The football pitch at the Andover Estate

A FOOTBALL pitch will be reopened after three months out of use following calls from youth club workers that keeping it closed for summer was “unacceptable”.

The pitch at the Andover Estate was closed due to safety concerns ahead of a complete resurfacing, but delays to the improvement were this week dubbed “ridiculous” by residents.

Troy Baptiste, who runs the youth club on the estate, said: “The kids haven’t been able to use it. The neighbours tell them off for kicking the ball around outside their flats, but they’ve got nowhere to go.”

When the Tribune visited the pitch on Tuesday, children playing there said that the locks had recently been removed by the council because people had been climbing over the netting to get in, which the police said posed a safety risk.

Mr Baptiste called for a full upgrade to the pitch, which he said is in use constantly, adding: “These kids deserve more. There should be a proper nice 4G pitch for them to use.”

Councillor Gary Heather, who represents Finsbury Park ward, said: “The council have deemed it unsafe and have allocated the money, but they need a contractor to do the work. I want to get them to do it as quickly as possible. I’m pleased they’ve made the decision to open it for the summer. That makes sense but we need the upgrade to come more quickly.”

Cllr John Woolf, the Town Hall’s housing chief, said: “The Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) on the Andover estate is unfortunately damaged due to wear and tear, and needs to be fully refurbished. This refurbishment will take place in September. In the meantime, we will be carrying out remedial works to temporarily repair the surfacing, to ensure children and young people can safely access the space over the summer holidays. This work should be complete next week, and the pitch will be opened up as soon as possible.”