-a-side centre in Heaton Park

As far as we know this planning application will be heard at Manchester City Councils Planning Committee Meeting on the 17th December 2009.

It’s time to turn up the pressure.
We need your help.

Write to the Manchester Evening News at:

Postbag,
Manchester Evening News,
1 Scott Place,
Hardman Street,
Manchester,
M3 3RN.

Or email them at postbag@men-news.co.uk

If you do email your letter please follow the following guidelines.
Please send plain text only and do not include attachments.

It doesn’t have to be a long letter. You could mention all or some of the following:

Traffic congestion
Parking chaos
Noise Pollution
Light Pollution
Air Pollution
Loss of Historic Parkland

We want as many people as possible to write to keep the pressure on Manchester City Council.

The campaign to stop an 8-acre private soccer centre being built in Heaton Park is in its final stages ahead of a decision by Manchester Council on December 17th. Campaigners to save the park have been encouraged by a wave of rejections for similar schemes in parks in London.

Campaigners in Morden Park found out this week that their campaign to stop their park being turned into a commercial soccer centre had been a success. Find our more from their website here.

Regents Park, as well as parks in Morden and Wandsworth in the capital, have all been threatened with “Goals” soccer centres similar to the one proposed for Heaton park. In each case the applications have been rejected after public pressure.

Campaigners in Morden produced this stunning video to support their cause:

Cllr Tim Pickstone, Local Councillor for Holyrood ward and a leader of the campaign to protect the park said “I am pleased that communities in London have come together to save parkland, and that local Councils have listened to what people want. I appeal to Manchester City Council to do the same.

“We have always said that this is a good facility, but in completely the wrong place. We are all for better sports facilities, but this is an 8 acre concrete site with a big car park, charging people a lot of money and open until 11pm. This isn’t something that should be built on green land inside a quiet public park.”

Manchester Council are expected to hear this application on 17 December 2009, but in the meantime keep up the pressure - here’s how.