Multi-sport hub plans to move forward

An application to transform a Newcastle sports ground into a multi-sport hub facility is set to be approved.The proposed redevelopment of Bullocksteads Sports Ground was set to go before Newcastle City Council’s planning committee in February, but the item was withdrawn.It will now go before the authority later this week (16 April 2021) with a recommendation for the green light.The plans have been prepared by the council in association with the Northumberland Football Association and Newcastle United Football Club Foundation.The scheme comprises an overhaul of the Kenton Bank Foot site and the creation of new pitches, while a sports pavilion building would replace the existing indoor changing facilities.The pavilion will include a café, community space area, coaching room, fitness suite, studio space, and changing room facilities. There would also be 280 car parking spaces to replace the existing 70.The Bullocksteads project forms part of the Parklife Hub initiative, a capital investment programme funded by Sport England to provide enhanced facilities for the pursuit of football, as well as complementary leisure activities within communities.The Parklife Football Hubs Programme was launched in 2016 and invited expressions of interest from more than 80 local authorities. It is sponsored by the Football Association and The Premier League and delivered via the Football Foundation. A number of projects have been developed across the country, including one in Sunderland.