A park bandstand and trees, with a large football stadium in the background
Leazes Park in Newcastle, with Newcastle United's St James' Park stadium behind
Environmental activists have launched a campaign to stop Newcastle United building a new stadium on Leazes Park.
Claims in the Daily Mail last week suggested that the Magpies hierarchy want to build a 65,000-capacity ground on Leazes Park, amid months of feverish speculation over whether the club will stay at the historic St James’ Park or move to a new home. Conflicting reports have since said that, while Leazes Park is thought to be one of the options under consideration, no final decision has been made on the club’s preferred choice.
But the prospect of the city’s oldest green space having a football stadium built on it has left members of Save Newcastle Wildlife dismayed. The group has launched an online petition calling for a referendum to be held on any plans for a “super stadium” on the grade II listed Victorian park, which opened in 1873 – seven years before the first recorded match at the neighbouring football ground.
A spokesperson for Save Newcastle Wildlife said: “In 1857, 3,000 working people of Newcastle petitioned Newcastle City Council for 'ready access to some open ground for the purpose of health and recreation’. In 1873, Leazes Park was opened for the people of Newcastle. Since then, millions of pounds of tax payer’s money has been spent on making Leazes Park a green and pleasant place for the people and wildlife of Newcastle.
“In more recent years, Leazes Park has hosted the Green Festival, the North East’s largest free environmental festival and has been cared for by the Friends of Leazes Park. There are more than 1,000 trees in the park, as well as shrubs and hedgerows, which provide food and shelter for insects and other wildlife , including bats, birds and hedgehogs.”
They added: “If these plans were to be given the green light, it would set a dangerous precedent for parks and green spaces across the city, many of which are already struggling to make ends meet.”
Their fresh opposition will bring back memories of the 1990s, when the football club shelved plans to relocate to a site on the Town Moor following a backlash from residents and pressure groups led by the Friends of Leazes Park.
The current state of Leazes Park has been a hot topic over recent years, with accusations that it was being treated as a “cash cow” as it has played host to music festivals. Leazes Park lost its green flag status last year and has recently come back under the control of Newcastle City Council, after city politicians decided to scrap the Urban Green Newcastle charity which was set up to run the city’s green spaces in 2019.
There have also been concerns about whether the council will be able to afford significant upgrades to the city's park facilities, like the derelict park keepers' lodge in Leazes Park. The city council has insisted that it has yet to hold official talks with Newcastle United about any new stadium, though it is understood that informal discussions have happened.
Whether the club opted for an extension of St James’ or the building of a new stadium, the proposals would require planning permission from the council and a public consultation would be legally required as part of that process. Any future plans could also end up being referred to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to deliver a final verdict.
A council spokesperson said: “There has been a lot of speculation and interest among fans and others about the future of St James Park. As stated previously, the city council has had no formal talks with the club about this important matter. Our door remains open as it would with any developer, and when the club wants to discuss their plans in detail with us we will be happy to sit down, listen and advise.”
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