Approval recommended for Sheffield sports facilities

Plans for new sports facilities adjacent to Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield look set to get the green light next week (2 April 2024).Courtside Hubs CIC, supported by CT Planning, submitted a planning application to Sheffield City Council last year for the redevelopment of the tennis courts at Hillsborough Park.Planning permission is sought for the construction of a sports facility including a new café and community space building, replacement tennis courts, a replacement multi-use games area (MUGA), new mini-golf, padel tennis court facilities and outdoor activity space.The proposed café and community space would be used for exercise classes, yoga and community meetings.A total of three tennis courts would be provided, with one of these suitable for netball, as well as two padel tennis courts.The MUGA would remain as a free-to-use facility, with a charge for the other facilities.The application will go before the council’s planning and highways committee on 2 April and is recommended for approval, subject to conditions, in an officer’s report prepared for the meeting.The report said: “It is considered that the proposal represents an appropriate form of development which would support the recreational function of the park and would introduce a new facility providing additional recreational choice for the residents of Sheffield.”The park is located between Penistone Road and Middlewood Road, with Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium immediately to the north.