Children's football matches cancelled because of parking problems at new £2.6m Bamber Bridge sports hub

Children's football teams across Lancashire will have games voided because of a parking problem at a core venue.

Before Christmas the Post revealed hopes that congestion at Withy Grove Sports Hub in Bamber Bridge could be solved by staggering kick-off times. But this has been deemed unworkable, and instead, the number of pitches in use has been decreased from two to one. Every team in the Mid-Lancs Colts Junior League will have a fixture voided as there won't be a pitch available. Teams have been left frustrated by the move.

"Car parking is not fit for purpose"

Dave Ellis, secretary of Longridge Town Juniors Football Club, commended SRBC for bringing the facility to the area, but said the current restrictions "can't go on". He said: "The growth of football over the last few years has been phenomenal,  especially in girls football and grass pitches are becoming difficult to find. This new facility meant we could increase participation when the weather had been poor, especially within the local leagues which benefit children across the city."

He added: "I understand the residents concerns over parking, but the car park at Withy Grove is just not fit for purpose. The leagues have been asked to stagger the games, but this does not assist as many of our players want to enjoy the great facilities that the sports centre offers after the games, such as swimming and the play area, extending the time spent there.

"The health benefits both mentally and physically to our children are paramount and they shouldn't be sat at home unable to play when a great facility is being left unused."

What does the council say?

Councillor Clare Hunter, Cabinet Member for Communities, Leisure, and Wellbeing said: “Bamber Bridge Sports Hub is a popular and successful facility, and we are pleased it is well-used and enjoyed. We know that the numbers of users visiting the site has led to parking issues on the surrounding roads, and we have been working tirelessly to resolve this.

“A 30-space overflow car park was completed last year, situated a short walk away from the pitches, off Withy Grove Close. This is in addition to the 71 spaces already added to the main car park, making our total number of spaces 246.

“As well as the additional parking, it is necessary to manage the volume of traffic entering and leaving the facility. To enable this, the council asked that Saturday football matches change to staggered start times. We notified the Mid-Lancs Colts Junior League and asked to introduce a 20-minute gap between matches for future games. Unfortunately, they were unable to agree to this and so we intend to continue to work with them in the hope of finding a collective solution that meets the needs of both our local community and facility users."

Mid Lancs Colts Junior League has been approached for comment.