Middleton Residents Campaign to Preserve Kickpitch Amid Plans for Car Park

Residents in the Langley Estate of Middleton are campaigning to keep their community kickpitch, which is slated for removal to make way for a car park. The pitch, located on Burnside Crescent next to the Burnside Centre, serves as a vital hub for local sports and community activities.

The decision to decommission the pitch comes as part of plans to create a car park for the Burnside Centre. Families have expressed concerns, stating that the pitch is an essential space for children and young people to engage in football and other sports. The pitch is one of three on the estate, and campaigners are advocating for a new facility to be built on adjacent land rather than losing the existing one.

Residents have been informed that replacement facilities will be available at Rochdale AFC and the planned Football and Community Wellbeing Hub at Bowlee Playing Fields. However, many feel that these alternatives do not adequately replace the local access and community spirit fostered by the existing kickpitch.

The Burnside Centre has acknowledged the community's disappointment, citing concerns over antisocial behaviour and the pitch's deteriorating condition as reasons for the decision. The centre noted that the pitch, established in the late 1990s, had reached the end of its expected lifespan and required significant investment to remain operational. Local resident Kelly Burton, a mother of four, emphasised the importance of the pitch as a safe space for children to meet and play together.