A controversial planning application for a multi-use games area (MUGA) in Kirklandneuk has received a raft of new objections after the council reopened the online comments portal.
We previously reported on the divisions that had been sown by the proposals - submitted by local football club Renfrew Victoria, or The Vics - which set out plans for a new, fenced and locked MUGA on the site of an existing games area in Kirklandneuk.
While most are happy for the current MUGA to be renovated, a group of local residents have objected to the proposed fencing off of the new facility, fearing it will restrict access to what they consider a “community-owned asset.”
When The Gazette reported on the issue on July 23, the planning application had received 66 comments of support and only 14 objections, with the portal closed to further public contributions.
Though the application was first submitted on June 20, some locals said that they did not hear about the plans until after the initial comment submission date had passed, and requested that Renfrewshire Council re-open the planning portal for comments.
Renfrewshire Council agreed to do so, re-opening the submission portal for a week between August 8-15. During this period, almost 90 further comments rolled in, meaning the total now stands at 102 objections to 66 in support.
A Renfrewshire council spokesperson said: “The planning portal for proposals on a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) in Kirklandneuk was reopened for one week in August this year following requests by residents wishing to provide feedback on the plans.
“The council wants to give people as many opportunities as possible to share their views on plans which impact their area. For that reason, it is not unusual for the council to adhere to requests from the public and reopen planning portals beyond the initial deadline to allow further comments to be submitted on planning applications.
“The application for the MUGA in Kirklandneuk is still under consideration and will be determined at a later date.”
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The proposed MUGA would be a ‘Cruyff Court,’ a type of games area that the charity The Cruyff Foundation has helped to set up around Europe. There are a number of Cruyff Courts around the UK, including three in Aberdeen and one in Hamilton.
The Vics have secured £65,000 worth of funding from the foundation for the construction of a Cruyff Court. However, residents who oppose the new MUGA claim that The Vics’ plans do not meet the Cruyff Foundation’s criteria.
On the Cruyff Foundation website, it stipulates that: “There must be support for the court within the community, including amongst residents and neighbourhood organisations.”
It also says that: “The court must make a contribution to making sports more accessible to young people.”
The residents in opposition argue that the proposed court does not have neighbourhood support, and that it being locked will result in a restriction of access to the young people of Kirklandneuk, though both of these claims are refuted by The Vics.
“We want to give something back to the local community,” Vics chairman Stuart Wild previously told The Gazette. “We’re just trying to improve the area, and give local kids an opportunity.
“It’s not as though it’s going to be locked all the time. But it needs a fence to prevent vandalism.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to has given their overwhelming support, because they know that we’re trying to improve the area,” he said.
The Cruyff Foundation has been contacted for comment.
The planning application details and comments can be found at: https://bit.ly/24-0423-PP
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