Life next to football club where locals are subject to 'foul, abusive and sexist language'

A local community football club, Lostock St Gerard's FC in South Ribble, has been granted permission to increase the hours its pitches are used despite complaints from nearby residents that the existing operating times already disrupt their quality of life. Residents have voiced concerns over noise pollution, including swearing that disturbs the tranquillity of their homes and gardens.

In response, the councillors introduced a compromise between the club and its neighbours after learning of the latter's dread regarding the proposed increase in play and practice hours. Over 30 objections were lodged against the plans.

Claire Westbury, representing several residents living near the Wateringpool Lane ground, described match days as akin to "someone screaming down your earhole" due to the volume and nature of the language used.

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Claire said: "[There is] loads of swearing – and it's really difficult to cope with. If you just want to spend time in your garden, you find yourself having to go in your house and shut your windows [instead].

"I've got two kids [and] you can clearly hear what the footballers are saying – so I just say [to my children]...'We don't say those words in our house.'

"We have to accept that lads get passionate about football – [but] If the proposed extension goes ahead, there's no respite for us," indicating that the issues mainly arise during adult men's games.

Tom Cullen, another neighbour, expressed his support for the club but stated that he deserved "the right to peace when I come back from work".

He complained about the loud shouting, which could be heard not only in his garden but also inside his house, and the nature of the noise, which he said often included foul, abusive, sexist, and derogatory language.

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In response to these concerns, the club proposed several "mitigation measures" in its application for extended hours, including limiting matches on the pitch closest to residential properties to under-18s and issuing a "code of conduct" to players and managers.

Steven Donaldson, representing the club, acknowledged the concerns of the neighbours and expressed the club's desire to work with the local community.

Despite initial recommendations from South Ribble planning officers to approve the extended hours for a trial period of one year, the committee ultimately decided to add Monday and Friday evenings to the permitted usage times and extend the hours on other weekdays from 5:30pm to 9pm. The local club's plea for extended weekend operating hours from the current 10am-2pm slot to 9am until 6pm led Mr Donaldson to reassure that these times were only "worst case scenarios" and not expected to be fully utilised, reports Lancs Live.

Concerns were voiced by residents and the council's environmental health team regarding the proposed lengthy extensions, prompting committee members to compromise on a new finishing time of 4pm on weekends. Committee member Chris Lomax recognised the club as a "brilliant community asset" while acknowledging the "issues" shared by locals.

His colleague Cllr Pete Pillinger – who proposed a 3pm finish time at the weekend – said: "What you've got on one side is the voluntary participation of the football community imposing something on the people who live there who haven't got the option to do anything except move away or be away [rom home] at the time [of the matches]."

The permission granted will run for 12 months.