Hillsborough Park: Plan would make park worse, friends group says

The park has tennis courts, concrete spaces and a bike track among other facilities

A park's free-to-use play area should not be changed as it will be worse for users, a community group has said.

Proposals show Hillsborough Park's multi-use games area (MUGA) could be reduced in size and include new paddle tennis courts and mini golf.

The Friends of Hillsborough Park say the changes will stop a disabled cycling group from using the space.

A meeting of Sheffield City Council is due to decide the future of the site later.

Andy Chaplin, from Friends of Hillsborough Park, said the new MUGA would be a third of the size of the current space, with the tennis courts being moved and a fence added.

"There's some debates whether fully enclosed MUGAs are attractive to people or if they deter people from going into them."

The plans are being submitted by the council, with funding also coming from the Lawn Tennis Association, Sport England and existing operator Courtside.

The proposals, pictured here from a Sheffield City Council information sheet, show how the new layout could look

Mr Chaplin said compared to other parks in the city, Hillsborough already had "decent" facilities, including a newly-opened cafe with another being planned.

"Strangely, for a Friends of Hillsborough Park group, our argument is if you're going to build more facilities for parks you should look at those parks which don't have the facilities in the first place," he said.

He added the current free-to-use area, which a Cycling 4 All group uses, would predominantly become pay-to-use with paddle tennis courts.

A petition against the plans, which has almost 1,000 signatures, said the group believe "this is commercialisation of a public park" with there being "little regard for those people in Hillsborough community who currently use the MUGA for free".

In a council consultation with more than 400 people, some commenters felt the park "could do better" when compared with other large parks, such as Millhouses in Sheffield or Clifton Park in Rotherham.

Issues included an underinvestment in sports facilities, lighting in the evening and derelict buildings, although since the consultation took place a new cafe had opened at the former coach house.

The council added the proposed hub, which is due to be discussed at a meeting later would "increase its attractiveness as a destination".