Petition
The planning application from Goals Soccer Centres to turn the top North West corner of Heaton Park (the corner of St Margarets Road and Bury Old Road) into a “Sports Zone” with 13 football pitches, 6 tennis courts, a climbing wall, 40 space car park and a club house. The maximum hight of the fence around the site will be 5 metres. Although community groups would be able to use the facilities free OFF PEAK, at peak times you would need to pay to use the facilities.
Whilst new sport and leisure facilities are a good idea, many local people are opposed to the plans to place them in Heaton Park.
- it takes away a beautiful piece of open parkland, which will be lost forever.
- people are worried about the traffic and parking on St Margaret’s Road and nearby roads.
If you agree please sign our online petition to Manchester Council.
Goals have now resubmitted their plans - so even if you signed the petition before - please sign this new petition again!
To: Manchester City Council
We the undersigned are opposed to the proposal to create a private use “Sports Zone” at the St Margaret’s entrance to Heaton Park. We welcome new sports and leasure facilities, but not taking up public parkland!
Early Sunday morning in the park to be destroyed - 5th April 2009.
Catherine Paddington says:
June 24th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I agree we need facilities, especially for young people but 13 football pitches!? I agree with BS’s comments - 13 football pitches is unacceptable, not just from the point of view of the local roads being conjested but from the point of view of ruining what is a lovely park. I have spent many a happy hour walking and jogging around the park and it saddens me that this proposal may go ahead. I say no to the proposal.
KH, M20 says:
June 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
The proposal of building 13 football pitches within a well used park seems ridiculous. It would surely make more sense to use land in an urban area where not only may it reduce anti social behaviour but could make use of an otherwise disused brown site. I do think there should be more leisure facilities for young people but it doesn’t sound like this proposal is going to benefit the community at all and is just about making money. I am a regular visitor to Heaton Park and feel it is essential maintain the green parklands we have.
allfred clark says:
July 17th, 2009 at 10:34 am
I would echo the views of many who can see the folly of destroying/defacing a beautiful piece of public parkland, enjoyed by so many families for healthy, memorable walks and outings who would otherwise not have access to these. It isn’t broke, please don’t try to improve that which is perfectly alright as it is.
Heaton Park Plans Resubmitted @ Save Heaton Park says:
November 6th, 2009 at 8:40 am
[...] HomePetitionAbout « Heaton Park Campaign Make Private Eye! [...]
Peter Cope says:
November 12th, 2009 at 11:52 am
The revised proposals will still spoil the park. They are excessive and in the wrong place altogether.
The traffic surveys fail to reveal the congestion on St Margaret’s Road because the surveys did not include the actual time periods when congestion does occur on St Margaret’s Road nor the resulting queues. They show no queues entering the park, which is ludicrous. The videos on your site gives a more accurate picture of the congestion.
What are BURY METRO doing to support local residents views?
chris mathers says:
November 16th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
the park is for public use there are lodes of football pitches round like bowlee in haywood so i say no to the plans
Chris Sly says:
November 26th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I am an avid football fan, but not at the expense of the great British wildlife or countryside.
This area would become even more polluted and I’m sure would also become an accident hot spot!
TB says:
January 9th, 2010 at 10:08 am
I’m from Manchester originally and I find the idea of building a sports complex in Heaton Park appalling. I love returning to Heaton Park whenever I come back to Manchester to see my family, and think it’s absolutely ridiculous with focus being on the environment at the moment, planning for a complex could even be considered on a well established green belt area. Manchester is becoming greyer by the minute with construction and traffic increases - Leave our parks and countryside alone! There are plenty of derelict areas in Manchester which would benefit from a facelift and economy boost such as this, does the surrounding area of Heaton look like it needs it?
Say NO to CAGED FOOTBALL @ Save Heaton Park says:
January 18th, 2010 at 8:11 am
[...] HomePetitionAboutCompetitionPoetry & Pictures « Goals Resubmit Soccer Centre Plans Again [...]
Tim Pickstone | Say No to Caged Football! says:
January 18th, 2010 at 8:15 am
[...] - Sign the Online Petition HERE If you’ve already signed - find TWO friends to sign! - Ask them to join the “Save [...]
Ann Garner | On-going campaign to Save Heaton Park from development! says:
January 18th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
[...] Here’s the link to the petition to send to a friend in an email. [...]
VIC DALBERT » Blog Archive » SAY NO TO CAGED FOOTBALL says:
January 18th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
[...] - Sign the Online Petition HERE If you’ve already signed - find TWO friends to sign! - Ask them to join the “Save [...]
Say NO to Caged Football | myPRESTWICH says:
January 20th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
[...] - Sign the Online Petition HERE If you’ve already signed - find TWO friends to sign! - Ask them to join the “Save [...]
J Gilmore says:
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Oppose the planning application by using the links and details at this web address, by the 9th February
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/news_article.php?newsID=5300
Andrew says:
February 5th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
This was my local park around where I grew up. I’ve been going there all my life. This is one of the best public parks in the country and it belongs to the public. The public say NO to this crazy idea. Eco-warriors, standby! This is a fight which must be won for now and for future generations to come. Build your football pitches on the vast acres of land used by the many golf courses around the area. Anti-social barstewards!
anthony says:
February 7th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Heaton park should not be sold off bit by bit by the council this is the park for manchesters people to make these decisions.
Eileen Symms says:
February 12th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
This proposition will be a Blot on our landscape,
Keep Heaton Park Green
Stephen Murphy says:
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Labour councillors? You’re having a laugh, but it isn’t funny. We all want to see more facilitie - but have a heart , and some sense. Save the green space, priceless urban heritage that it is. Resist capitalist football’s drive for world domination: lift your heads and kick the entire scheme well beyond the long grass. In a civilised country like Holland, driving cars to the pitches would not be encouraged by the provision of wasteful parking space.
Everything about the scheme is wrong, logisticlly and ethically, so heed the people and leave their park alone
Stuart Heal says:
March 4th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Not only is this vandalism to a unique local amenity, it’s also a waste of taxpayers’ money at a time when many working poor people are struggling to cope.
Mr Leslie Speakman says:
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:18 pm
My father remembered the troups demobed in 1919, near this spot of our heritage.
I have wonderful memories of the Park from the last 57 years..
I now live in the South west but take my children back each time I come “Home”
It belongs as a European heritage..not just a ‘patch of development’
“How dare they!!” it was given to the people of Manchester as an escape from industry and capitalism. keep it that way..
Les Cornwall
angela roberts says:
May 2nd, 2010 at 11:05 am
I heartily agree with all the comments re keeping Heaton Park as it is. Plenty of alternatives for football pitches must be avaiable on brown sites.
Louis Rose says:
July 19th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
How mindless to desecrate a beautiful park for a relative small amount of income. It will also generate a massive parking problem. Have any of the stupid councillors who wish to approve the scheme been to evaluate the number of cars parked on narrow St.Margarets Road? i.e To visit the Bank, the Post Office, Estate Agent,Grocery Shop,Bowling Club, Child Nursery,not to mention cars arriving when there is a burial service at St.Margaret`s Church, or any other service.
As a resident in the area for over forty years I have witnessed the area become more and more congested, and now feel it has reached saturation point. To proceed with the proposal would be stupid beyond belief. L.R. M25