Millmoor Juniors Football Club, are deeply disappointed at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council's (RMBC) decision to allow the Grange landfill to reopen and commence with tipping activities.

Our club is a community-based non-profit organisation that provides grassroots football for children from 4 years old through to adulthood. We cater for all - boys, girls, men and women. Our club sits right next door to this location.

Our club has stood in the heart of Kimberworth since 2000 and has worked hard at building relationships with the local community and forging relationships with other sporting clubs such as the Kimberworth Striders and the Rotherham Harriers running clubs, as well as being seen as a leading grassroots football club by other football clubs in the town and beyond.

The land which our club resides on was once a piece of waste land where stolen cars were dumped and burnt out, as well as a gathering place for the towns unsavoury characters indulging in drug use. Millmoor Juniors took on the lease for that land and for over 20 years has turned it from an eye sore that was a difficult place for RMBC to manage, and has developed it into a well maintained local facility for children and adults to enjoy.

Facilities like ours are a rare delight in Rotherham, and the fact that RMBC are willing to jeopardise it’s future to appease what appears to be a proven criminal dumping toxic waste, is nothing short of astounding and unbelievable.

We have attended meetings with local residents regarding the proposed landfill, and not one individual has expressed a desire for this landfill to happen.

The current land which our club sits on is a tranquil and pretty place for the public to enjoy as well as an oasis for wildlife to thrive, and the thought of it being turned into an horrific mess with many hundreds of lorries dumping waste and creating an extremely dangerous environment, is saddening to say the least.

If we, as a long standing local community, do not get the support from our own council to prevent such distasteful acts on the natural beauty of our own communities, then I fear the future of the town will be extremely bleak for many years to come.

We at Millmoor Juniors along with our local residents, urge our elected councillors to stand firm and protect the positives of our communities, and give their unwavering support to do everything in their power to prevent this landfill from destroying several decades of hard work to provide facilities for local residents.

The reopening of this landfill not only threatens our ability to provide these services but also poses significant environmental risks. According to a report by Friends of the Earth, landfills contribute significantly towards greenhouse gas emissions in the UK (source: Friends of the Earth Report). Furthermore, they can cause serious health issues due to air pollution and contamination of local water sources.

We believe that RMBC should prioritize public health and environmental sustainability over short-term economic gain. By preventing the reopening of Grange landfill, we can protect our community's health while also taking steps towards a more sustainable future.

We urge you all - residents of Rotherham or anyone who cares about our environment - please sign this petition urging RMBC not to reopen Grange landfill for tipping activities. Together we can make a difference!