Everything you need to know about crunch meeting deciding fate of Hebburn Town FC's transformation

South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee, at a meeting this week, discussed plans to redevelop the club’s ground off South Drive in Hebburn.

The submission of the plans last year (2025) followed an announcement of a £2 million funding package from the Government and sought permission for a range of improvements.

This included two 3G pitches to “replace the existing grass pitches” and “a new main spectators stand (including home changing room, three additional changing rooms, medical room, media room, kitchen, entrance lobby, admin room, function hall, associated w/c)” and more.

Other parts of the redevelopment included “extensions to the north stand, extension to east stand, ground floor extension to existing pavilion below balcony deck, [a] new vehicular site access via South Drive and pedestrian access via Victoria Road, conversion of existing (changing room) building to a community hub, new and replacement floodlighting, renewables (solar and AWHP) and extension to existing car park north stand” to create around 129 spaces, as well as the provision of 33 cycle parking spaces.

The new vehicular access onto South Drive aimed to allow the car park to operate with a one-way system, council planning documents state, where the “new access point would be for exiting the car park onto South Drive with the existing vehicular access being utilised as the entry point to the site.”

When announcing the submission of the plans in December, 2025, applicants said the redevelopment would see The Hornets replace the site’s main pitch with a new FIFA Pro-certified artificial pitch, a second training pitch with state-of-the-art 3G pitches, new floodlights and the construction of a new south stand.

The stand is expected to contain modern changing rooms, office facilities, a gym, a club shop and a flexible function room area which would be used for conference facilities and classrooms, and the club is also looking to convert an existing building into a community hub to be used for meetings, events and health and wellbeing activities.

Meanwhile, Hebburn Town’s The Sportsy Bar would also be extended below the current balcony area to increase the venue’s match day capacity, as well as incorporating a dedicated stage area for performers and creating a more spacious area for families.

During a council public consultation exercise on the plans however, Hebburn Town FC’s expansion plans divided opinion with around 11 objections and 13 representations in support.

Issues raised in objections included concerns about the intensification of the use of the site, light pollution, traffic and parking impacts, the scale and design of the proposal and potential impacts during construction.

Representations in support, also summarised in a council committee report, stated Hebburn Town FC’s expansion would be “comprehensive, modern and sustainable” and represents “significant investment into the club and locality”, as well as providing a “FIFA quality pitch and better facilities for players and spectators.”

Council planning officers, in a report published ahead of a decision-making meeting this week, had recommended the planning application for approval.

The council committee report said the site is “considered to be an acceptable location for the proposals” and “would deliver enhanced sports facilities as well as wider community facilities infrastructure benefits by contributing to current regeneration proposals being progressed for the Hebburn area which are supported by Government grant funding.”

The plans were formally discussed at a meeting of South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee on March 9, 2026, at South Shields Town Hall.

Councillor Angela Lamonte, Hebburn South ward member, spoke at the meeting to raise concerns on behalf of residents of South Drive, Parkside and Victoria Road West.

Cllr Lamonte acknowledged the “major economic investment” with benefits for the club and Hebburn and clarified she was not calling for the application to be refused, but aimed to discuss conditions around the development in the context of impacts on residents living in the vicinity of the ground.

The concerns raised on behalf of residents, summarised in a council report, included “increased footfall and traffic” using the South Drive vehicle access, increased alcohol sales and potential noise, litter and antisocial behaviour impacts and increased traffic “beyond match days due to the increased facilities.”

Cllr Lamonte raised concerns at the planning meeting about increased traffic, parking pressures, highway safety and air pollution and said proposed parking restrictions at the new access and egress arrangement at South Drive were “insufficient” to mitigate impacts on residents.

Several members of the public also spoke at the meeting raising concerns about the “major operational change” at Hebburn Town FC and residential amenity and privacy impacts from increased traffic and visitors.

There were also suggestions that an alternative access to the site could be created from Victoria Road West to reduce impacts on South Drive residents.

Council planners, responding later in the meeting, said that councillors had to determine the original plans that had been submitted and that an alternative access on the main road may have different highway safety implications.

Hebburn Town FC’s chief executive, Stephen Rutherford, also spoke at the planning hearing and said the redevelopment plans would bring economic and community benefits and “strengthen one of Hebburn’s most important longstanding community institutions”.

It was noted that a “positive decision” from the Planning Committee was needed to allow the club to use the external funding secured, as well as meeting project timelines and “delivery milestones”.

The Hebburn Town FC boss said the club had been involved in community consultation and engagement but recognised it was “not possible to satisfy every individual concern”.

Mr Rutherford added residential amenity would be “safeguarded and responsibly managed”, that the development’s traffic impacts would be “moderate and manageable” and that the “benefits [of the development] are substantial, and the impacts are acceptable and manageable”.

He also gave a commitment to be “willing to listen, to adapt where reasonable and to continue constructive dialogue with all of our residents.”

During debate on the planning application several councillors acknowledged both the economic benefits of the development and residents’ concerns and discussed potential changes to traffic restrictions outlined by council planners, including the expansion of double yellow lines and/or traffic calming measures.

However, the Planning Committee agreed to ultimately back the original measures proposed by council planning officers, which will be secured via a section 106 legal agreement, aiming to mitigate “increased activity in and around the site”.

This includes a “financial contribution of up to £5,000” from the applicant to “cover the council’s costs” in relation to the “provision of a traffic regulation order (in respect of parking restrictions associated with the new vehicular access onto South Drive).”

A number of conditions also set out details of construction working hours, noise management plans on match days and during entertainment events and time restrictions on the use of community pitch floodlighting “in the interests of residential amenity”.

Council planners, in a presentation to decision-makers, said it was acknowledged there would be impacts in terms of “increased comings and goings” but that on balance, the benefits of the development outweigh the harms.

Council planners, in a committee report, also said that “concerns in representations received regarding the actions of some users of the site are noted” but that “in terms of possible antisocial behaviour for example, the planning system is concerned with land use in the public interest, rather than the individual users of that land use”.

It was noted that there had been “no objection to the proposal from the police designing out crime officer or the council’s community safety team on crime, fear of crime, or antisocial behaviour grounds.”

After being put to the vote, Hebburn Town FC’s redevelopment plans were approved by a majority of councillors with 10 votes in favour and one vote against.

For more information on the planning application and council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 250745