Funding for £11.9m Hough End Leisure Centre expansion approved

Save Hough End Fields campaigners gathered at Manchester Town Hall

Funding to cover the cost of a leisure centre expansion has been approved despite claims the plans breach a council's net zero carbon targets.

Protesters chanted "shame on you" as councillors agreed to fund the £11.9m plans for Hough End Leisure Centre.

This will include 3G pitches and a car park being built on fields.

Campaigners believe this contradicts Manchester City Council's environmental targets by tarmacking over grass and encouraging car use.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reports that one protester shouted: "You don't care about the climate at all. You just want money."

The proposal to expand the leisure centre by creating new changing room facilities, sports pitches and extra parking spaces was approved in March.

However, additional funding was needed to approve the increased project costs.

Funding for the expansion of the leisure has been given the go ahead

City hall bosses recommended a capital budget increase of £11.9m, more than half of which would be funded by borrowing, at a meeting on 1 June.

Councillors were then asked to approve the extra funding.

But opposition councillors from the Green Party and the Lib Dems opposed the move.

Green Party councillor Rob Nunney said he was concerned about the increase in traffic that the new 127 car parking spaces would contribute to and questioned why there were only an additional 24 spaces on bike racks.

Lib Dem leader John Leech described the artificial pitches and floodlights as an "environmental blight" locally.

He said the council had failed to make the case for increasing its budget for the project in a way that was consistent with its aims to become net zero carbon.

However, the ruling Labour group supported the move and funding was approved.

Labour councillor John Hacking, who represents Chorlton, said changes had made to the original plans which meant the development was "more environmentally friendly than before".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]