Football club wins bid for park land

LAND at Failsworth’s Lower Memorial Park will be leased to Failsworth Dynamos’ youth football teams despite an objection.

The club is one of four which applied to use the park and get sponsorship to improve the land.

Oldham Council has agreed the lease will be subject to work to improve the park for the long term benefit of the community.

Officers say the park is under-used due to poor condition and lack of facilities, and the council has no funds to improve it.

Objector and open spaces’ campaigner John Arnold, from Chadderton. said the land was held in trust as it was bought by Failsworth War Memorial Committee in memory of those who died in the 1914-1918 war.

But the council’s solicitor and the Charity Commission have looked at the papers and have ruled that it was a simple transfer to the local authority and it was not created as a charity.

Failsworth Dynamos scored the highest marks out of four applicants for use of part of the parkland.