THE campaign to save Griffiths Park from housing developers has taken another turn.

The site’s owner has submitted plans to build 46 affordable homes and a three-storey, 66-bed care home on St John's Playing Field, which lies within the park.

Campaigners against the development were given a vital boost in February, when Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) approved a request to have the park designated an Assent of Community Value, making it more difficult to sell or develop.

The landowner is entitled to challenge this decision, but in a move aiming to cement the site’s value as a community asset, Northwich Victoria Juniors Girls Under 13s has applied to Rudheath Parish Council to have St John's officially designated their home pitch.

In a letter to Cheshire Football Association seeking support for their application, a spokesman for Rotary, the team’s sponsor, said: "Cheshire has the fourth largest girls football league in Britain, however limited capacity means we are lacking amenities for more girls to play.  

"We are very keen to ensure the team has access to good quality facilities to train and play football.

"They need a home pitch for training from April 2023 onwards on Tuesday evenings, for friendly matches on Saturday mornings from May 27 onwards, and to practice playing at a new 11-a-side level.

"They will also need a home pitch for matches on Saturday mornings from 2nd September 2023 onwards.

"The team manager and one of the coaches are based in Rudheath, and a large number of the team's players are Rudheath-based also.

"The team played a friendly against Runcorn on the February 25 to test out the pitch, and found it to be better quality than many of the grass pitches at Moss Farm.”

Northwich Victoria has already secured funding for a lines machine to remark the pitch for the girls, which will also benefit other teams and the wider community.

The pitch also received a £20,000 investment recently to improve drainage, and campaigners to keep the field are keen this should not go to waste.

The sponsor’s spokesman added: "There is a duty to protect football pitches to ensure the amenities are not lost to teams at a time when demand is increasing due to an increasing population and more girls wanting to play.

"Allocating the pitch to the Northwich Victoria Juniors Girls team will help protect the pitch from being lost, while supporting the community in preserving their play area and park protected as an asset of community value."