Plans for a cheerleading training club to relocate to new premises in South Tyneside have been submitted

South Tyneside Council’s planning department received the application for a unit off Heddon Way in the Middlefields Industrial Estate area.

The proposal from the South Tyneside Jets Cheerleading Club aims to change the building’s use from ‘general industrial’ to an indoor cheerleading training club for a temporary three-year period.

According to a covering letter submitted to council officials, the club’s search for a new home was sparked by news of the planned closure of its existing venue at Chuter Ede.

Those behind the planning application said a number of replacement venues had been looked at but were considered unsuitable.

The earmarked Heddon Way industrial unit, which was last occupied by a landscaping and grounds maintenance business, meets several of the cheerleading club’s requirements.

This includes the need for a high ceiling venue for “difficult cheerleading stack routines”, which involve cheerleaders being elevated during performances, as well as jumps and throws.

The covering letter added: “Both the urgent demand for the unit by the South Tyneside Jets Cheerleading Club, and the recent availability of the unit due to the existing tenant requesting to downsize, have only recently been realised and no marketing of the application site for industrial use has therefore been carried out.

“It should also be noted that only a three-year temporary planning consent is being sought which would enable our site search to continue and would save the club from closure as no other high ceiling venues are available at the present time.

“The site search for an alternative high ceiling venue has been assisted by the council’s asset management team and has involved council-owned sites.

“This site search has found the current planning application site to be the most suitable”.

The South Tyneside Jets are a competitive cheerleading club teaching cheerleading to children from the age of four.

A short-term lease for the new site aims to provide the club with flexibility to potentially move to new premises in future, as well as allowing the club to apply for funding grants.