Petition urges council to reverse refusal of new Hastings United football stadium

A petition has been launched, urging the council to reconsider its refusal to sell Tilekiln playing fields for a new proposed Hastings United football stadium.
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The proposed development by Hastings United FC was approved in June by the authority, despite it stating three months earlier it was not intending to sell land needed for the scheme to go ahead.

The council also approved an outline application to build up to 86 homes at The Pilot Field, Hastings United’s current grounds.

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More than 1,600 people have signed the petition on Change.org, entitled Save Children’s Football in Hastings - Back Tilekiln Football Park.

An aerial impression of the proposed new football stadiumAn aerial impression of the proposed new football stadium
An aerial impression of the proposed new football stadium

Daren Burney, co-owner of Hastings United FC, said the club needed to relocate to Tilekiln because The Pilot Field was now ‘pretty decrepit’. The club’s current ground was built in 1920.

He said: “It’s untenable to stay at The Pilot Field and it’s reached a point where we can’t afford the upkeep of it. We have 29 different teams and run a huge community programme. We have to go outside the borough to pay and hire pitches, which is a ridiculous scenario. There is not one full-size 3G pitch in Hastings. This £6m development would provide a new stadium and two pitches.”

The council agreed in 2018 to look at the plans in detail to ensure they met certain criteria before a sale could be agreed.

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In March, when the council announced its decision not to sell Tilekiln playing fields, a spokesperson said the club had submitted planning applications for both Tilekiln and a housing scheme at The Pilot Field in 2020, even though there were ‘outstanding issues’ to be agreed before the council could commit to the sale of Tilekiln.

The council added since discussions began it had declared a Climate Emergency and had to rethink its priorities after two years of Covid.

The spokesperson 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 community in Hollington who currently use the fields year round for recreation, dog walking and sports is paramount.

“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.”

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The petition is at www.change.org/p/save-children-s-football-in-hastings-back-tilekiln-football-park.