Save Heaton Park

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

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