A football club has addressed concerns that a community park is being "destroyed".
A consultation was previously launched seeking views on further improvements to Jubilee Park in Huyton which would include the creation of a football pitch and car park. Proposed plans would see a fenced and floodlit artificial grass pitch, smaller grass pitches and the refurbishment of the current pavilion.
But concerns were previously raised that too much attention was made on the football sporting activity and dog walkers and other children were not taken into consideration. Huyton Juniors Football Club are working with the council to secure funding to deliver the proposed project.
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Club volunteers have been doing all they can to "give back" to their community and local causes for the last 12 years. The ECHO asked the football club about the proposed plans and concerns and a spokesperson said they were not there to "destroy the park", instead, to improve the area.
They added: "We have hundreds of kids at the club but our plans are not just for football, we do charity fun days and have plans for the future. We understand these changes would have a big implication to some and we aren't opposing comments and say we will do it anyway, we welcome everyone's views to improve the park, it's only going to get better with everyone's involvement.
"The car park is not there to destroy anything, it would be there to alleviate the traffic. We want to make a lot of changes but we are governed by what the council and football foundation allows because of money right now."
Some residents are objecting to the current proposals as they believe there would be increased disruption through noise and lights and a potential attraction for anti-social behaviour. Concerns were also raised about an entrance to the park being turned into a "crossroad" and the 63-space car park and football pitches would create additional traffic as well as a lack of access through a "lockable gate".
The spokesperson added: "At the minute, we have to go through stage one and that's these plans. It's got to be a stepping stone. The 3G pitch will be for everyone, not just the club. We don't want there to be a battle, we want these people on side, it may not be perfect for everyone but it's a huge investment.
"This isn't just for us, it's for the community. We never wanted to create a division. We accept all voices and opinions granted to us, it's not going to be best for everyone but it's a massive investment to this area that we've not had for a long time. Statistically, it is a deprived area but the local area benefits from this, shops and schools and children.
"We aren't trying to stop a community from growing, we want to grow it. There's still space for people to walk and play. The park has always been there. We need to work together on this and get the community back to what it should be.
"We are always here to listen to people and help. We want people to understand it's a greater good for the community what we are trying doing here."
Additional drop-in sessions will be held in coming weeks where residents can express their views and questions in person. The first will be held on Sunday, January 29 from 2pm to 4pm at the Jubilee Park Pavilion Building and the second on February 2 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Park View Primary School.
The deadline for the consultation was December 12, 2022. Knowsley Council since confirmed to the ECHO the proposals had received "positive support" and engagement work will continue to take place.
A Knowsley Council spokesperson previously said: "The plans have been shared with residents throughout the process, both on site and through online consultations, and have received positive support locally. We are committed to ensuring that Jubilee Park remains accessible and inclusive to all and we are continuing to work with the local community to look at any issues and address any further questions which residents might have."
The proposals can be found here.
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