New stadium

[The Voodooguru]

I have made aware of this comment on the Cumberland council planning portal from sport England, and on the face of it appears concerning. 

"Currently, there is still insufficient information in order for Sport England to determine the proposal. Sport England’s default position is to maintain its objection to this application. It is unfortunate that the applicant did not provide all of the information requested by Sport England in our representation of the 15 October 2025 as we may have been in a position to provide a different response to this proposal."

If sport England are opposing the project is it still viable? Why would information be withheld from them in the first place? Have sport England chose to post this on the council planning portal out of frustration? It seems an odd comment.

[The Voodooguru]

 

Comment left on15/10/2025StanceObject

Currently, there is insufficient information in order for Sport England to

determine the proposal against our Playing Fields Policy, for the reasons set

out in this letter.

Sport England’s default position is to object to this application as it is not

considered to currently meet any of the exceptions to our Playing Fields Policy

nor to accord with paragraph 104 of the National Planning Policy Framework

(NPPF).

Sport England will be pleased to review the objection if the applicant can

provide the further information and clarification requested in this letter, so

that we can fully assess the proposal against our Playing Fields Policy.

 

This is the referenced comment from Sport England from October 

[Hate the rec]

So looks like there is problems again, can any one from town or reds clarify what's going on and when work is/can start, UTT  

[IanMac]

Just had a look on sport England to see what the exceptions are to the playing fields policy. I’ve copied them below, there is something amiss if the planning doesn’t meet any of these.

1. Excess Provision (E1): A robust assessment proves there's more playing field land than needed in the area, and the site has no special sporting significance.
2. Replacement Provision (E4): The development provides replacement playing fields of equivalent or better quality, quantity, and accessibility.
3. Ancillary Facilities (E2): The development is for supporting facilities (like changing rooms) that don't affect the main playing field's use or quantity.
4. Non-Pitch Land: The development affects only land not used for pitches (e.g., paths, car parks) and doesn't reduce pitch size, safety margins, or overall sporting capacity.
5. Overall Benefit (E5): The development creates new or improved sports facilities that offer a greater overall benefit to sport, outweighing the loss of the playing field. 

[Route66]

Not sure but I was led to believe that the sport England money was for the adjacent community pitch, there was an initial dispute with them that stopped that pitch going ahead on the dog track. 

[town blue]

Surely there is someone connected to the club and new stadium development, who reads this forum,   who can settle all these rumours and arguments about what is actually going on.

[The Voodooguru]

52 minutes ago, Route66 said:

Not sure but I was led to believe that the sport England money was for the adjacent community pitch, there was an initial dispute with them that stopped that pitch going ahead on the dog track. 

It won't be much of a sports village without the community pitch. Let's hope it does go ahead as its getting more like being promised caviar and end up getting cabbage.

[IanMac]

Just seen this on the times and star website. Looking at the 3rd point it would appear to be the point of no return if the leases are being surrendered. Sincerely hope that the Sport England objections don’t put a spanner in the works for any funding streams. 
 

Members of Cumberland Council’s executive committee are due to meet at The Copeland Centre in Whitehaven on Tuesday (January 6) where they will consider a report – Cumberland Sports Village Phase 1.

They are recommended to:

• Note the update on the progress of the Cumberland Sports Village to date;
• Agree to the award of a further grant of up to £500,000 to Cumberland Sport Village Ltd to provide the design of the Cumberland Sport Village Stadium up to RIBA Stage 4, in accordance with the current delivery plan and business case approved in March 2022 by Allerdale Borough Council;
• Agree to surrender the leases for Borough Park from Workington Reds AFC and Derwent Park from Workington Town to enable the delivery of the project;
• Delegate authority to the chief innovation and commercial officer to agree the final terms and conditions of the surrender arrangements and to authorise the chief legal officer to enter into the legal agreements required and support the smooth transition of the sports clubs to share Derwent Park;
• Approve the start of the statutory consultation of the proposed appropriation
  of the car park and open space for the purposes of use as a 3G community pitch.

[Limmertime]

According to the timeline on the Cumberland Sports Village....

January 2026 - Borough Park Demolished

March 2026 - Construction works commence

With the above milestones not being met, I assume we have a delay and hope this is not costing money!

The last news update was July 2025....are we convinced this will actually happen?

 

Edited March 12 by Limmertime

[dkw]

I believe the delay is down to getting approval from the ridiculously archaic board in charge of Reds league, their regulations are nonsense. Said our refs changing room was too short, its 4 inches smaller than borough park for example.

Reds only have a few home games left so not sure if there's any point starting until their home fixtures are complete. 

[Peter Winthorpe]

58 minutes ago, dkw said:

I believe the delay is down to getting approval from the ridiculously archaic board in charge of Reds league, their regulations are nonsense. Said our refs changing room was too short, its 4 inches smaller than borough park for example.

Reds only have a few home games left so not sure if there's any point starting until their home fixtures are complete. 

Looking at the previous posts and knowing no details about the project and particularly the programme, could I offer the following comments,:

Demolition was to commence in Jan 2026. For this the Reds would have had ti have vacated Borough park in the middle of their season and moved to Derwent Park. They would have needed to get whatever agreements were needed for this and carried out whatever enabling works required to allow the transition.

Are the demolation works a separate contract from the main contract and have tenders for this been obtained and has a contractor been appointed.

Has planning consent and Building warrant been obtained for a staged or the main construction works.

Have tenders been obtained for the main contract, that was due to start in March 2026 and a contractor been appointed. This is the ideal time of year to start a contract going to better weather and to maximise construction before winter.            Should this target date have slipped which seems to be the case there will be implication for the programme and associated costs.

 

 

 

 

 

[rockerlad]

3 hours ago, dkw said:

I believe the delay is down to getting approval from the ridiculously archaic board in charge of Reds league, their regulations are nonsense. Said our refs changing room was too short, its 4 inches smaller than borough park for example.

Reds only have a few home games left so not sure if there's any point starting until their home fixtures are complete. 

Yes, party true. Football stadium regulations are a lot more stricter than rugby and the powers that be have classed Derwent park as a new stadium because we are moving into it (even tho it's not a new stadium). A new officials change room has been built at DP, new dugouts some new goals and a few other small jobs. Reds only have 4 home games left so I'd expect we will probably finish the season at BP now. 

Edited March 12 by rockerlad

[The Voodooguru]

Well that's a good start to the project isnt it.

I have no faith whatsoever in CSV, if they can't even be bothered to reply to emails, update their website for 8 months, or get started on time what hope have we got of getting something other than a revamped football stand? It just needs the crew thats working on the bottom of Ramsay brow on it to put the cherry on the cake.

They all talked the talk at the carneigie launch event, but sadly it appears they were just blowing smoke up us. Unfortunately we are desperate to get a new stadium to realise our BOD ambitions, so we are stuck with it. Fingers crossed it actually gets built.

[Town blue white]

Totally agree 

[Oweyeh]

3 hours ago, The Voodooguru said:

Well that's a good start to the project isnt it.

I have no faith whatsoever in CSV, if they can't even be bothered to reply to emails, update their website for 8 months, or get started on time what hope have we got of getting something other than a revamped football stand? It just needs the crew thats working on the bottom of Ramsay brow on it to put the cherry on the cake.

They all talked the talk at the carneigie launch event, but sadly it appears they were just blowing smoke up us. Unfortunately we are desperate to get a new stadium to realise our BOD ambitions, so we are stuck with it. Fingers crossed it actually gets built.

So you don’t trust the Town board to do the right thing?

[rockerlad]

2 minutes ago, Oweyeh said:

So you don’t trust the Town board to do the right thing?

Exactly, my limited speaking to the town chairman in recent weeks at DP, he seems very clued up and has the club's best interests at heart. I believe both sets of directors will do the right thing. 

[The Voodooguru]

1 hour ago, Oweyeh said:

So you don’t trust the Town board to do the right thing?

I don't know what your agenda is but stop trying to cause trouble and twist things.  Quote my text that intimates that I have any reservations at all about our board?

I have complete faith in Graeme and our board, and as I said if you read my post properly to realise their ambitions for the club we have to move to a new stadium,  which I completely accept. However at the carnegie launch night we were sold a vision of this sports village which would be fully funded by the government grant and big business' with names like Rolls Royce mentioned. I have little faith in CSV to deliver a sports village, which if you read my post properly I clearly state. I fear it will be shadow of what was promised  and they will walk away once the initial stand is built with any phases expected to be funded by the clubs. If I am wrong I will hold my hand up.

I will repeat I made no comment about the Town board, and for you to pretend otherwise is pathetic. 

[Oweyeh]

41 minutes ago, The Voodooguru said:

I don't know what your agenda is but stop trying to cause trouble and twist things.  Quote my text that intimates that I have any reservations at all about our board?

I have complete faith in Graeme and our board, and as I said if you read my post properly to realise their ambitions for the club we have to move to a new stadium,  which I completely accept. However at the carnegie launch night we were sold a vision of this sports village which would be fully funded by the government grant and big business' with names like Rolls Royce mentioned. I have little faith in CSV to deliver a sports village, which if you read my post properly I clearly state. I fear it will be shadow of what was promised  and they will walk away once the initial stand is built with any phases expected to be funded by the clubs. If I am wrong I will hold my hand up.

I will repeat I made no comment about the Town board, and for you to pretend otherwise is pathetic. 

No agenda. Genuine question. 

[The Voodooguru]

1 hour ago, Oweyeh said:

No agenda. Genuine question. 

Aye of course it was. Are you from Whitehaven or do you support the reds?  Genuine question. 

[Oweyeh]

1 hour ago, The Voodooguru said:

Aye of course it was. Are you from Whitehaven or do you support the reds?  Genuine question. 

Yes and yes. Genuine answer 

[The Voodooguru]

21 hours ago, Oweyeh said:

Yes and yes. Genuine answer 

Thought so.

[Unicorn 106]

On 13/03/2026 at 18:11, Oweyeh said:

So you don’t trust the Town board to do the right thing?

Not sure where you are coming from with this one, he isn’t having a go at. Our BOD. I’m getting a bit frustrated with this new stadium craic, it’s been going on for about 15 years now. We would have been in a new stadium with an adjacent sports centre on the Tesco site if the Reds BOD at that time hadn’t refused to move across the road. We would also be playing in proper new stadium on the present Borough Park site with NHS and BNFL in the office space. If our then MP hadn’t been such a childish bitter @@@@. I was fully behind all 3 of the proposals but I’m quickly changing my mind. I know how important it is for the future of both clubs going forward, but it’s becoming a farce. UTT and the Reds.

[Oweyeh]

3 hours ago, Unicorn 106 said:

Not sure where you are coming from with this one, he isn’t having a go at. Our BOD. I’m getting a bit frustrated with this new stadium craic, it’s been going on for about 15 years now. We would have been in a new stadium with an adjacent sports centre on the Tesco site if the Reds BOD at that time hadn’t refused to move across the road. We would also be playing in proper new stadium on the present Borough Park site with NHS and BNFL in the office space. If our then MP hadn’t been such a childish bitter @@@@. I was fully behind all 3 of the proposals but I’m quickly changing my mind. I know how important it is for the future of both clubs going forward, but it’s becoming a farce. UTT and the Reds.

I didn’t think he was having a go. I was asking if he trusted the board to do the right thing. 

[Oweyeh]

Hey creepy Davo. 

[rockerlad]

Reds have today confirmed they will be playing the last ever fixture at Borough Park in the final home game this season.