Gorse Hill Park

Loss of Park or Gaining Community Assets?

 

Bulldozers are on Gorse Hill Park.
Are we losing park land or gaining a community asset?

The answer to the above question should be a straight-forward response; that we're getting much needed community sporting facilities we'll all be able to enjoy.

Outrageously, we're still no nearer being able to give that assurance. We're still no nearer being able to report back to residents that Gorse Hill FC will be able to afford to play on the pitches; and just as importantly, whether other locally based sporting clubs will be able to flourish. We can see the all-weather pitches coming into fruition, we can see the brand new sports hall rising from the ground on Stretford High School, but we're still waiting for proposals to emerge as to how promised community access will be guaranteed. And we do need that guarantee!

At the granting of planning permission, the planning committee were resolute (and unaminous):

• the park was to remain a park

• the new facilities were enhancements to the park

• not a partitioning of the park

• it was a condition that a community use scheme be submitted for approval

12 Prior to the sports facilities hereby approved being brought into use, a Community Use Scheme for all indoor and outdoor sports facilities shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The Scheme shall include details of pricing policy, hours of use, access by non-school users/non-members, management responsibilities and include a mechanism for review. The approved Scheme shall be implemented upon commencement of use of the development.
Reason. In accordance with Proposal OSR5 and OSR8 of the Revised Trafford UDP, PPG17 and having regard to Sport England's consultation response.

It was clear to anyone observing the committee's deliberations that they were emphatic that a "Community Use Scheme", if it was to mean anything, had to have regard to the affordability of use; and needs of the local community. It was also clear the mechanism for review should not give a free-hand to school and leisure trust to determine the community interest. Importantly, it was made clear that since the community needs in this regard were not an issue to which the planning authority would feel best placed to arbitrate, that this issue would be referred to the Safe Strong Communities Directorate of the Council to take this forward together with School, Leisure Trust and Community.

The community has to be at the heart of this. Instead, the community is dismissed.

We're told by Councillor Coupe the Conservative Executive Member for Safe Strong Communities in his response to complaints from the Gorse Hill footballers that:

• "The school and Trafford Community Leisure Trust have already indicated that the pricing regime will mirror the current regime for similar facilities across the borough"

  One of the key themes that emerged at the series ofconsultation meetings was that the normal cost of hiring 3G all weather outdoor pitches would prove prohibitive for the existing footballers on the park. It's clear this has simply been ignored and a pricing regime imposed.

• "There does seem to be some misunderstanding over what Cllr Cordingley refers to as a “small liaison committee”. Neither the Director of Safe, Strong Communities nor the Head of the School have given any indication that such a group would exist. At the time Cllr Cordingley requested this, it was made clear that as the agreement was with the School and TCLT, both of whom have elected members as part of their governance arrangements, no such group should be constituted. The School’s Board of Governors, which includes local elected members, will be fully engaged in the agreement for Community use."

  The pre-conception that a liaison group would be set up arose because both school and council said they wanted to work with the community to ensure they were at the core of this. Partly too, it was a consequence of advice given by officers at the planning committee.

  The idea that it was made clear no such group should be constituted is wrong and pure invention.
  However, the undertone in Councillor Coupe's comments that the local community can rest easy in the knowledge that the Council has appointed a couple of its members to both the board of the leisure trust and the school's governing body is laughable - it's Conservatism, Soviet-style.

We have every reason to be sceptical about the way this is going.



Already a planning condition requiring temporary replacement pitches to be provided during construction has been breached. The girls of Gorse Hill FC arrived on the 26th November as usual to play a competitive fixture against another club and found the gates locked to protect the construction site.

Thankfully the club were able to get hold of the school caretaker to come to the park and unlock the gate. But no warning was given and no discussions over an alternative pitch had taken place.

Due to the bad publicity this and other incidents had caused for the school and council, they've got their act together with the leisure trust and an alternative home for Gorse Hill FC has been provided.

But it seems the only way the community can get any attention is by threatening to go to the press. Why should we believe that half of Gorse Hill Park is not to be taken from them? The actions of school, leisure trust and a Tory Council that knows what's best for us suggest we need vigilence to be assured.