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Campaign to replace community kick pitch

News imageBBC A concrete kick pitch is located in front of a white building and surrounded by green metal fencing. Two children, one kicking a ball and the other one stood, can be seen in the left corner of the image.BBC
The kick pitch is located by The Burnside Centre in Middleton.

Residents in Middleton are campaigning for a replacement football pitch after plans were announced to turn the existing site into a car park.

Campaigners say the pitch in Burnside Crescent on the Langley Estate is a community hub as well as somewhere people can play football and other sports.

The pitch, which is next to the Burnside Centre, is one of three on the estate, and the car park will be for the centre.

Families say they have been told replacement facilities will be provided at Rochdale AFC and Rochdale Council's planned Football and Community Wellbeing Hub at Bowlee Playing Fields. But they are campaigning for the new pitch to be created on land next to the original.

The Burnside Centre said it understands why people are disappointed to see the pitch decommissioned, but said one of the reasons the decision was made related to concerns about antisocial behaviour.

It added: "The pitch, which dates back to the late 1990s, had reached the end of its expected lifespan and required significant investment to remain operational."

'It's a place for all the community'

News imageA smiling woman with wavy red hair wears a grey hoodie and holds a baby wearing a fluffy white jumper with pink bow pattern. They are pictured standing in the middle of a housing estate.
Resident Kelly Burton has four children, three of whom use the football pitch regularly.

Resident Kelly Burton has four children and says three of them use the football pitch regularly.

She said: "It's just a place for all the community youths and boys and girls to come and play together. It's safe and secure for them and it's just somewhere for them to meet up".

Kelly's son, Lewis, 16, said: "I come here a lot with my friends. It's really social and it's nice to be around."

Kelly launched the petition, which has more than 200 signatures, calling for the pitch to be built on land next to the current one.

She said: "They can keep the car park, that's not the issue, they just need a replacement where it is."

"It's over two miles away in a secluded area that is not safe for children," she said.

In response to behaviour concerns influencing the centre's decision, Kelly said: "I've lived here over a decade and never had an issue with antisocial behaviour".

Another resident, whose grandchildren use the pitch, said antisocial behaviour had been a problem in the 1990s, but is not an issue now.

'If you take this away they have nothing'

News imageA man is standing in front of a football pitch to his right and a group of houses to his left. He has grey hair and is wearing a suit.
Reform councillor for West Middleton Trevor Taylor is backing the campaign.

Reform councillor Trevor Taylor, who represents West Middleton, is supporting the campaign. He said: "A lot of the residents were up in arms about it because they're taking it off the children and there's nothing else to do. If you take this away they have nothing".

He added: "I'm going to see if we can either come to an agreement on sharing it, which would probably be the ideal thing, or they make car parks elsewhere for the community centre and leave this for the children."

Rochdale Borough Council said: "We are currently working through proposals to significantly enhance sports and recreation facilities, including kick pitch provision, at a nearby site, which is very close to the Langley Estate and its surrounding areas."

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