Girls’ football club fears for future as South Tyneside Council confirms loss of pitches at community centre
An online petition to save the building and fields has reached over 1,200 signatures.
The demolition of a South Tyneside community centre will lead to a loss of playing fields, council chiefs have confirmed – sparking fears a girls’ football club will fold.
They admit just one new grass pitch and an all-weather surface are expected to eventually remain on land at Brinkburn CA in South Shields, which will shut early next year.
The former comprehensive school site currently boasts four full-size fields – three for football and one rugby – a mini grassed soccer pitch and a hard surface sports area.
Now, with most of the site earmarked long-term for house building, Boldon Colliery Athletic Football Foundation (CAFF) says its 17 girls’ teams who play there are in jeopardy.
Bosses insist they are not willing to accept the decision to shut quietly and have convened a community meeting at the CA at 6pm on Friday, November 20, to discuss their options.
Separately, an online petition on change.org to save the building and fields has reached over 1,200 signatures.
David Ray, chairman of Boldon CAFF, said: “I am desperate to find a solution which matches our current provision. Seventeen girls’ teams can’t just disappear overnight.
“This is more than football, it is a whole community including some incredibly vulnerable children who use Brinkburn CIO who will be displaced by the closure.
“Our intention is to bring together the South Tyneside community and campaign for a sustainable, secure and long-term future for Boldon CAFF as well as supporting other groups impacted by the council’s plans.
“We firmly believe that the future of community sport, the needs of local families and the value of community facilities must also be given proper consideration.”
Last week, South Tyneside Council announced the CA would be pulled down, following financial and leasing issues, in a reorganisation involving two other borough community facilities.
It said the CA was financially unsustainable and cost it around £200,000 a year in utility bills and had not demonstrated a financially sustainable long-term operating model.
The council also said the future playing field provision plan was separate to the closure and was made public in 2023, when revealed in a draft of the recently approved Local Plan strategy document.
The Local Plan shows the entire Brinkburn site earmarked for housing but contains an assurance two new playing pitches will be laid.
A council spokesman said: “We understand the concerns being raised by local football clubs and how important access to good-quality pitches is, particularly for girls and young people.
“In addition to the two enhanced pitches proposed as part of any future redevelopment at Brinkburn, the Local Plan also requires mitigation for any playing field land affected by redevelopment.
“These requirements were considered by an independent Planning Inspector as part of the examination of the Local Plan before it was adopted.
“The detailed arrangements for the provision of replacement playing fields will be developed through the next stages of the process.”
While current management arrangements at Brinkburn will end following the notice period, wider redevelopment will not begin immediately and no planning application exists.
Susan Sybenga, Lead Member for Finance and Resources, said temporary arrangements which could allow some existing groups to continue using parts of the site post-closure were being looked at.
She added: “While the current management arrangements will come to an end, redevelopment will not happen immediately and we want to make the best possible use of that time to support the groups and activities based there.
“Playing pitch provision will form part of the site's longer-term future and we also want to secure community provision as part of that future.
“As plans develop, we will keep working directly with groups so they have as much clarity as possible about what happens next.”