Plans in for new ‘mini-soccer’ pitch facilities on former Hebburn Colliery land

South Tyneside Council recently submitted an application to its own planning department for a site off School Street in the Hebburn North ward.

This included the development of “three football turf pitches with associated infrastructure” on open space which was historically part of Hebburn Colliery.

The proposed site is adjacent to the community building ‘The Cabin’ as well as a sports court and play area.

According to planning documents, the new mini-soccer pitches would be used in particular by “children with special educational needs and a local youth team, although access to the wider public will also be available in terms of booking arrangements.”

Access to the pitches would be managed via a booking system as well as “weldmesh” fencing surrounding the facility and “controlled gated access”.

The plans are expected to go before members of South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee for decision next week.

If approved, the pitches would be used between the hours of 12 noon and 8.30pm, Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays -with anticipated usage being no more than three hours on any one day.

Due to no floodlighting being provided, council planners clarified, it would not be possible to use the pitches in the late afternoon/evening during the winter.

According to a committee report, the council planning application seeks to provide “compensatory playing pitches in the Hebburn area”.

This aims to replace land which is earmarked for a new emergency services ‘Tri-Station’ at Campbell Park Road/Marine Drive in the town.

During consultation on the mini-soccer pitches plan, South Tyneside Council planners received objections from a number of addresses including Colliery Close and Walsh Avenue.

A total of 14 letters of objection were submitted, with concerns ranging from increased noise pollution, anti-social behaviour and traffic to “adverse impact on local wildlife”, visual impacts and loss of privacy.

Council planning officers said the plans would be acceptable and have recommended the scheme for approval.

While acknowledging the plans would result in the loss of some “informal open space” council planners concluded that the benefits of the scheme would outweigh this loss.

A report prepared by council planners reads: “The principle of the proposed development is acceptable as the development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current use.

“In this regard, the current informal open space is not of high quality and even if the three football pitches were constructed, a circular informal open space route would still be available for use around the pitches and existing trees to the north and east boundaries of the existing open space would be retained.

“Further informal open space would also still remain in the south eastern area of the larger open space at School Street of which the application site forms a part.”

The committee report goes on to say: “The pitches will provide an additional recreational offer to this centrally located open space area in the heart of Hebburn to complement the informal open space, community building, hard surfaced MUGA and play area already present on site.”

A final decision on the application rests with members of South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee who will next meet on Monday, July 18.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 10am at South Shields Town Hall and will be open to the public.