Don't take Lenny Barn away, say residents

Lenny Barn playing fields are infront of Falinge Park High School

Proposals for the Lenny Barn land exchange have been deemed ‘ridiculous’ by residents.

Rochdale Borough Council want to re-build Falinge Park High School using the playing fields, but in order to do this land will have to be exchanged to replace the area of playing fields which would be lost to the new development.

Many people living close to the Lenny Barn site and those who use it regularly are very unhappy with the plans for a land exchange.

Andy Perrins has coached football at Lenny Barn every Saturday for the last four years.
 
He said:"We have up to 100 children playing on here every weekend. I cannot see the point of taking it away. I feel the school has been very secretive and we haven't been consulted.
 
"There is nowhere else to go that is as big as this. I don't know what will happen if it gets the go ahead and I don't know where we will go.
 
Mr Perrins added: "They shouldn't take the land it is such a bad idea. I don't see why they can't develop the school where it is.
 
"I know that there are about 500 people, including parents and players who will back us and the decision not to exchange the land.”
 
 
Nick Furlong’s children play football at Lenny Barn, he said: "It is such a bad idea. All the children enjoy themselves out here. There is nowhere else to go. I come here from Kirkholt because it is such an open space and great for them (the children).
 
Philip Rhodes watches his nephew play football on the playing fields almost every week he called the land exchange proposals 'wrong.'
 
He said: "It is not fair on the children to take it away, we have good teams who play here and to take it away wouldn't be fair. Where else will the children go?
 
"I think it is pathetic. The school site is big enough to build on as it is."
 
When Philips nephew Lee Rhodes heard about the proposals to build on the land he exclaimed: "No! They can't do that!"
 
Peter Eyre's grandchildren often play on Lenny Barn and go for picnics.
 
"They should leave it as it is. It is there for the children," he said.
 
Robert Boulger deemed the proposals as 'terrible'
 
"My children often play on Lenny barn, why should it be moved? It is there for the children."
 
Peter Oakley said: "From what I can see the school is adequate and I can't understand why it would need to be developed on the playing fields."
 
Wayne Davies said: "We always hear that children need more exercise and what not. So why take a great open space away from them? We could end up having to travel across Rochdale instead and that places an extra burden on the tax payer."

There are no available sites within the immediate locality of Falinge that could be used to replace the 4280m² of land, so three sites alternative locations have been put forward.
These are:

•    Land on Foxholes Road 8060m²
•    The former Innes School 3700m²
•    Land in Falinge Park 2500m²

 
http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/42914/lenny-barn-land-exchange