New Cockburn Secondary School sports facilities in doubt amid opposition to South Leeds Golf Course redevelopment

A new 3G pitch and tennis courts have been proposed for a plot of land on the old South Leeds Golf Course in Beeston, which is now owned by Leeds City Council after the club previously based there folded in 2019.

Under the plans, the neighbouring Cockburn Secondary School would use the facilities.

Although more than 100 new ones would be planted nearby to compensate, 38 mature trees would have to be axed to make way for the development.

A letter of objection from the Friends of Middleton Park group was read aloud by one its members at a council planning meeting this week.

It claimed the plans “represent a poor return for both the community and the park”, which was effectively gifted the land when the golf club closed.

The letter added that the site “may only represent a small percentage of the overall acreage of the park, but it’s an important area of greenbelt meadow land with some significant trees adjacent to an existing local nature reserve and area of ancient woodland.

“We don’t want to see this historically and ecologically significant area of land lost to a development we think is neither necessary or wanted by the local community.”