Residents outraged at Forestville Hockey Club plan to move on to Unley High grounds

Residents near a school in Adelaide’s east are concerned a proposal from a local sports club would see major disruption to an already busy neighbourhood.

Residents surrounding an inner suburbs school are outraged at a proposal to build a private sporting facility on campus grounds.

The proposal from Forestville Hockey Club – if approved by the Department of Education and Mitcham Council – would result in a new clubroom, change rooms, tech bench and dugouts being built on a site at Unley High School.

Forestville Hockey Club has received $3m in combined funding from the state government to assist in the relocation of the club from Goodwood Oval.

Concept images/ plans for Forestville Hockey Club on Unley High School. Pictures: Forestville Hockey Club website.

Unley High School principal Greg Rolton confirmed the school was contacted by the club late last year with a proposal to build their new club rooms on its Kitchener St campus.

Mr Rolton said the proposal would allow the facilities – which could be used for hockey, soccer, and netball – to be used by the school during the day and would be for club use in the evenings and on weekends.

“The club is doing this alone without any financial support from the school, but we get a fantastic resource,” he said.

“The club has been working with the Department of Education on the project but has been very transparent with us.”

Mitcham Council team leader for sport and recreation Hayley Asworth said community consultation regarding the project had raised concerns about the disruption the new facility would cause to local residents.

“The feedback I have received is that residents are not overly impressed about having an external club come into the area,” she said.

“It is difficult for residents because it does impact on the lifestyle with noise, lighting, and a disruption to parking availability.

“We would definitely want to keep the club in the Mitcham area, but I’d certainly like to work together with the community to get the right outcome.”

Dennis and Bronnie Allison have joined a chorus of disgruntled local residents who are worried the facility would add further disturbances to an already busy neighbourhood.

“Our main concern is the traffic,” Mr Allison said.

“At pick up and drop off time the area is so busy it is basically impossible to leave the house.

“Having the hockey club across the road would mean those traffic issues would continue throughout the weekend as well.”

Marie and her husband Crawford, who have been at their Unley residence for 52 years, also objected to the proposed plans.

“I’m not impressed,” she said.

“You’ve got a unique situation with both the parking and the congestion. Whenever there is an event on it’s actually dangerous.”

Forestville Hockey Club wrote on its website the new hockey pitch would be situated on the western perimeter of the school site to “minimise the impact of the club operations on the school and local residents”.

“The facility will enable Unley High School to re-establish its hockey programs and provides a new opportunity for the six other schools within 2km to use the pitch for training and play,” the club wrote.

“Through this new pitch, local club members of all ages and levels will be able to train and play much closer to home.”

The Education Department and Forestville Hockey Club were contacted for comment.