Leeds City Council warned against 3G football pitches amid cancer fears

The local authority wants to build the pitches on land off Thorpe Park Approach in east Leeds, alongside a cafe, changing rooms and car park, to meet rising demand for football facilities.

But more than 130 local people have objected to the proposal, with some claiming the artificial pitches will disturb wildlife on the land and contribute to plastic waste.

An engineering consultant also told a committee of local councillors that a young goalkeeper he knew had died from cancer, because of exposure to the materials used to lay 3G surfaces.

The Football Association (FA) and Sport England insist that the pitches, which are widely used across the country, are safe.

Funding for the scheme, which is coming from an organisation backed by the FA and the Premier League, also hinges on the pitches being artificial, rather than grass.

But speaking at a planning meeting on Thursday, Gerald Tetchner claimed the plan conflicted with the council’s commitment to deliver “green infrastructure”.

He said the pitches were created with, “chemicals which are connected to cancer cases, especially among young children who play on these surfaces.”

He added: “What has happened to the green space and quiet areas we were promised for putting up with at (nearby) Thorpe Park and the development there?

“I and others would welcome a natural grassed green area for multiple sports. Please have a re-think.”

Labour councillor Sharon Burke quoted Sport England’s assessment that the pitches do not cause any “negative health effects”. She suggested that the council would have to rely on that view as authority on the subject.

She said: “It’s an incredibly emotive subject because no-one ever wants to hear of anyone, least of all young people, suffering from cancer.

“Whenever we’re talking about emotive subjects we need to be entirely driven by facts as they are.”

Mr Tetchner, who said he’d worked as an engineering consultant for 30 years, replied that through his work he had experience and knowledge of the materials used.

He added: “I am emotive with it, when I’ve seen children suffer.

“When the son of an old colleague of mine has died from it, I will go public if it helps to get other people to look in greater depth at these possible causes.”

Another objector, Geraldine Turver, told the committee that the pitches were an environmental hazard and that the council would be contributing to the climate crisis by laying them.

However, councillors were later told that concerns around 3G could not be considered when deciding whether or not to approve the application, as they fall outside of planning regulations.

Nick Beckett, the planning agent speaking on behalf of the council, told the meeting: “9,000 games (in West Yorkshire) on grass pitches were cancelled last year.

“If grass surface pitches were pursued here it would not meet the year-round sporting demand of east Leeds residents.

“Sport England’s position outlines that artificial grass pitches are recognised as a durable, safe and year-round playing surface, able to withstand intensive use in all kinds of weather.

“It means more people can benefit from the social and health benefits of physical activity.”