SAVE ASHTON PARK

The locals of Ashton and Lea are pleading for support to prevent the destruction of their beautiful park. We want help preventing the council developing this beautiful green space into buildings and artificial football pitches before it’s too late!

The history of our cherished park, surrounded on all sides by housing dates back to 1810. It has hosted various different sporting activities - best known from this period was Dick, Kerrs ladies football team. This park was donated to the residents of Preston to enjoy freely. In 1937 Preston council bought this land for the sum of £27.

Preston council now proposes without prior consultation with residents to build on this beautiful parkland, a football zone consisting of a full size 3G floodlit football pitch (the pitch is to be made from rubber crumb, a material that is to be banned within the EU due to research indicating that this is a carcinogenic, emitting toxins into the atmosphere just metres from housing.) The pitch and 8 huge floodlights will be in very close proximity to homes.

The noise pollution, language and antisocial behaviour this will attract until 10pm daily will be huge, driving away wildlife including bats, and a large variety of birds.

A large unsightly hub/changing room. A 100+ car park situated in a dangerous area next to a children’s play area.

The 6 grass pitches that are currently free to use, will become pay to play… in a cost of living crisis? in a deprived area (the councillors choice of words). Preston residents have already lost the tennis courts on Ashton park, which are now only assessable once a payment is made to the council. They are deserted as nobody in the area can afford to use them - taking away a free, healthy activity for the whole family to enjoy.

Ashton Park is an essential locality for many to access a safe green area for walking, nature, exercise, jogging, running games, cycling etc vital to maintain or improve mental health in our overcrowded city.

To remove this green open space would be especially detrimental to the well-being of those local people without gardens.

Friends of Ashton Park have been so beneficial, volunteering building structures, planting bluebells and wild flowers to enrich resources for locals and wildlife.

It is important to note that there is very little provision for children in Ashton. The two facilities on the park are in dire need of refurbishment due to age and vandalism - however there are no plans to upgrade or even fix these important fixtures.

Currently we have one rentable floodlit 3G pitch,100 metres from Ashton park on a school field. Within five minutes drive is Uclan sports Arena with full-size 3G, and smaller pitches all available for community use.

This is woeful use of resources, a money making grab that will benefit very few local people.

Unbelievably, if this happens to our green flag public park, a much used green space - it opens to doors for all green space to be destroyed!

Donated money will be used towards all legal fees / court fees/ relevant expenditure, in preventing these developments.

UPDATE:-

The council reported back on its given "drop in sessions" that many of us attended in order to objectect and Ashton on Ribble local residence objecting against the councils plans won by 80% however on the 14th December 2023 the Labour run council called a whip, and to confirm out of a total of 48 Councillors this project was pushed through by only 20 Labour votes, totally ignoring the local community opinion. Our project is now at Planning application stage and need all the support we can in order to prevent the destruction of Ashton Park.

Thank you for taking the time to read our plea