June 14, 2011 7.23 pm This story is over 153 months old

Manse estate gets sportswall

Sportswall: A new facility was built on Cedar Avenue, hoping to reduce anti-social behaviour in the area.
Councillors Rachel Hubbard and Chris Burke with kids at the official launch

A new sportswall was officially opened on Tuesday for youngsters on the Manse and Bracebridge estates in Lincoln.

The facility can be used for various games, including football and basketball, and the Lincoln City Football Club Sports and Education Trust will deliver sessions to encourage teenagers to make full use of the sportswall.

The play area cost around £15,000 to develop, with a further £1,560 allocated to provide the two hours of coaching on Saturday mornings.

The sportswall is situated at the top of Cedar Avenue, near Newark Road, and was pushed by the City Council in January in order to try to reduce antisocial behaviour on the surrounding housing estate.

The site homed previously a play area from the 1970s, than fell into disrepair and was dismantled in 2008.

Two years later, the Neighbourhood Policing Team received 33 complaints from residents disturbed by ball games noise between April and September of 2010.

Local youngsters spending time nearby the new sportswall

As the problems emerged because youngsters didn’t have enough to do, the City Council hopes giving them an area to play ball games will combat antisocial behaviour.

Jose Bruce, Neighbourhood Manager for Lincoln South, led the sportswall project and is confident the facility will have the desired effect.

“When I came to check and sign off the Sportswall, the children were already there and waiting to use it.

“I’m confident that this will be a real asset to the area and that all our hard work has been worthwhile,” Bruce added.

Photos: Kelly Moore for The Lincolnite