New Sports Facilities For Heaton Park (Goals Soccer Centres)

Roland Dransfield Public Affairs was appointed by Goals Soccer Centres to implement a community consultation and media relations programme to support its planning application for new sports facilities at Manchester’s historic Heaton Park. The plans were to include:

• Twelve small-sided artificial 3G pitches
• One 7-a-side pitch training pitch
• Six tennis courts
• Rock climbing area
• Penalty area
• Plus associated new pavilion and car parking

Roland Dransfield Public Affairs created a campaign which would target a wide range of audiences including:

• General public – including local residents living near or adjacent to Heaton Park
• Sporting organisations – such as the PFA and the Manchester FA
• Politicians – including Manchester and Bury MPs and councillors from Manchester City Council and Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
• Local community groups and environmental groups – including football clubs in Bury and Manchester, the Friends of Heaton Park, the Heaton Park Trust, St Margaret’s Church and the Garden History Society
• Educational bodies – schools in the vicinity of the Park

The Background

Goals' proposals for Heaton Park were always going to be controversial as it is a heritage park, set in Green Belt land. However, planning policy indicated development of part of the park for sports facilities would be acceptable, but the local perception was that the majority of the community’s park and Green Belt land would be lost to private development.

In addition, previous proposals for development in Heaton Park, had been vociferously opposed by the 'Heaton Park Action Group'. Whilst this group was formed specifically to fight the plans for a primary school and nursery within the park, which it succeeded in doing, it also states its aim to protect Heaton Park from any private development.

Furthermore, the group had support for its anti-development campaign from ward member for the site. As such, Goals Soccer needed to be prepared for potential opposition for its proposed sports facilities from this extremely vocal anti-group and ward members.

The Political Campaign

Roland Dransfield wrote to all members of Manchester City Council, outlining the proposals and inviting them to a public exhibition on the scheme and also wrote to key members of Bury MBC (members that represent Holyrood ward, which is adjacent to the park) to outline the proposals and invite them to the public exhibition. In addition Roland Dransfield also wrote to ward members for the site (Higher Blackley ward) to outline the proposals and offer a one-to-one meeting with the team to address any concerns they might have and to inform them of the public exhibition.

A pre-committee brief was also drafted and issued to all members of the Planning & Highways Committee prior to determination of the application to remind them of the benefits of the proposals.

Public Exhibition

A public exhibition took place in March 2009 on two separate days at the Farm Centre in Heaton Park; one day included an evening session, whilst the other day was on a weekend, to allow those working regular hours to visit the exhibition if they wanted to do so.

The exhibition included display boards outlining the proposals and offering visuals of how the new facility would look, as well as providing details on community access and information on the proposed sports facilities and a feedback form to log visitors' comments. Members of the development team were on hand throughout the period to answer more detailed questions.

The exhibition was publicised prior to the event through advertisements in the local newspapers (Bury Times, Bury Journal, Radcliffe Times and Prestwich Advertiser), a press release, via letters to stakeholders and a letter-drop through the doors of residents living adjacent to the park.

Roland Dransfield also promoted the exhibition through news releases in the local press and arranged for interviews and promotional slots to be undertaken on the local radio station.

The advance publicity and advertising secured a substantial number of attendees at the public exhibition. It is estimated that over one hundred people viewed the exhibition during the two days and written feedback was received from 21 people.

Community information line

A community information line was also established and operated by Roland Dransfield so that members of the public could call for further information about the proposals and the exhibition. This was operated by Roland Dransfield throughout the course of the consultation programme.

Meetings programme

Roland Dranfield also wrote to all stakeholders to inform them of the proposals and to invite them to the public exhibition. One-to-one meetings were offered to anyone unable to attend the exhibition. Letters were sent to schools, football clubs and key stakeholder groups in Manchester and Bury, such as the Friends of Heaton Park, offering one-to-one meetings and a number of meetings have already taken place, for example, with Ivan Lewis MP (Bury South), the Reverend and other representatives of St Margaret’s Church (adjacent to the Park), and the Heaton Park Trust.

Media relations

Roland Dransfield ensured that there was a flow of news stories to the press including an announcement about the public exhibition to ensure that local people were informed of the consultation process.

In the run up to the final planning committee Roland Dransfield encouraged supporters of the proposals to write to their local papers in support of the application. This message was communicated to stakeholder groups by a letter advising people how to contact their local newspaper and follow-up phone calls, a stand alone website www.heatonparksports.com was also produced to state the facts about the proposed development, posters were also written and erected around Heaton Park directing members of the public to the new website to find factually correct information.

Outcome

The planning application went to committee on February 11th and was passed. Goals Soccer Centres is now planning for the development phase of the project and it is anticipated that work will commence in 2010.