Future Development and Plans
UPDATE: 04/01/18
After the recent press announcement, the Horntye Park Management Company have released the following statement:
Bohemia Hastings LLP the scheme promoter of the Combe Valley Sports
village has been working for the past 3 years with both Hastings Borough
Council and Rother District Council to deliver the new sports village
together with 400 new homes. Latterly the promoter engaged with Keepmoat
Homes as JV Partner to deliver the scheme. In late December the promoter
received a call from David Carmichael the Group Land and Partnerships
Director at Keepmoat Group who advised that whilst the project is an
attractive proposition, going forward for strategic reasons, the
Keepmoat Board wanted to focus on other areas in the country. Formal
written confirmation from the Keepmoat Board of their withdrawal is
still awaited and once this is received the promoter will engage with
other interested Major UK house builders for the delivery phase of what
is an exciting regeneration project.
Peter Finch, chairman of the Horntye Park management company, said: “We are obviously disappointed to hear this news but have utmost confidence that Daren Burney will come forth with something good for the town to fulfil the project.”
UPDATE: 16/11/17:
Please visit www.CombeValleySportsVillage.com to see all information regarding the proposed move to the Combe Valley Sports Village.
UPDATE:
The Combe Valley Sports Village Project went before the Hastings Borough Council Cabinet on the evening of Monday 6th March. The Trustees are pleased to be able to confirm that the project received unanimous support except for two Councillors declaring a prejudicial interest and abstaining from the debate. Although the council’s decision is not binding it is a major show of support and allows the project to go to the next stage whereby a full planning application will be submitted to both Hastings Borough and Rother District Councils.
Horntye Park Management Committee is pleased to place in the public domain for the first time, as can also be seen in today’s Hastings & St. Leonard’s Observer, its plans for future relocation to a new purpose build sports facility at Combe Valley. This would form the centre point building for a sustainable sports village catering for cricket, hockey, rugby, American football, netball, tennis, and petanque, junior and senior grass football pitches together with a new purpose built football stadium for Hastings United Football Club There is also proposed a sports hall for court based sports, a gym for sports fitness and healthy living activities and other indoor facilities and rooms to accommodate social, educational and club activity.
The scheme, which will ultimately need the approval of The Charity Commission to proceed, is a culmination of 18 months of work that has involved the Trustees of Horntye Park Sports Complex, Hastings United Football Club and their partners.
The project which will bring £70M of new investment into Hastings & St. Leonard’s, is made up of £58M housing and £12M sports facilities. It has been put together by Burney Group & Sherlock Consultancy along with a UK top 10 Housebuilder in Keepmoat Homes.
Hastings Borough Council have been kept collaboratively in the loop as the scheme has been developed, however, the Council’s Officers, Members of Cabinet or indeed Hastings Borough Councillors themselves have not yet in any way given the green light for the project to proceed. The process for this to occur is ongoing as are discussions with Rother District Council, who are the planning authority for the proposed sports village on a site at Combe Valley on land that is owned by Hastings Borough Council.
Below is shown the at this stage site layout plan with facilities proposed for the sports village:
We believe 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.
A substantial amount of new homes will be developed and there will be economic, social and community benefits arising, plus inward investment and vitality at no cost to Hastings Borough Council or the public purse.
Below is a water colour of what the sports village might look like. This shows the main cricket ground with the football stadium and sports hall in the background:
We believe there will be enormous community gain arising from the sports village, including easier travel access, increased cross fertilisation of sports, community access to sport from a wider catchment area and more benefit for disabled and disadvantaged groups. There will also be no adverse impacts to existing facilities.
The sports village project in addition to the sports facilities, would also be expected to produce such as the following measurable benefits:
- £70M investment in the Hastings area.
- 406 new homes.
- Construction jobs over the period of implementation.
- Sports village operational jobs.
- Leisure and well-being benefits.
- Health benefits from increased leisure activity.
- Fiscal benefits to Hastings Borough Council.
- Implementation of flood mitigation measures at Combe Valley.
The next step is for the partnership to finalise the way forward with Hastings Borough Council and Rother District Council and submit a Planning Application early in 2017.
The Partnership are targeting a 2018 completion to commence use of the facilities in 2019.
Peter Finch B.E.M.
Chairman, Horntye Park Management Company
Trustee to The Hastings & St. Leonard’s Central Cricket & Recreation Ground Trust