Thornaby FC home near Acklam Road gets homes plan approved

Thornaby Football Club supported the proposal for 10 three-bedroom homes on land near its home on Acklam Road, Thornaby, likening the entrance to a “safari”.

The club said the housing would bring essential access improvements, investment and supporters.

Carlington Developments Ltd applied for planning permission to build the homes on the land, also near Thornaby Cricket Club and cemetery. Stockton Council’s planning committee met to decide the matter on Wednesday afternoon (February 4).

Ryan McKnight, Thornaby FC’s chief operating officer, told councillors: “The status quo sees the football club subject to rather a barrage of anti-social behaviour on the proposed site, that ultimately fell into enormous costs for what is a local community asset.

The football club had its mains power disconnected as a result of fire in the cabin at the top of the proposed site.

“We’ve been without mains power for over a year now, it has cost the football club in excess of £100,000 thus far, and we’re in no near sight of being reconnected to the mains.

“The proposed site offers an improvement in access that is absolutely needed for the football club to carry on. It’s like going on safari as you enter the football club, it’s not a good situation at all and not a good advert for Thornaby.

“This site going ahead will help deliver further investment into both the football clubs and facilities at the football clubs.

“The proposed facility improvement at the football clubs are enormous and very much changing in all the positive aspects one would hope for in Thornaby, and these will go hand in hand.

“The proposed development would also bring new supporters to the football club. There’ll be a whole new population of people for us to engage with.”

He argued this would help the club improve “one of the most deprived areas, not only in Teesside but in England”.

He added: “We’d love to express our support. We’ve had a very positive relationship with the developers and we see nothing but positives for the area and the football club in the development going ahead.”

The scheme drew a letter of support from the club and three letters of objection. Objectors said it should not be developed for housing and should be kept as a walkway, and raised issues including impact on wildlife, historic character, access, traffic congestion and possible accidents.

A previous plan for up to 60 homes, along with redevelopment of the football club facilities, was refused in 2016. And Carlington’s outline plans for 10 homes were approved by planning officers, then refused by councillors, then approved again by planning inspectors in a complicated history including a High Court ruling.

Senior planning officer Jill Conroy said this latest plan gave detail on appearance, scale, layout, and landscaping, adding: “The development proposes five blocks of semi-detached properties located to the western section of the side.”

The plans include the loss of 11 trees, “deemed of lower quality of value”, with others to be planted to make up for this, in an area that was covered by a tree preservation order.

Agent Fahim Farooqui from Total Planning Solutions, speaking for the applicant, said an appeal inspector concluded 10 homes with landscaping and tree protection could be accommodated without undue harm and would not undermine the setting and character of the area or cemetery.

He said: “The layout and design has been carefully positioned with the removal of 11 trees, replanted in a more strategic manner, which provides screening and a more appropriate character for this location.”

He added an access road which had been in place since 1917 would be upgraded and enhanced.

Debating the plan, Cllr Sylvia Walmsley, who represents Stainsby Hill, said: “This development is all on previously built land, on a footprint where the old clubhouse was and where the old changing rooms are.

“It’ll definitely improve site security, it’ll improve the lives of residents on Acklam Road because of the rear access, which at the moment is problematic. So I have no hesitation in supporting this.”

Yarm member Cllr John Coulson said: “I know this area, it’s a desolate area. I go there and I took my crampons and climbing rope to get access to the football ground, it’s terrible.

“This can only enhance the area and the football club. The football club has been the victim of vandalism for a long, long time.”

Other councillors asked for assurances about access, drainage, tree planting and hedgehogs. Planning services manager Simon Grundy said these would be covered by planning conditions and enforcement measures.

Highways engineer Martin Parker said: “What is proposed is a vast improvement on what is there now. What’s there now is basically a dirt track and it’ll provide better access to the rear properties.”

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the plan with conditions.