£25m plan to revamp West rugby venue

REDEVELOPING Weston-superMare Rugby Club could provide improved facilities for players and spectators, plus 200 homes and access for a new primary school.

Club bosses have drawn up a £25 million masterplan with housing on the outskirts of the Sunnyside Road site, along with new commercial space, a clubhouse, changing rooms, a cafe and improved tiered seating.

For the project to go ahead, North Somerset Council will need to lift a legal restriction on the adjacent Drove Road Recreation Ground. The authority appears keen, as the deal could secure access for a possible new primary school and facilities the community can use.

Jason Collard from Studio Hive, which drew up the proposals, said: “The club had its heyday 40 or 50 years ago. The facilities have dwindled. The club owns quite a bit of land and has scraped together an income from it. We put together a proposal suggesting they could develop part of it and the proceeds could secure some new facilities.

“It became clear the council was also looking at that piece of land and Weston has the ambition to improve the town centre. There are very limited locations for a new school.

“This is something that can work for everybody.”

Mr Collard said the redevelopmentwas preferable to the rugby club moving away from its “heartland”, or sharing a space with the town’s football club, as had previously been suggested.

He said it would be funded by building around 200 flats in five or six blocks, standing between three and five storeys high.

The project could cost around £25 million.

A statement on the rugby club’s website says: “Weston-superMare Rugby Club has been at the heart of the community for over 140 years and at its current location for over 130 years.

“The club believes its place in the community can only be retained if it develops facilities that are available to the community and actively seeks their support.”

Club president Barry Sparks said: “We want to improve the facilities at the club. The current buildings were built 50 years ago. We want to create new facilities that will be fit for the next 50 years. The opportunity to start from scratch is very attractive.”

Council papers say the site was transferred to the club from the Urban District Council of Weston-super-Mare in 1931, subject to covenants restricting the use of the site to that of open space or sports ground.

Mr Sparks said the club is only asking the council to release a very small amount of land. The proposal will come before North Somerset Council’s executive on March 19.

The development will also require planning permission.