Junior footballers protest on streets at Hay pitch plans (From Hereford Times)

Junior footballers protest on streets at Hay pitch plans

4:40pm Monday 8th October 2012 in News

YOUNGSTERS have protested on the streets of Hay-on- Wye at news the town’s football pitch could be lost to development.

Children from Hay’s Junior Football Club, which has 123 members, were out with banners last Saturday to protest against plans to build a 90-bed care home on the pitch off the Brecon Road.

In a petition against the plan, the club says its young players are being “neglected” by those behind the development, which is connected to the wider and already controversial plans for Hay to get a community centre and new school by selling off prime land to a supermarket developer.

“If the care home was built then children would not have a football pitch to be active on,” say the club alongside the online petition at change.org.

More than 170 people have signed the online petition.

A number of people have campaigned against the Powys County Council plans for major development for almost a year, urging them not enter agreements with developers until residents have been fully consulted and alternative ways of funding the new school properly considered.

Powys has a decision on the school funding is due to be made soon.