Petition launched to save junior football club's parking area

Bedworth Eagles want to stop development at the Elizabeth Centre area near Johnson Road recreation ground.

A petition to save the Elizabeth Centre area in Bedworth has received nearly 500 signatures.

The land acts as a 'vital' carpark for Bedworth Eagles junior football club as well as being a popular green space and spot for dog walkers.

The adjacent recreation ground now has 4 junior football pitches recently reinstated by Bedworth Eagles Junior Football Club, who have been granted a long term lease by the council.

The club has over 120 team players and over 50 new young starters that play there every week. 

Despite this, the land has been earmarked for building work by the Nuneaton and Bedworth's Borough Plan. 

Al Saje who is Club Development Officer and a Trustee of Bedworth Eagles said "Once these spaces are gone, they're gone for good."

"We'd be left with landlocked pitches with nowhere to park, and residents wouldn't appreciate us parking outside their houses.

"We hope the new council are putting a new fresh set of eyes on the issue."

The petition states:

"We, the undersigned, are opposed to the Borough Plan to turn the Elizabeth Centre site into housing, removing the green area, basketball court and car parking.

"We call on Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council to:

• "Withdraw this non-strategic element of the Borough Plan
• "Fully consult with local residents and users of the site, including Tewkesbury Drive, Johnson Road and Bedworth Eagles JFC, and jointly consider plans to make this area into a better amenity for the community"

When asked for a response Councillor Wilson said, 

“The new administration has initiated a review of the Borough Plan that was approved by the previous Labour council, many elements of which have been controversial.

"There is now an opportunity for members of the community across Nuneaton and Bedworth to comment on the current plan and suggest changes.

"Once we have received responses from the consultation we will review the plan as a whole to see where improvements can be made.”