There were plans for an all-weather pitch and sports pavilion
Controversial plans to build new football facilities on a Preston park have been kicked into touch by councillors - as the city grapples with the rising costs of a raft of government-funded "levelling up" schemes. The revamp of Ashton Park – which would have seen an all-weather 3G pitch, six grass pitches and a two-storey sports pavilion installed on the Pedders Lane green space – had generated fierce opposition amongst some locals.
That decision will have to be confirmed in a vote of the full council next month and, crucially, is also subject to approval from the new government. "It is important that we don’t overspend, but work within the constraints we have, to deliver the best possible results for our residents,” he said. "We have responded to local concerns and understand the strong feelings about the development. Members in the ruling Labour group have had differing views on the project and we have been working to tight government deadlines with a collective desire to improve our city, despite those differences.
Speaking to the LDRS immediately after the Labour group meeting, Cllr Brown said he felt “the right balance” had now been found with the decision to drop the Ashton Park scheme. He said: “It’s also good that we’re not arrogant and don’t impose things on communities that don’t want them." Financial contributions from housing developers to fund local infrastructure improvements were already earmarked to go towards the original Ashton Park scheme – but it is not certain whether any slimmed-down plans would still be eligible for that cash and members were told legal advice would be required on the subject. In any case, the amount available would fall far short of the funding needed for the originally-envisaged six grass pitches.
The other elements of Preston’s Levelling Up Fund package could now see “additional investment” which would allow them to revert to their “original design ethos”, according to the options paper presented to Labour group members. Those schemes are:
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