Hundreds protest against sale of land in Whitworth

Hundreds protest against sale of land in Whitworth

Over 200 people in Whitworth turned up to a protest on Sunday (9 August) in a bid to stop Rossendale Council selling John Street and Rawstron Street playing fields.

Both playing fields, which are used by the local community as well as Whitworth Valley Football Club, have been identified for housing developments.

Under draft proposals by Rossendale Council, which are out for consultation, 18 homes could be built on John Street and/or 36 homes on the Rawstron Street site.

John Leyland, from Whitworth Valley Football Club, said: “I live next to the John Street football pitch and these sites are not just used by Whitworth Valley but they are used by kids of all ages. When the grass is cut, you will see at least 50 kids on there playing football or just running around and playing. The minute it isn’t cut, then there are issues with kids playing on the streets and in the road. It is the only flat piece of land that we have for the kids to use.”

As well as the protest on Sunday, over 700 people have signed a petition to stop the sale of land.

John added: “Whitworth Valley weren’t even made aware that these pieces of land were for sale. There was a planning meeting on Friday (7 August) and it is only because my father-in-law went along that we knew about the plans. He saw that these pieces of land were up for building on and he rang me and told me.”

In the Rossendale Council draft proposal for housing, it states that pitches can only be developed if appropriate through the 'Playing Pitch Strategy' and if ‘alternative facilities can be enhanced in the locality'.

“I know the council, like other councils, is under pressure from the government to build more homes but we are already struggling in Whitworth,” said John. “Our schools are full, you struggle to get a doctor’s appointment, the shops are shut and there is no infrastructure, so why not build more schools and roads before building more houses?”

A spokesperson for Rossendale Borough Council said: “We are aware that a number of sites are causing concern to our local communities. We appreciate that people feel strongly about the areas where they live and welcome their engagement in the current consultation.

“We urge residents to make sure that they comment via the consultation. The views expressed will be looked at very carefully, together with all of the other information that is collected, before we move forward in the process. There will inevitably be some hard decisions required as part of this process.”

The petition can be found at:

https://www.change.org/p/rossendale-borough-council-stop-the-proposed-building-of-houses-on-recreational-ground-in-whitworth