Latest on sports and recreation site in centre of Lancashire village that was closed all summer
A popular village recreation and sports field has reopened - after being closed the whole of summer.
Longton Playing Fields, which can be accessed from Liverpool Road next to the Black Bull, and also from School Lane, behind the playground, is used for football, dog walking, and for the village Spring Fete.
Access was closed off on April 28 while South Ribble Borough Council completed drainage work, with heavy plant machiney used for excavation works. At the time, the council advised that the closure would be ‘up to eight weeks’, which would have been the week commencing June 23.
However, the playing fields did not reopen at that time, with dry weather blamed for poor grass germination. A note was posted on metal fencing stating: “We are now looking to have the playing field open by August. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
But August came and went, and the field was still not reopened. This was still the case when local schools went back for the start of a new year last week. A new note apoligised for ongoing inconvenience was posted, but did not offer an opening date.
When the Post enquired about the reopening last week, South Ribble did not respond until five days later - confirming the park had opened that weekend -nearly 19 weeks after it closed.
Cabinet Member for Parks, Events and Culture, Councillor Matthew Farnworth said: “We can confirm that the playing field was open for use over the weekend. The Council has installed multiple signs on the site and has provided residents with updates on the progress and explained the reasons behind the delays in completion. We remain committed to keeping the community informed throughout the process.”