Work is underway on the development of a new community and sports hub in East Middlesbrough.
Wharton Construction are now on site working on the new hub, which will replace the former Southlands Centre on Ormesby Road. The centre was demolished after closing in 2018. A previous update to a full meeting of the council anticipated that construction would run from January to November 2025, but it has now been confirmed that construction started last month, in June.
Middlesbrough Council are leading the project, working in partnership with MFC Foundation, which will relocate staff from its Riverside Stadium HQ to run the centre. The council says the scheme will deliver top-class sports, education and community facilities. It will provide a base for grassroots football, youth programmes, mentoring, employability training and more – supporting people of all ages to get active, gain new skills and connect with their community.
Charlotte Dinsdale, Head of MFC Foundation said: “We are really pleased that significant progress has been made and look forward to finalising the details very soon. We are delighted to be supporting Middlesbrough Council on this special project. We exist to raise aspirations and improve life chances for our communities and when complete this facility will further demonstrate our commitment to the people of Teesside.
“I’d like to thank everyone who is playing a part in bringing this project to life, and that very much includes Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund for their support, whose £100,000 grant is greatly appreciated.”
The development’s first phase sees the construction of a new hub to be operated by the Foundation, as well as upgrades to the current 3G, grass football pitches and open spaces to support additional physical activities.
A future phase of the scheme could see further extensions and improvements to the site. Construction started on site last month and steelwork for the community centre has been erected. The work is expected to take around eleven months with the new centre expected to open by early summer 2026.
Documents being presented to the full meeting of the council on 9 July set out that the expectation is for the facility to be complete by April 2026. It was previously reported that construction was anticipated to be completed by November this year, five months prior to the new target date.
It has taken years to get to a position where a new community centre can be built, with a Sport England objection in 2024 meaning that Angela Rayner had to give the project the green light, in spite of signalled approval from the council’s planning committee.
Mayor of Middlesbrough Chris Cooke said: “The work on site is progressing well and shows our commitment to investing in East Middlesbrough. The new community hub is about much more than bricks and mortar – it’s about giving people better chances to be active, learn and thrive. One of the key pledges in my council plan is to ensure Middlesbrough is a healthy place, and this project is one of the best ways we can deliver that.”
Cllr Theo Furness, executive member for development, added: “This is a huge step forward. It’s great to see spades in the ground and real momentum on site. Having played for Middlesbrough as a youth, I understand how important football – and the club – is to Middlesbrough. It’s important that local people have access to excellent sports and learning facilities on their doorstep to help create the stars of the future.”
Matthew Wharton, director at Wharton Construction, said: “We’re delighted to be delivering this important project and we’re looking forward to working closely with the council and the MFC Foundation in the coming months. We know how much this site means to local people, and we’re committed to a development that the community can be proud of.”
The Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund has pledged £100,000 towards the project, with the aim to improve infrastructure and harness the power of football to strengthen communities.
Debbie Cook, EFL Director of Community, said: “The impact of the Sky Bet grants goes far beyond football. They represent aspirations for health, opportunities, and belonging in our communities —everything that our EFL Club charities strive to deliver. We’re incredibly proud of the work being done already thanks to these grants and are grateful to Sky Bet for their continued investment in our communities.”
