A ROW has kicked off over the siting of a multi-use games area in the Marsden area of Nelson - the only ward in the town without such a facility.
Pendle Council has been looking at the provision of a MUGA in the Marsden Park area for more than four years now, but finding a suitable site has proved a major obstacle despite the funding being made available in the Nelson Committee budget.
Earlier this year, councillors were presented with six options for the siting and BNP and Labour councillors were divided on the most suitable - the BNP preferring part of a disused tennis court, while Labour proposing an area off Marsden Hall Road.
BNP ward councillor Brian Parker said: “We feel the court is the most cost effective option.
“There is Section 106 funding available from a private development and it is a badly-needed facility for the teenagers of the area.
“Marsden is the only ward in Nelson without a MUGA and I feel if the ward had a Labour councillor, this would have been sorted out a long time ago.
“There is no need for another report on this as it has been going on since 2007.”
Coun. Mohammed Iqbal, for the Labour group, said a report had been asked for on the funding of developing a site off Marsden Hall Road and said Nelson Town Council had deferred a bid for matched funding until this had been completed.
“The residents have said they want the play area there and so we are looking to see what can be done.
“I am confident we can bring forward a scheme which will keep within budgets.
“There is nothing political about the delay in getting a MUGA in Marsden - if there was, why would we keep putting £10,000 in the budget for one?”
Nelson has seven MUGAs at the moment - at Bradshaw Street, Brunswick Street, Clough Head, Netherfield Road, Regent Street, Southfield Street and Trodgers Field.