Northumberland football club AFC Newbiggin wins planning permission for new pitch and clubhouse

A football club’s plans for a new pitch and clubhouse have been given the green light.
The site of the new pitch and clubhouse for AFC Newbiggin. Picture by Ben O’ConnellThe site of the new pitch and clubhouse for AFC Newbiggin. Picture by Ben O’Connell
The site of the new pitch and clubhouse for AFC Newbiggin. Picture by Ben O’Connell

AFC Newbiggin wants to build a new single-storey clubhouse, 30-space car park, storage container and full-size football pitch surrounded by 3m-high mesh fencing on a field north of Central Parkway and north-east of the Northumberland Church of England Academy’s Grace Darling Campus.

The club, which was established in 1911, is seeking a new home as its current base at the nearby Newbiggin Sports Centre is not fit for purpose.

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Plans were originally recommended for approval at the January meeting of the Ashington and Blyth Local Area Council, but members voted unanimously to defer the application and go on a site visit.

The site of the new pitch and clubhouse for AFC Newbiggin. Picture by Ben O’ConnellThe site of the new pitch and clubhouse for AFC Newbiggin. Picture by Ben O’Connell
The site of the new pitch and clubhouse for AFC Newbiggin. Picture by Ben O’Connell

Returning before the committee on February 12, the application was approved by 10 votes to zero, with one abstention.

An original motion to give the go-ahead, by Coun Brian Gallacher, was withdrawn after Coun Grant Davey raised concerns about how it would affect the leisure centre, although members were told these issues were not relevant to the planning decision.

Coun Davey tried to move refusal based on policies within the emerging Local Plan, but was told by senior planning officer Judith Murphy that the decision had to be based on current policy.

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He asked if it could be deferred again, but Ms Murphy said the applicant could appeal for non-determination and the council may be liable for costs if the delay was based on non-planning reasons.

Therefore, Coun Jeff Reid moved approval, with the addition of a request to revisit the height of the fence, to check if it needs to be 3m tall.

“The problems councillors have can be solved by other levers, because the council is going to have to grant the lease,” he said.

The scheme attracted two objections from residents and the only reason it had to be decided by the committee was because it is on county council-owned land.

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Earlier, the meeting had heard from club secretary Lynn Burns.

“If it wasn’t for the volunteers at AFC Newbiggin, there would be nothing for young people in Newbiggin,” she added. “Build it and they will come.”

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