Friends of Hillsborough Park in Sheffield raise concerns about plans for new activity hub

Sheffield Council is looking for a partner to develop a new activity hub which will revitalise the tennis courts and multi-use games area at Hillsborough park.

The council says a minimum of three courts will be improved, there will be smaller padel courts and the games area will be redesigned. An indoor or covered outdoor activity space could be included.

But the Friends of Hillsborough Park group has raised concerns with council officers.

Christine Welburn, Janet Smith and Andy Chaplin say they are not in favour of reducing the currently free-to-use MUGA to a third of its size.

Mr Chaplin said: “In principle we do not think that there should be more buildings in a public green space

“We are not in favour of areas of the park which are currently available to the public being given over to commercial organisations for pay-to-use purposes.

“Specifically, we do not agree with reducing the free to use MUGA area to a third of its current size – particularly as we are getting to the point where family incomes are stretched and it will be increasingly difficult to pay for sports and physical activities.

“We also think there is a significant shift away from having a public park as an open green space to one where pay-to-use activities and buildings are inserted into the park.

“This passes use of segments of the park to commercial or community interest companies.

“It seems to have forgotten the vital role that parks played during the last two years in allowing people to get out and socially distance.”

Director of Parks Lisa Firth said the hub would generate income to cover annual maintenance costs and fund tennis courts into the future.

She said: “With the financial challenges the council is facing, we need to look at alternative ways to provide high quality services.”

At a recent Executive meeting, officers said they had carried out a specific consultation around the designs and potential layout of the project.

They said there were more than 370 responses, around 66 per cent in support and around 16 per cent against.

The Friends group has questioned why a consultation which doesn’t finish until May 2 was discussed.