A RUGBY chief has called foul on two Warrington councillors in an ongoing row about a disused rugby pitch.
Mark Winstanley, president of Warrington RUFC says Appleton councillors Judith Walker and Brian Axcell – who is also Mayor of Warrington – failed to show both sides of the story in a recent Lib Dem leaflet.
The “Appleton in Focus” leaflet features the results of a local survey suggesting local residents would prefer the disused pitch at Bridge Lane, Appleton to be set free for community use.
Warrington RUFC still owns the lease to the pitch but moved to Walton Lea in 2003 and formally became part of Warrington Sports Club in 2005. Since then it has asked the council for additional playing space on an overflow car 
park at Walton Gardens.
But the Walton Gardens site may be needed in connection with expansion plans for Walton Hall so the council won’t let it be used. The club has responded by refusing to surrender the lease on the Bridge Lane land – which still has 50 years to run. The two sides have been deadlocked for several years.
Now in an open letter to councillors Axcell and Walker, Mr Winstanley has slammed the leaflet.
He said: “It is ironic that this should be distributed in Local Democracy Week. The least that we should be able to expect of our politicians is that the whole picture should be presented and not a partial view.
“The criticism which you level at Warrington RUFC is that we will not allow our land to be used. You fail to say that we are, in fact, quite willing to allow the land to be used provided the borough council is prepared to reciprocate by making its land at Walton Hall overspill car park available likewise to us.
“That land is used relatively infrequently and we would wish to be able to use it when it is not required for car parking. We want to be able to allow young children from the age of seven upwards to run on a grassed area, 
when it is not being used on a Sunday morning, in order to relieve the pressure on the land which we use at Warrington Sports Club.”
Coun Walker retorted: “The Bridge Lane ground has now not been used for six or seven years. There are other clubs that would like to use it and it is one of the best sports pitches in Warrington.
“We think the rugby club has had a good deal from the council in the past as they have paid only £15-a-year for the lease. They are not interested in using the Bridge Lane ground any more so we feel a club of this standing should be public spirited enough to let someone else use it.
“They say they want another pitch on the overflow car park before they will release Bridge Lane. But that car park is used quite often and is likely to be used even more in the future when Walton Hall is expanded.”
Pictured: Coun Walker and the Focus leaflet
Rugby chief calls foul on councillors
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
5 Comments
I guess that is what happens when a short-sighted council gives out 50 year leases!!
But had they not given a 50 year lease who knows what might have happened to the land by now… medical centre or housing anyone !
It would be good to see other local sports groups being allowed to use the Bridge Lane fields if Warrington Rugby Union Club aren’t actually using it themselves (with permission of the current lease holder of course). WRUC should be careful and they definately should NOT give up the lease… as I for one would NOT like to see WBC TAKING BACK control of the leased land !!!!!! I sense a hidden agenda here but then I would wouldn’t I 🙂
As for Warrington Sports Club using the overflow field near them…. for the vast majority of the year it has ALWAYS remained unused so the Sports Club could have easily used it (once they had removed all the dog poops) but sadly I doubt there is any chance that happening now that the Walton Gardens big redevelopment plan has been released.
let’s be honest, i’d rather trust the rugby club than the council.As for this leaflet, it’s all very well saying here’s what you told us but how do we actually know what the response was? the councillors comments seem to be her opinion and not something she is reading from a resident?
well I far as I am concerned the local council should have helped out and rebuilt the club, after it was burnt down, I have a lot of could memories from there, and we know the council will just sell for a profit.
Well the cynicism in the comments is the same of that in the leaflet and that of Mr Winstanley’s reply. One thing that is not happening is that young people are not getting the opportunity to use those playing fields for their intended purpose.
Maybe we should consider putting petty arguments to one side, get the funding for a “real” community centre that can involve all ages of people from the estate, Just imagine a club house, changing rooms, creche, bowling green, basketball court, sports pitches, etc etc etc…..it’s all possible, maybe we should stop squabbling and actually do something that we could look at and say yes…we did some good here!!