The Save our Parks group meets this Wednesday to stop a new scheme on the multi-use games area which they say is a result of privatisation.
The upcoming Planning and Highways Committee Meeting in March will see councillors vote on whether the new company, Courtside CIC, can run the new scheme.
The group, armed with a 2,000 strong petition and fresh from a protest they conducted last week, are meeting to decide how they will tackle the upcoming vote.
Account manager and campaigner Isabelle France, 31, said: “There’s a clear public pushback against the privatisation, especially because the money that the private company makes doesn’t go back into the council budget, meaning there’s nothing gained monetarily with these changes.
“We believe there should absolutely be some reforms made to the area, it needs re-tarmacking, it needs new lights, it needs toilets, but we believe that the council should provide these, not a private company.”
Currently the multi-use games area (MUGA) has a range of facilities which are free to use. However, Courtside CIC will introduce three new tennis courts, mini golf, and two paddle tennis courts which are pay to use, leaving only two free areas.
Some companies that use the MUGA say they are disappointed they were not notified of the new scheme. Friends Together, a company that helps people with learning difficulties, and uses the park for their free sporting activities say the scheme will deeply impact their business.
Leah Byatt, 29, Activity Coordinator at Friends Together said: “This area right now is very accessible for people with disabilities and the fact that it is free means that we can use it an unlimited amount, but if they replace that with pay to use activities that means we are not going to be able to afford it.”
Sheffield City Council said they believe the development will benefit the community and ensure that everyone has equal opportunities when it comes to health, sport and wellbeing.
Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee, said: “Our plan is to find ways to provide and maintain the best parks and facilities for the long-term.
“This includes bringing events into our park, which gives the council an opportunity to be more ambitious with Sheffield’s green spaces, improve parks for residents and unlock opportunities for local businesses.”
After the protest, Mrs Byatt described how attendees felt relieved and refreshed seeing that people still felt strongly enough about the cause that they came out to show support on a rainy Friday afternoon.
However, the group remains frustrated with the silence from councillors and encourages people to contact those sitting on the committee to ask them to consider how the community feels.
