Combe Valley Sports Park
This article was edited on 06/09/17 to show detailed drawings of the new sports park.
Hastings United FC AND The Trustees of Horntye Park Sports Complex are pleased to release updated concept images of the proposed Combe Valley Sports Village Complex to be developed with their Partners.
More information and comment can be viewed on the Hastings United Football Club and Horntye Park web sites.
Since first releasing details last November about the proposed move to the Combe Valley site there has been considerable dialogue with the proposed site owner Hastings Borough Council and the planning authority Rother District Council.
Funding for the scheme has now been secured and National House builder Keepmoat Homes is taking a stake to deliver the Housing schemes as part of this important regeneration project.
Daren Burney a Director of Burney Group, the principle developer, commented ‘The response to date from both Hastings and Rother has been encouraging. The next step is for pre-application planning discussions to take place followed by pre-application submissions. The new fully sustainable Sports Hub will provide a wide range of sports facilities for the Hastings, St. Leonards and Bexhill areas, not least a brand new state of the art Stadium for Hastings United FC., together with two Cricket pitches, for Hastings & St. Leonard’s Priory Cricket Club, a much needed sand dressed hockey pitch for South Saxons Hockey Club and an indoor sports hall. The project is certainly gaining momentum and we would hope, subject to pre-application planning discussions and submissions going well, to be able to submit the planning application in early 2018 and then deliver these first class facilities for the start of the 2019/20 football and hockey season’.
From a footballing perspective the new football stadium has facilities which include a grass pitch and conference and banqueting rooms plus meeting rooms, classrooms and a sports bar. In addition the football club will have access to a 3G pitch. These facilities will enable the Football Club to generate non match day revenue to re-invest into the Hastings United Football Academy, as well as in the first team. This will give the Club the support it needs to hopefully climb through the non-league football pyramid.
The scheme will give much needed financial security to the Horntye Park Trust (Officially called The Hastings and St. Leonard’s Central Cricket and Recreation ground Trust) by providing new revenue streams and some much improved and needed sporting facilities. In addition to the cricket and hockey pitches there will be a four court sports hall, a gym for sports, fitness and healthy living activities, a dance studio, together with meeting rooms and full catering facilities. The outside facilities will also include a 3G pitch, a county size boules (petanque) court and a netball court.
This scheme will bring £70M of new investment into Hastings & St. Leonard’s, made up of £58M for much needed new homes and £12M for brand new sports facilities.
The project is the largest sports related scheme the Borough of Hastings will have ever seen or is likely to see. The project is intended to produce increased participation in sport via improved facilities for all, which will result in healthy living outcomes and savings to the NHS in the order of £28m. A substantial amount of new homes will be developed and there will be economic, social and community benefits arising, plus inward investment and vitality.
The Partners believe there will be plenty of community gains arising from the sports village these include, easier travel access, increased cross fertilisation of sports, community access to sport from a wider catchment area and more benefits for disabled and disadvantaged groups. There will also be no adverse impacts, given the increase in facilities over and above those which exist.
The sports village project, in addition to the sports facilities, would also be expected to produce the following measurable benefits:
- £70M investment in the Hastings area.
- Residential developments to assist with housing needs.
- Construction jobs over the period of implementation.
- Sports village operational jobs.
- Leisure and wellbeing benefits.
- Health benefits from increased leisure activity.
- Fiscal benefits to Hastings Borough Council.
- Implementation of flood mitigation measures at Combe Valley.
The Partners plan to formally present the latest plans to both Rother District Council and Hastings Borough Council in the very near future, as well as holding Public Consultations later in the year. This allows the Public’s engagement before submission of the Planning Application at the start of 2018.
Update 10th October 2017
Proposed Combe Valley Sports Village & Housing Schemes at Bexhill Road, Horntye Park and Pilot Field
Public Consultation Exhibition Events
The above stated events will take place on the dates and at the times and venues shown below:
Wednesday 25th October 2017 – Available between 5pm and 8pm.
Horntye Park Sports Complex, Cornwallis Suite, Bohemia Road, Hastings, TN34 1EX.
Thursday 26th October 2017 – Available between 5pm and 8pm.
Hastings United Sports & Social Club, The Firs, Elphinstone Road, Hastings, TN34 2AX.
Friday 27th October 2017 – Available between 4.30pm and 7.30pm.
West St. Leonards Community Centre & Social Club, 130, Bexhill Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, TN38 8BL.
Members of the general public, residents associations, community groups, sports clubs, councillors and press/media representatives are all most welcome to attend the events.
The exhibitions will centre on the display of plans for the proposed sports village and housing schemes. Attendees will have the opportunity to put questions to the project team present and to state any concerns and further questions they have on a written questionnaire. The contents of the questionnaires will be fully taken on board by the project team.
