Sunday 9 May 2010

Football on Rowley Way - noisy nuisance or successful use of public space?

This is the first thread on the Alexandra and Ainsworth TRA blog and since there has already been some discussion via email on the subject of football on Rowley Way, I thought this would be an interesting discussion: is this a serious problem that is out of control? or an indication of a vibrant public street? or maybe something in between!?

This thread could be an experiment initially amongst TRA members and maybe then rolled out to anyone who is interested and wants to contribute to discussions but maybe can't make meetings.

Also if you want to start a new thread then let me know and I can give you editing rights.

6 comments:

  1. My understanding is that the very idea of designing Rowley Way as a 'v' shaped valley overlooking a red brick pathway, was meant to encourage this sort of activity by children, under the watchful eye of their parents.

    In any case the ball games our kids play can be hardly defined as football or even a kick-about. They would be equally active (or noisy) without a ball, and the mere fact that the Council thinks that this is something worth writing a letter about, says more about our administrators than about Rowley Way young rsidents.

    IMO definitely not an issue. Just let the kids do what all healthy kids should do: play and scream. Even the Germans are more tolerant on this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8520941.stm

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  2. I agree with Nicola and I don't think that this is a major issues on the estate. It always cheers me up when I come home from work and I see the children play on Rowley Way. Visiting friends have commented on how friendly the estate feels because of this.

    Also, what constitutes "playing football". Are we going to bantoddlers from playing ball on Rowley Way ? Currently the official football area isn't a very inviting place and I can understand why parents of smaller children would want to keep an eye on them on Rowley Way.

    I do understand that there is a problem for a small number of ground floor flats at the end of each block, when a ball gets bounced off the walls there. Maybe something could be done to discourage this.

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  3. I agree with the previous two comments.

    My kids play football on the red brick road with their friends. I make sure they are very aware and respectful of other people coming along. 90% of people who walk by give them and their friends a big smile as they play, and half the people join in for a quick kick or two as they pass by - so I haven't found there to be a problem and think that most people like that kids are playing out, meeting eachother, looking out for eachother. In fact I have met lots of neighbours as I sit out with or play with the kids. I think it postively adds to the life of the estate.

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  4. I agree with this, as long as the kids playing are quite young then no-one will mind. This is similar to Ainsworth Way where I live. We also have some adults who play Keep-Up, which is fine but I would strongly object to any adults playing a proper game out there. Our windows are listed and difficult to replace so anyone who is big enough to kick a ball through a window should go to the pitch

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  5. I agree in part. Seems to me that actually it depends on which part of Rowley Way you live in and who surrounds you, neighbour/family wise!
    I have absolutely no objection, like everyone else, to small kids knocking a ball about but when you get a regular group, especially on warm evenings, of approx 10 kids from the ages of 6 up to 15 playing a friendly game of footie, outside your house, with the ball constantly being knocked into your basement and the games finishing as late at 10.45 - 11.30 at the weekends, screaming and shouting like it's the middle of the day, I'm sorry but this is to much to put up with. Yes the kids are having a lovely time and wonderful they can play out in the street, but personally this type of playing football is unacceptable and drives us and many others around me crazy!
    I think our block is particularly bad, we have a lot of families with older kids. Ironically it is always quieter once the summer holidays come but come September it will all start again. So you see I actually welcomed the letter about football and it did make a difference for about a week!!

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