Exciting plans put forward for £6M Sheffield football hub

The FA hub on the old Westfield School will boast will boast two artificial and three grass pitches which will be relaid with quality playing turf.

A total of seven new pitches with space for rugby, are proposed on the site on Moss Way, Mosborough.

A new two storey pavilion is proposed and will have provision for six team changing rooms, a club room, coaching spaces plus a health and fitness suite located on the first floor with a café.

Many junior and senior football clubs in south-east Sheffield will benefit.

There will also be provision for 200 car parking spaces and some loss of trees will make way for a new access road connecting Moss Way.

Parts of the development are said to encroach part of the Sheffield green belt.

But developers stress the scheme to improve health and wellbeing is a ‘very special circumstance’ which outweighs this.

The Westfield site will be discussed at a planning committee later this year whether or not to approve the development.

Sheffield Council has teamed up with The FA to invest in new football hubs in a bid to get more young people playing football on top-class facilities.

Two new football centres are currently under construction at Graves Leisure Centre, Norton and Thorncliffe Recreation Ground, High Green.

A spokesman from applicant William’s Architects said: “This site already has an established sports use and the proposal to provide new pitches and renew and upgrade the existing ones will give a longevity to the current site.

“The pavilion will provide much needed facilities whilst the supporting uses of café and health and fitness suite will help to generate the revenue to maintain this as well as other sporting venues.”

Kelly Simmons, The FA’s director of participation and development said: “The vision of building football hubs in up to 30 key areas and we applaud Sheffield for leading the way.”