Public meeting called as opposition mounts to 3G floodlit football pitch in Louth
Opposition is mounting to a controversial scheme to build a new, 3G artificial grass football pitch, with floodlights, on playing fields at Meridian Leisure Centre in Louth.
So much so that a public meeting has been called by Louth Town Council to enable residents who live near the centre to air their opinions.
East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) has submitted a planning application for the Wood Lane pitch, which would be open seven days a week from 8 am to 10 pm.
It feels the flexible facility, which could accommodate a variety of match and training areas, would be much better used than the grass playing fields.
But residents have already bombarded the district council’s website with adverse comments about the plan, which would also include a car park extension, increasing the number of spaces by 95 to 225. They are worried about “noise, light and environmental pollution”.
Therefore, the town council has organised a meeting at the London Road Pavilion on Tuesday, August 20 at 7 pm when Phil Perry, the assistant director of leisure and culture at ELDC, will be there to answer questions.
Lynda Phillips, town council clerk, said: "There has been quite a bit of opposition to this, mostly from residents who live in the area.
"The meeting will be a chance for the public to voice their views, which we could put forward as a formal objection.
"However, we would like to have a balance of opinions, so supporters of the plan are invited as well. We will hear everyone’s point of view and then possibly take a vote.”
Comments on the ELDC website do include some supporting the plan. Guy Shufflebotham says: “It is clear Louth does not have adequate facilities to cope with the growth of junior football, especially girls’ teams. The town is desperate for modern, safe surfaces to play and train on.”
Mum Carly Rance, whose two daughters play football, says: “There is a massive lack of activities for kids in Louth. It is vital the town has more 3G pitches.”
However, most comments are against, with Clive Damms saying: “The constant noise pollution, every day, all day, would be horrendous. Residents are worried about the detrimental effect this would have on their mental health and wellbeing.”
Neil Milton fears there will soon be no green areas left in Louth, leaving children to play in the streets, while Michael Scotney is unhappy about the potential loss of 14 trees and the effect of the plan on wildlife.
The pitch would be managed and maintained by Magna Vitae, the charitable trust that runs the leisure centre. But one online objector brands it “another way for Magna Vitae to make money and deprive the public of a free space”.
To minimise possible noise, the plan includes a four-metre high acoustic fence or barrier. Good-quality acoustic fences are said to reduce sound by up to 28 decibels.
The pitch would also have a hard-standing area for spectators and embrace markings for four different sizes of football pitch, although only one could be used at any one time.
The proposed sizes are one for 11-a-side games (91 metres by 55 metres), one for nine-a-side games (73 metres by 46), two for seven-a-side games (55 metres by 37) and four for five-a-side (37 metres by 25).