THE county council is seeking permission to demolish a Prudhoe eyesore to make way for new football pitches.

A planning application has been submitted for the demolition of Eastwood County Middle School and the installation of new football pitches on the site.

The application, from county hall, seeks to bulldoze the vacant former school, caretaker’s bungalow and associated buildings. Vegetation and hard-standing will then be removed to allow the installation of grassed football pitches, fencing and netting.

An additional 70 car parking spaces will also be created to the east of the site on council-owned playing fields.

The school and land are owned by Northumberland County Council and the application explains that, although Eastwood County Middle school has been closed for a decade, Prudhoe Youth Club Football Club continues to make good use of the football fields.

The design and access statement, accompanying the application states: “The demolition of the redundant school will be beneficial as the structure is deteriorating, is an eyesore for local residents and is a liability issue for Northumberland County Council.

“Additional sports facilities are essential for local teams that currently play and train on the site and will have a significant beneficial impact to the wider community, improving the health and fitness of local children, keeping them occupied and away from potential anti-social issues.”

The only building on site still in use is the caretaker’s bungalow, which is currently used by a short-term tenant who will move out when the site is ready for redevelopment.

Once demolition is complete, the site will be levelled and grassed.

Initial designs show that one full-sized pitch and two junior-sized pitches could be laid out, with netting behind each goal.

Fencing and gates will also be installed to the perimeter of the site.

With the loss of hardstanding on the site, a number of car parking spaces will be lost and the application seeks to provide 70 new spaces to make up for this. It is proposed that a section of council-owned land to the east of the site, at the perimeter of what is now a children’s play area, will be developed for car parking.

The new spaces will form an extension to existing parking facilities, with access via the existing road.

Pedestrian access will be via a series of gates. The existing entrance will be blocked off and modifications made to the footpath as required.

The application states: “Installing additional pitches will bring more people and cars to the area. To compensate for this additional spaecs have been proposed which will stop cars parking on streets and roads around the area which are mainly residential.”