Turn Moss campaigners welcome council investment plans

Campaigners fighting to develop a green belt site for the community have welcomed council plans to invest in the land.

Turn Moss, in Stretford, was the subject of a development proposal by former Manchester United full back, Gary Neville.

He wanted to develop some of the land for Salford City FC and the planned University (UA) 92 to use.

But the Friends of Turn Moss campaign group opposed the scheme.

Last May the proposal was withdrawn after Trafford Council switched from Conservative to Labour control in the local elections.

New council leader, Cllr Andrew Western said at the time: “A community-led consultation is key to deciding how Turn Moss can be improved.”

And this week, while outlining budget plans, Cllr Western said the authority plans to invest in Turn Moss, to the tune of £375,000.

He said: “We are delighted to be investing £375,000 into sporting facilities at Turn Moss.

“The improvements to the pitches and new changing facilities will be a massive boost to our local sporting community.

“Once again, we are listening to the community and investing heavily in facilities that will be enjoyed by people for many years to come.”

Cllr Anne Duffield also posted via facebook: “This investment in grassroots football is exactly what a council should be doing.

“By listening to our residents we can ensure that we can work alongside them and invest money soundly to meet local need.

“Where the Tories wasted £160k on consultants for a scheme that didn’t benefit local people, this investment of £1m across the borough, with £375k for Turn Moss, will bring new changing rooms and investment to pitches without the need to bring in a private partner.”

A statement by the Friends of Turn Moss said they were “absolutely over the moon” to hear news of Trafford Council’s decision.

It said: “The site has been sadly neglected for over a decade. Local teams’ pleas for investment have previously fallen on deaf ears, the changing rooms are in a sorry state and games are often cancelled due to waterlogged pitches.

“We have always believed Turn Moss can be improved without having to make sacrifices. Thank you, Andrew Western, for listening and agreeing with us that Turn Moss deserves better.

“£375K for new changing rooms and pitch improvements will mean more local people can enjoy the fields, be healthy and have fun.”

The campaign group said the new proposals will benefit the local teams and will allow the Friends of Turn Moss to run more events for the wider community: “We believe this wonderful greenbelt site can be so much more than it is at present.”

The statement added: “The benefits of having a responsive Labour-led Trafford Council cannot be overstated.

“They have been a pleasure to work with from the moment they gained power in May.

“The love local people have for the fields is well documented – we are excited and delighted we can now work with our local teams, councillors, Trafford Council and Trafford Leisure to bring improvements that benefit all.

“Happy and healthy local communities and solid investment in green spaces go hand-in-hand.”