Controversial plans to turn a Merseyside park into 3G football pitches have been scrapped by Sefton Council.
The council undertook a two-month consultation on the Orrell Park Master Plan, which was backed by Jamie Carragher's JC23 Foundation. Almost 1,000 people provided feedback on the proposals, which were managed by the independent consultation company FMG Consulting.
Forty nine percent of respondents supported the creation of a 3G pitch, while 49% of respondents said they were against the plan. The remaining 2% said they neither supported nor opposed the 3G pitch proposal.
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With the lack of majority support for the proposal, Sefton Council Leader Cllr Ian Maher has decided the 3G pitch element of the proposals will not go ahead.
Last year neighbours formed a picket line to prevent construction vehicles from starting work on the parkland earmarked to be turned into 3G football pitches. Residents raised concerns that if plans for the park go ahead there would have been a lack of green space in Bootle.
In June the council hit back claiming "doctored" leaflets along with other documents had been posted to residents in Bootle by people "seeking to influence the outcome of the consultation" by misleading residents. If successful the 3G pitches would have been run by his JC23 Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to support disadvantaged children in the city.
Cllr Maher said: “I understand this will be a huge disappointment to those who were in support of the scheme, especially our young people and boys and girls who need high-quality training and playing facilities like this. But, throughout the process, we have promised to listen to the public’s views and act accordingly and that’s a promise we are keeping.
“Which means that as there is no clear outcome on the 3G pitch aspect of the consultation, I have taken the decision not to proceed with the proposed development.”
While the 3G pitches will not go ahead Cllr Maher said the consultation showed a "clear desire for the wider improvements to the park".
He said: "The consultation showed there is support for the wider master plan for Orrell Mount Park, which would bring considerable improvements to this space for communities and future generations, and I will ensure that, should resources become available, the Council will progress with these developments.
“We will continue to work with the Football Foundation to identify sites for future development and we have recently entered into a partnership with the Football Foundation to create a dedicated project management role to oversee and develop such schemes.”
"Cllr Maher went on to thank the JC23 Foundation for their support of Sefton Council in these endeavours and we look forward to any opportunity to work with them on any future suitable developments.
“I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in this process including those people who took time to provide feedback. While it may not have been the decision many wanted to see, this process has shown that Sefton Council is committed to open and transparent consultation and to making decisions guided by local people’s views.”
Details of the results of the Orrell Mount Master Plan consultation will be published in due course via www.sefton.gov.uk/orrellmount.
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