Hillsborough Park protest accuses Sheffield Council of ‘privatisation’ of green spaces

Save Our Parks has called the protest on the multi-use games area (MUGA) at Hillsborough Park on Friday (February 9) at 2pm. Campaigners say that Sheffield City Council is ignoring a 2,000-strong petition to go ahead with its plan to bring in a company, Courtside CIC, to run a new scheme on the MUGA.

The council has previously rejected accusations by park users’ groups that allowing the company a long-term a long-term contract to run the new activity hub, as well as tennis courts in other city parks, amounts to privatisation of park land.

Courtside is set to create a new Hillsborough Activity Hub that will provide three new floodlit tennis courts. Other ‘pay to play’ facilities will include a nine-hole mini golf course and two covered ‘padel’ tennis courts for players of a simplified version of the game.

A new cafe will have indoor and outdoor seating and publicly accessible toilets.

A free-to-use area will include floodlit football and basketball pitches.

Courtside will also run tennis courts at Concord, High Hazels, Hollinsend and Ecclesfield Parks. The Lawn Tennis Association is backing all the new tennis court plans, including at Hillsborough.

Activity hubs are being proposed for more city parks by the council.

The Friends of Hillsborough Park was a long-term opponent to the MUGA changes, highlighting how they could also impact Sheffield Cycling 4 All, a charity that runs popular cycling sessions for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.

Sheffield Cycling 4 All, which uses specialist trikes, is based on the MUGA.

Get the latest headlines, straight to your inbox, with The Star’s free emails

The Friends group disbanded last year in frustration at the council’s decision to go ahead with the activity hub. It had also voiced repeated concerns about the effect of the Tramlines music festival on the park, including the damage caused by torrential rain at last year’s event.

The new group, which is meeting regularly, is made up of local residents, ex-FoHP members and support workers. It also involves supporters of left-wing political group the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, who held leafleting sessions and helped to get signatures for the petition.

“We’re not against improvements to the MUGA,” said Leah Byatt, a local disability support service worker and campaigner for Save Our Parks. “We think renovations should be made but that should come from the council and not at the expense of local residents.”

Leah said: “All sorts of people use the local parks, from disabled service users, the elderly and young children. It’s one of the few free spaces where people can come and play, walk and chat.

“Charging people to use the space, at a time where money is already tight, will only make green spaces less accessible to the people who benefit from them the most.”

“It shouldn’t be this difficult for local people to have their voices heard on local issues but unfortunately this is where we’re at,” added Leah. “It’s vital we act now and show how unpopular privatisation of our green spaces are.

“It’s our park being discussed now, but it won’t end with Hillsborough – all Sheffield parks are on the chopping block.”