Hastings United at crisis point as thousands sign a new stadium petition after numerous set backs caused by their local borough council.
Hastings Borough Council have pulled the rug out from underneath Hastings United and are refusing to sell the Tilekiln site (which the council themselves suggested) to the club after £200,000 has been spent planning the site.
The current ground requires enormous upkeep costs owing to it’s old age and isn’t really suitable any longer. The best way to guarantee their future (and provide football for the local community) is with a new football complex on this site.
WE NEED YOU!!! ❤️
Sign the petition and support us in trying to change the facilities available to locals and build foundations that can last generations upon generations!
https://t.co/TZNapNCoew— Hastings United FC (@hastingsufc) November 28, 2022
James Hopkins started this petition, writing: “People of Hastings, St Leonard’s and surrounding areas, we need your help and support to prevent our senior club, having to move out of town.
“Why we hear, you ask?
“In 2018, Hastings Borough Council said they would look at our proposed plans for a new stadium and sports facilities to be built on the Tilekiln Playing Fields in Hollington.
“Our current ground was build in August 1920 and opened on the 8th November 1922, making our grounds 100 years old.
“This latest announcement by Hastings Borough Council has disappointingly led to the club wasting the last two years of planning at a considerable cost.
“Please take a minute of your time to sign our petition to get the council to reconsider their decision.”
Over 1,368 people have signed it within just a few days of it being launched, with fans across the country putting their name to it in the hope it will help the club.
With the application at first being successful, the goal was to move into their new home, a capacity of 3,000, by the start of the 2022/23 season.
The Isthmian League Premier Division outfit have been at their current ground, Pilot Field, since 1985 and was also their home between 1920, and 1948, with the original Hastings United using the ground between 1948 and 1985.
The council agreed in 2018 to look at the plans in detail to ensure they met certain criteria before a sale could be agreed.
A spokesman said: “Since then both the club and the council have spent a lot of time considering how this might work.
“The club meanwhile submitted planning applications for both Tilekiln and a housing scheme at Pilot Field in 2020, even though there were outstanding issues to be agreed before Hastings Borough Council could commit to the sale of Tilekiln.”
The council said that since discussions began it had declared a Climate Emergency and had to rethink its priorities after two years of the Covid.
The spokesman added: “As a result, it has been decided that protecting our green spaces for open and free community access is vital, and that the needs of the local community in Hollington who currently use the fields year round for recreation, dog walking and sports is paramount.
“It is hoped that the new partnership with the Football Foundation will secure investment in the three grass pitches at Tilekiln, and that further detailed work can be done to examine what is needed to support Hastings United remaining at Pilot Field. The existing ground is owned by Hastings Borough Council, and the council is keen to demonstrate support for the club by seeking external funding to improve facilities there.”
Cllr Paul Barnett, deputy leader of the council, added: “The world has moved on since we started talking about this four years ago, and our priority now has to be to protect and invest in our green spaces, and wherever possible reuse existing buildings rather than build new ones. This means ensuring that Tilekiln, a well-used and popular community facility, is preserved for the people of Hollington.
“We realise how disappointing this will be for Hastings United, and those of their supporters who are keen to see a better ground. We admire the work they have done on the pitch over the last two or three years, including starting an excellent womens team, and expanding their community coaching. So we hope to find other ways of supporting the club, and will be seeking an early meeting with them to look in detail at what is needed to improve Pilot Field so that their growing attendances can attend matches in comfort.
“Sport is an important element in improving people’s health, and post pandemic, we want to see improved facilities in the centre of our town that are easily accessible to all. So we are in discussion with a range of partners about how best to do this, and will be announcing new plans for investment soon.”
A Hastings United Football Club statement said: “Hastings United Football Club can confirm they have received confirmation from Hastings Borough Council that they no longer want to proceed with the redevelopment of Tilekiln Playing Fields for a multipurpose sporting facility complex, which would include a brand-new stadium.
“Sadly, there seems to have been a change in mindset from the council on the project which disappointingly has led to the club wasting the last two years of planning at considerable cost.”
Regarding the redevelopment of The Pilot Field. The statement added: “We as a club are open to listen to the council’s proposals and look to hold a meeting with them immediately. We will update supporters after the meeting has taken place.”
This is what Twitter users said with Hastings United at crisis point as thousands sign the new stadium petition…
@ludispubgrp: 5000 high quality club brochures delivered through the letterboxes of local homes and businesses could really help raise awareness of this. We can help with this and at zero cost.
@Peter_Dunk: I drove past Tilekin last Saturday, all local games off due to state of the pitches. This is a no brainer for the local sporting community.
@MattLegg42: Signed the petition
@SaveDurhamCity: Not Durham City related but 2 minutes of your time to help a non league football club being stiffed in relation to their ground. Sound familiar?
@hoadie77: Please sigh this!!
@jenkins_helz: Signed cos we 🍒 understand what a new stadium would mean for future generations.
@zopheeny: Signed! All of the known health benefits of sport and it’s still having to fight for funding!!!
This really is a must for the town and the club. It’ll elevate the club and give huge opportunities to everyone around the town. Even if you aren’t from Hastings but you enjoy sport and football please have a read, share and sign. Thanks 🖋📝 https://t.co/NFEQsouNGj
— Steve Cook (@SteveCook28) November 28, 2022
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