Construction work has commenced on a new Coastal Activity Hub in Redcar. British Triathlon, British Rowing and British Cycling – the National Governing Bodies for their respective sports – have all endorsed the project with a vision of bringing community activities and local, regional, and national competitions to the hub, including the Go Tri series.
Local Active Partnership Tees Valley Sport has also offered its support – recognising the role that facilities play in driving participation. The hub could offer the opportunity for local organisations to host a range of other exciting activities, sports and events such as beach volleyball, land yachting and running events, with local sports clubs and community groups already showing interest.
The Coastal Activity Hub will be located in a unique shipping container village that can be used as a meeting place and an informal base for clubs, school groups, activity leaders, families, or groups of friends.
Coatham beach and the surrounding area is currently used for a wide variety of coastal activities and the hub will provide a base for these existing groups and individuals.
Facilities for the Coastal Activity Hub will include a range of indoor and outdoor multi-use spaces, public toilet facilities, showers, lockers, an equipment store, changing facilities and parking. An accompanying catering offer will enhance the experience for visitors.
The external space adjacent to the container village will form a flexible event area that could be used for a range of outdoor activities, such as exercise classes, sports, and demonstrations.
It could also provide space for an event village, from which competitions could start and finish, including running festivals and triathlons.
All attempts will be made to keep disruption to a minimum on site as the site is already cordoned off for other works on Coatham, including the development of Play Park and the Adventure Golf Course.
This is part of the Coatham seafront masterplan, which aims to regenerate the seafront along Majuba Road to create a leisure-based destination. The new 100-space car park, which was recently built on the former Coatham Bowl site, will help mitigate demands for parking.
The total project cost of the project is £880,000 with £855,000 being met by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority and £25,000 via the Redcar Town Deal.
The Redcar Town Deal is led by a group of industry experts, business leaders, and community representatives, who have volunteered to support the regeneration of Redcar. Alongside the Council, they have helped develop large-scale regeneration plans on how to make Redcar a vibrant, sustainable town.
Construction will take approximately six months, with a completion date set for November this year. An operator is currently being sought for the Coastal Activity Hub, which includes two provisionally licenced Food and Beverage units.
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