Calls to provide new changing rooms at 'thriving' Hartlepool Sunday league football ground

Hartlepool Borough Council leader Councillor Mike Young highlighted the need to support the “increasingly thriving” Sunday league football happening at the town’s Rift House Recreation Ground.

Speaking at the latest meeting of the adult and community based services committee, following a report on parks and open spaces, he called for improved changing facilities to be looked at and issues such as littering to be tackled.

Council officers stressed the site was “on their radar” and they will be doing some work on looking to improve facilities at the site.

Conservative Cllr Young said: “The Rec has an increasingly thriving Sunday league situation going on, so that’s gone through a level of revival over the past couple of years.

“I think the facilities on there for changing, for teams to come and have suitable changing facilities is something that needs to be flagged up.

“I’ve heard that sadly there is littering going on that isn’t great and I imagine that’s happening in other places as well, so I think it’s just not losing sight of that fairly large open space as part of the overall strategy.”

He added issues of ensuring improved facilities for changing is especially important during winter.

Gemma Ptak, assistant director for preventative and community based services, said in the near future the council will be revising their playing pitch and indoor facilities strategy, which covers such spaces.

Speaking at the meeting, she added: “Rift House Rec is on our radar and we are doing some practical work to approach the Football Foundation on that.”