A new sports hub will be built on playing fields in Wallsend after the proposal received significant support. North Tyneside councillors have now approved the construction of the sports hub at St Peters Playing Fields, Wallsend.
St Peters will host a single storey hub complete with a pavilion, changing room facilities and a function room. It is hoped locals can make use of new 3G football pitches with flood lighting and 2.5m high fencing. The site will also provide additional parking spaces.
The proposal proved popular, generating 161 comments of support on the council’s planning portal. However, 42 objections were recorded.
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One supporter took to the council’s planning portal to say: "I think this would be a fantastic opportunity for the community of Wallsend. We should be encouraging more physical activity amongst the general public, especially in deprived areas such as Wallsend.
“This facility could make such a difference to the lives and futures of young people in Wallsend. Rugby and football, any sport in fact, can provide a distraction from crime and channel young people's energy elsewhere. Sports participation and belonging to a club can empower young people and promote self confidence and self esteem and aid them down a positive path in life.
"This facility could give young people of Wallsend a club to belong to!"
One objector stated: “This is not a community development, what it does is force people to pay money to have access to something that is rightly free currently.
“This in turn will put pressure on families to pay to access this facility when we already have a cost of living crisis. This is bad taste to take a free open space away from a community.
“It will increase children playing on roads as there is no open space for them to play on as massive fences stop them getting there and if they do want to get inside the fence they then have to pay to do so.”
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Wallsend Labour councillor Matthew Thrilaway said: “I think it is a serious investment, that can only be good news. I hope the planning committee have taken all concerns in mind.”
Floodlighting will be switched off between 10.10pm and 7.30am and at all times when the pitches are not being used for sport.
Planning committee chairman Willie Samuel said: “I would simply say the committee took the view that this would be very much with the council’s policy to promote sport and health. It will also provide a space for football and rugby in the long term.”
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