New Community Sports Centre Approved for Swanage Football Club

• Apr 25, 2025

A new community sports centre is set to be built at the home of Swanage Town and Herston FC, following approval from Dorset Council.

Originally part of a £9 million redevelopment plan proposed in 2019, the project has since been scaled back to reduce costs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The updated proposal, now estimated at around £3 million, will feature a four-court sports hall that will include facilities for the football club, a fitness room, and a crèche, councillors were told. The plan also includes the addition of new synthetic sports pitches.

Additional features include a first-floor club room with a bar and kitchen, along with a ground-floor reception area and office space.

Earlier plans for a soft play area, a dedicated gym, an enterprise hub, and an event space have been dropped from the project.

In its planning submission, Swanage Town Council stated the development would deliver "a high-quality new facility for the football club, a range of other sports clubs, and the wider local community."