Planning application for new South Shields sporting hub imminent

Plans for a new sporting hub on Temple Memorial Park are set to move a significant step closer. The Gazette understands that South Shields and Westoe Sports Club will soon be in a position to submit a planning application to build a new club house and base on the southern part of the park.The plans also include rugby pitches, tennis courts and cricket pitches for both senior and juniors players. Earlier this year, South Tyneside Council’s cabinet gave the go-ahead to the local authority to enter into an agreement to lease land to the club, An agreement was also sought by the Church Commissioners due to a restriction being placed on the land after it was gifted to the people of the borough in recognition of the part they played in the 1939 – 1945 war at sea. It meant detailed ground investigations and other scoping work could be carried out. Following preliminary work on the land, a planning application could be submitted as early as next month. A planning application for the club’s current site on Dean Road is also expected, which would see the land redeveloped to create 82 family homes. The club currently provides a home to rugby, tennis, cricket and squash sections, but over the years the site has been outgrown. The proposed new development area, which covers 38 acres, is now used as football pitches which have deteriorated in recent years, leading to poor usage. The current leisure complex at Temple Park covers about 110 acres and has enough capacity to retain the existing council facilities, as well as welcome the club. As part of the agreement the club would replace the existing football pitches to meet Sport England requirements, however, the council would own and manage them.