Barnsley’s Parkside plans rubber stamped

As part of the Hoyland Masterplan, which will see 1,116 new homes, a new primary school, and the Hermes Hub which is under construction, the sporting facilities at Rockingham will be relocated.

A report considered by cabinet at today’s meeting (February 9) states: “The Rockingham Sports Ground is currently held under a lease by the Forge Community Partnership for a term of 25-years from the 1st April 2010.

“Therefore, the sale of the Council’s land will require the relocation of the sporting facilities, users of the sports ground and the community hall to an alternative piece of land within the Hoyland area, as well as a two-phase surrender of the existing leasehold interest by Forge.”

Cabinet approved the £1.16m to fund the construction of a new pavilion at Parkside to compensate for the loss of facilities at Rockingham.

The cost is expected to be recouped from future S106 contributions.

Approval was also given for submission of a joint bid with the Forge Partnership to the Football Foundation for the provision of an artificial grass pitch, in the region of £700,000.

“Forge will require a replacement building following the second and final surrender of their leasehold interest in the Rockingham Sports Ground,” adds the report.

MORE PLANNING: New woodland to be planted at Hoyland Common

“As a result, it is proposed to front fund the building of a new pavilion at the Parkside site. This should avoid the need to provide a temporary building in the first instance.

The new Parkside Sports Ground will be four hectares, and the site will be ‘designed to be highly energy efficient and fossil fuel free’.

The new building will be ‘required to service sporting activities on the site’ such as football, archery, and outdoor exercise along with health and community uses.

Councillor Chris Lamb, cabinet spokesperson for environment and transportation told the meeting that the Rockingham centre is ‘a really important community facility, and I think it is right and proper to replace it’.

Coun Lamb added that the new sports centre will be designed so it can be extended at a later date.

Councillor Jim Andrews BEM, deputy leader of the council and ward member for Rockingham, said the scheme is ‘really, really good for Hoyland Common’.

Coun Andrews added: “Not only will it accommodate one football field, which will be an artificial grass pitch, but it looks like it will also accommodate another full size pitch, plus a junior pitch, plus space for the archery as well.

“Rockingham Cricket Club will stay there while their situation is sorted out.”

Last April, BMBC denied that it had breached a covenant protecting Rockingham Sports Ground, that stated the land could ‘only be used for sports and recreation’.

Mark Goodison, founder of the ‘Save Hoyland’ campaign group, said in April 2021 that a planning application from 1990 ‘shows clear lines around Rockingham and Parkside which cannot be used, as the land was gifted to local miners by the Earl of Wentworth’.

He said: “Barnsley Council know they cannot breach the covenant that’s why they are selling Rockingham back to Wentworth hoping they can remove the covenant , but failing to inform residents they are trying to remove their legal right to use Rockingham given to them and the local miners in perpetuity by the Earl of Wentworth.”

However, a council spokesperson denied that this was the case.

They add that the council agreed that the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation could purchase the land where the sports ground sits.

The spokesperson added: “The purchase of the land would be in two separate phases and require the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation to obtain planning permission to develop their adjoining land for warehouse and office accommodation.

“Although the use of the Rockingham Sports Ground is currently restricted to leisure and recreational use, it does not mean this can’t be widened or removed by the party in charge of the covenant – in this case, the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation. Most importantly, as the holders of the covenant, they were included in the discussions and agreed to the proposal.

“It is important to note that the council has been working with the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation, the developer, and the Forge Community Partnership throughout.”