CONCERNS have been raised after part of a car park at a Worsbrough community centre was top soiled and seeded because there was not enough money to resurface all of it.
The car park at the Lew Whitehead Community Centre - which is used by several football teams and community groups - was reduced in size by a third because of ‘limited available funding’.
The cost of the resurfacing and the top soiling was in the region of £43,000, a council spokesman said.
Coun Gill Carr said the car park had been in need of repair, but the committee was amazed to find that while two thirds of the car park was resurfaced, the other third was covered in top soil and seeded.
Coun Carr said: “There are several football teams which use the ground. When there were two teams playing, the car park was full. There were cars parking on Genn Lane and some of the side streets. It is a well used sports ground.
“Who in their right mind grasses over a car park where there is a football field?
“The members were not consulted. The management committee at the centre didn’t know what was happening. They were amazed when they saw it.
“People in cars have already been doing donuts on the freshly seeded top soil.”
A council spokesman said the work was part of planned maintenance and had been completed early.
While the community centre is administered by Berneslai Homes, the field is administered by parks services which had requested the area be resurfaced because of health and safety reasons.
The spokesman said: “Due to health and safety implications, the work had to be carried out as quickly as possible. Limited available funding restricted the area that could be resurfaced leaving the remainder to be top soiled and seeded.
“Thirty cars can easily use the car park. When further funding is secured, teams will address extending the surface.”
