Community welcomes plans for Hartlepool school's new football pitch - but calls for other sports to be catered for across town

Proposals are in for a new artificial football pitch at the town’s High Tunstall College of Science, which is currently being redeveloped under multi-million pound plans.

As well as providing a boost to staff and pupils, the 3G pitch would also provide facilities for sports club across the Hartlepool community to use outside of the school day.

Labosport Ltd has submitted plans on behalf of the school, and added that the site, if approved, would be open to the public until 10pm Monday to Friday and until 8pm on weekends.

Floodlights would be turned off and the pitch locked up 15 minutes after closing.

Mail readers have welcomed the new facilities and the boost they will bring to the town – but some have also called for investment in other sports such as hockey, cycling and running.

Here is how you reacted on the Hartlepool Mail Facebook page:

Natalie Carter: “Well needed! Pools youth girls teams have to travel to Houghton every Saturday now, be nice to have something in the town we can have the option of using.”

Stephen Metcalf: “Fabulous but why does it cost as much as 17million.”

Anthony Wookie Wood: “This is great news.”

Bryan Littler: “Great to see sport being catered for but yet another football pitch? Be nice to see some other sports getting even basic facilities such as a floodlit running track and hockey pitch that are non existent in the town at the minute.”

Steve P Murray: “Town is well known for other sports to world class level. Why does development never go beyond football? Have some imagination, promote other sports.”

Adam Brooks: “We haven’t had a running track for years and we are crying out for a cycling facility.”

Angela Holroyd: “Good to hear the extension of school field used but why football why not other sports?”

Thomas John Tighe: “Great idea BUT are they going to improve the public service buses from the town to High Tunstall.”