Sport centre first phase plan revealed

The centre would also host training workshops, educational and social sessions

Amended plans for the first phase of a £3.7m sports development have been submitted.

Approval for the facility at the site of the former Southlands Centre on Ormesby Road in Middlesbrough was first granted in February 2023.

However, Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation was then brought in as a new partner, with fresh planning permission required.

The new proposal is for a single storey community hub along with an 11-a-side football pitch.

Featuring community rooms, a hall, a multi-use teaching room and a kitchen area, the centre would host training workshops, employability courses, education, mentoring and social sessions.

Further extensions are planned under the second stage of the scheme.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the foundation – the football club's charity arm – is currently in talks with the local authority to move its headquarters from the Riverside Stadium to the site.

Lynsey Edwards, head of the foundation, said: "The Southlands facility will provide a wide range of activity in the heart of the community."

A council report said the scheme would provide a new community sports facility, with safe access and parking, "which will complement the surrounding area and enrich the lives of people living in the area and surrounding communities".

The initial plan will be decided in the coming weeks and, if passed, a full tender exercise will be carried out before a contractor is appointed.