Chapel-en-le-Frith Parish Council say the removal of the multi-use games area, MUGA, from the Memorial Park following a five year legal battle which has cost six figures is ‘regrettable’.

The MUGA was installed in 2010 after a fundraising campaign, however nearby residents complained about the noise and said the games area was too close to homes.

This was escalated to court after Chapel Parish Council failed to respond to the submitted noise readings.

Initially a judge ruled the complainants were “hypersensitive to noise” but a High Court judge overturned the ruling in November 2022.

Chapel-en-le-Frith Parish Council say the removal of the multi-use games area from the Memorial Park following a five year legal battle which has cost six figures is ‘regrettable’.

placeholder image — Chapel-en-le-Frith Parish Council say the removal of the multi-use games area from the Memorial Park following a five year legal battle which has cost six figures is ‘regrettable’.

The council was given four months to solve the noise problem by either closing the MUGA or re-installing it further away from homes but again failed to act.

In February 2024 the council submitted a demolition notice to High Peak Borough Council on which caused ‘uproar’ from local residents and a public meeting was called where more than 50 people attended who did not ‘consider it right that its removal might be progressed to satisfy just a handful of residents’.

It was also highlighted how it could also be in contravention of both the High Peak Borough Council’s Local Plan and Chapel’s Neighbourhood Plan to remove the MUGA.

Last year a parish council spokesperson said: “To be clear, no-one on the Parish Council thinks it is a good idea to abolish the MUGA.”

Now, in September 2025, the council has issued an update stating the area will be removed.

It stated: “Following a recent court hearing, the Parish Council has made the difficult decision to remove the MUGA from the War Memorial Park.

“This decision has not been taken lightly, and we share in the disappointment felt by many in the community. However, we believe it is the most sensible course of action to abate the noise and resolve a five-year legal process thereby avoiding further legal costs.

“While this change is regrettable, it also gives us the opportunity to review the War Memorial Park as a whole, as well as our neighbouring parks across the parish.

“We want to ensure our green spaces reflect the needs of the whole community, both now and for the future.

“We will be carrying out a community consultation in early 2026, where residents will be invited to share their views and have a voice in shaping what facilities they would like to see in our parks. “In the meantime, we are also exploring alternative temporary spaces that can be made available for community use while longer-term plans are developed.”

The court case in question was decided on appeal, against the original verdict some months ago, in favour of the complainants. The court directed that the Parish Council must pay the other side's costs which may be a six-figure amount.

To meet this shortfall the council increased council tax in a decision they last year called disappointing following ‘unusual circumstances’.

In the statement issued earlier this month Chapel Parish Council added: “Thank you for your understanding and support as we take these next steps together.”

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