Plans for controversial new multi-activity Hub in Sheffield’s Hillsborough Park submitted

Sheffield City Council has announced that the proposal for a multi-activity hub in Hillsborough Park includes the development of three full-sized, pay-and-play tennis courts, with floodlighting.

The plans also include a tennis court which will have netball markings; and a resurfaced and redesigned, free-to-use, multi-use games area with basketball and football markings as well as floodlighting.

A nine-hole, pay-and-play mini golf course and two pay-and-play covered padel courts will also be built alongside a new café with indoor and outdoor seating, and public toilets.

The council added the new hub aims to create “a high-quality facility nestled in green space, that will help people to be more physically and socially active in their local area”.

Cllr Richard Williams, the chair of the communities, parks and leisure committee, said: “We are dedicated to ensuring that everyone in Sheffield has equal opportunities when it comes to health, sport and wellbeing. To do this, we need to make sure that everyone has access to quality facilities and services.

“The development of this unique new facility will have a real benefit to the local Hillsborough community, and I am delighted we are one step closer to making this happen with the submission of plans.”

However, the proposal sparked a debate about the best use of the space available at the park.

A couple of weeks ago the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that the now-dissolved Friends of Hillsborough Park were against the plans.

Andy Chaplin, the former treasurer of the group, then said: “We’ve been in discussions with the council planners for some time about what it might look like. We’ve got some very specific concerns about it.

“It’s now quite a big free-to-use area. All of the plans we’ve seen for it are making a large part of it into a pay-to-use area.”

Hillsborough’s ward councillors share the group’s concerns about the project.

When asked for a comment after today’s announcement, Cllr Henry Nottage told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We recognise that this proposal will bring new people to the park, create jobs and promote a healthier lifestyle but the devil is always in the detail with Planning Applications like these.

“As local Councillors we have engaged groups like ‘Cycling for All’ to ensure that their needs are catered for.

“We recognise that the proposal will have a real impact on some groups and we will make sure their concerns are heard clearly through the planning process.”