Stand plans approved for Hebburn Town FC

A South Tyneside sports team has won planning permission to carry out work on new stands for its home ground.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Hebburn Town Football Club had submitted proposals to improve facilities by providing a Clubhouse stand, along with a replacement steel and concrete Cemetery Road stand, both with corrugated roofs.

The application for the Hebburn Sports and Social Club also included providing the same roofing for two existing North Drive stands.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The proposals were listed as ‘part-retrospective’ by the council due to work on the Clubhouse stand having been started, while two of the stands adjacent with North Drive were also present on site, both not completed.

Hebburn Town FC.Hebburn Town FC.
Hebburn Town FC.

In response to an investigation by the council’s planning enforcement team, work was halted to gain planning permission before continuing.

The application went before the latest meeting of South Tyneside Council Planning Committee on Monday, October 24, where councillors approved the proposals by majority decision.

The agent for the application had advised ahead of the meeting the development is required to support Hebburn Town FC and the club’s progression through the football pyramid.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They advised due to requirements relating to seating areas for spectators, the club sought to improve facilities by replacing standing areas for fans with covered seating.

An email from Hebburn South representative Councillor Angela Lamonte, submitted ahead of the meeting, called for the committee to defer or adjourn a decision.

This would be to allow a resident to obtain their own analysis regarding the impact of the Clubhouse stand on the local area.

However officers ruled this would not be necessary as councillors had all the necessary information to make a decision.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Her Hebburn South colleague, Cllr Wilf Flynn, sitting on the committee, said he found himself in a “difficult position” in regards to the application, due to the actions taken by the club to begin work before gaining planning permission.

Council planning officers had recommended the proposals for approval, subject to several routine conditions being completed.

A report said: “The design of the proposed development would be sympathetic due to its setting forming part of a large sports ground and would not be materially detrimental to the visual amenities of the area.

“It is considered that the proposed stands would be acceptable in terms of the relevant material planning considerations and would accord with development plan policies.”

This application was deferred from the planning committee meeting in September to allow a site visit to be carried out.

Seven neighbouring properties had objected to the proposals, along with the South Tyneside Tree Action Group, and council chiefs had sought to address all concerns in their reports and at the previous meeting.