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MUGA thumbs down
The controversial siting of a proposed multi-use games area (MUGA) in Astley Village has been given the thumbs down at a public meeting.
For the past six months, a row has raged in the village over the positioning of a 64,000 outdoor games facility for youngsters.
Plans have been submitted to build the facility on a site next to Buckshaw Primary School, off Chancery Road - angering many local people, including the headteacher of the school.
Now, at packed meeting, more than 100 residents have overwhelmingly voted against the site with around three-quarters of people voting to build it behind shops on Hallgate, close to Astley Park.
Parish Coun Laura Lennox, who has been against the Chancery Road site from the beginning, said: "People have finally been given a chance to have their say and they don't want it next to the school.
"The whole point of this is to give local people what they want so they have to be listened to."
A total of 107 votes were issued in a ballot at the meeting at Buckshaw Primary School, which was chaired by magistrate Norman Poole, last week.
During the ballot people were asked to vote on four potential sites and they could vote for as many sites as they wanted.
Of those attending 75 people voted to build the facility behind shops on Hallgate and 48 people voted to built it on existing playing fields behind the school.
Just 21 people voted for it to be built on the proposed site next to the school and 16 votes were received to build it on a field next to Derian House, on the other side of the village.
Coun Debra Platt, clerk of Astley Village Parish Council, was at the meeting. She said: "From the start people have confused this project with a parish council scheme.
"Our involvement was to help the youngsters who got the funding for the facility to submit a planning application.
"The site next to the school was proposed because it is the only one that is available.
"People can highlight as many sites as they want but the land has to be available. The bottom line is that the Hallgate site is not available."
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Weather for Chorley
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
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Wind direction: South west
