Community and sports centre approved by government

The new single storey building will see upgrades made to its existing football pitches

Work can now begin on a new sports centre after its development was approved by the government.

The Southlands Centre in Middlesbrough is set to be built at the site of a former leisure centre on Ormesby Road.

Planning permission was originally granted in September but Secretary of State for Communities Angela Rayner needed to approve a number of technical issues relating to the site's layout.

The project has now been greenlit, paving the way for the Middlesbrough FC Foundation to move its headquarters to the building.

Middlesbrough mayor Chris Cooke described the charity as the "perfect partner" for the project.

"I can't wait to see spades in the ground at the new Southlands Centre - it's going to be transformative for East Middlesbrough and a facility that the entire town will benefit from," he said.

"It will help our residents improve their physical and mental health, which is one of my key priorities for Middlesbrough."

'A real boost'

The Middlesbrough FC Foundation will run the centre and intends to move its staff there from its current Riverside Stadium headquarters.

A tender process to find a contractor has begun and the council hopes construction will begin next year.

As part of the work, the current 3G and grass football pitches will be upgraded and a new open space will be created for additional physical activities.

A second phase of the scheme could see further extensions added to the site, the council said.

Theo Furness, the council's executive member for development, said he believed the "top-class facility" would inspire people to "live healthy, active lives".

"Football is incredibly important to so many people in our town, so it’s a real boost for East Middlesbrough that the Middlesbrough FC Foundation will be moving to the new Southlands site," he said.