Residents in Holbeck are being consulted about the construction of a community sports hub and GP surgery on the former Matthew Murray High School site at the end of Brown Lane East.
The proposal is to site three full size 3G plastic all weather football pitches, plus two multi use games areas (MUGAs) and building housing changing rooms, café, GP surgery, pharmacy and meeting rooms. The remainder of the site would be replanted with trees, shrubs and wildflower meadow and new footpath would be built linking the Tilburys with the footpath along the A643 Ingram Distributor.
These facilities had been planned to be provided at Fullerton Park on Elland Road next to the Leeds United ground and planning permission was granted in June 2020. However, the club changed its mind the siting of this facility and its training ground.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said:
“The proposals form part of an aspiration to improve facilities in grassroots sports across the City of Leeds through investment in pitches, facilities and programmes that create benefits in terms of sports participation, community activity and health and well-being.”
If the project goes ahead they hope to get planning permission by the end of this year with the new facilities completed by the summer of 2025.
Leaflets have been sent to residents and two drop-in meetings are being held:
Wednesday 28 June, 11am-6:30pm at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, Ingram Road, LS11 9RQ
Thursday 29 June, 11am-6:30pm at St Matthew’s Community Centre, LS11 9NR
Alternatively questions and comments can be sent to: darren.dobson@leeds.gov.uk
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Why oh why are the council even considering more plastic pitches when more is coming to light all the time. They are non degradable, pollute. the ground above and below. More to the point they only have a shott life span and to replace and dispose of costs a fortune. Much more economical and eco friendly to lay REAL GRASS PITCHES.
On the 16 June South Leeds Life published a press release from Leeds City Council regarding Air Quality and the council’s ongoing commitment to work together with health partners to raise awareness of air pollution and how people can protect themselves. It makes interesting reading considering yesterday’s piece on the new Holbeck Sports Hub that consists of 3 full sized plastic football pitches.
These types of pitches pollute the air in at least 3 ways:
They create urban heat islands in the residential area. Heat islands affect peoples health causing discomfort, respiratory problems, tiredness and can even increase mortality. The elderly are particularly vulnerable. Heat islands reduce air quality and increase the greenhouse effect.
In hot weather the pitches also release gases from the plastic. This chemical off-gassing again reduces air quality.
The pitches also disperse microplastic particles into the air. These particles are inhaled or ingested by people. Each plastic pitch contains around 120 tonnes of microplastic infill and are topped up each year. A freedom of information request revealed that the 3G pitch at Middleton Leisure Centre was topped up by 14 tonnes of microplastics last year.
So how does the council’s new Hub fit into their commitment to improving air quality? We are advised that the Tilburys in Holbeck is a neighbourhood previously identified as being unlikely to meet clean air standards. According to the stats this neighbourhood is continuing to improve – so why would you undo this progress with this plastic spewing vanity project?
Is there no joined-up thinking from our local authority at all? Health inequalities and poor air quality will continue in Holbeck if plastic football pitches are proposed as the main solution to improving health and well-being.