South Hobart Football Club’s proposed new two-storey building given green light

Tasmania’s longest-running soccer club has been given council approval to build new facilities at its home ground as it continues to see rapid growth in female membership.

Concept design of proposed new building for South Hobart Football Club. Picture: Supplied

The oldest soccer club in the state has been given the green light to build extensive new facilities at its home ground as it experiences rapid growth in female membership.

The South Hobart Football Club (SHFC), which was established in 1910 and is one of the longest-running clubs in the country, wants to construct new club rooms, a reception, canteen, decks, change rooms, and amenities at its home ground on Darcy St.

The site is owned by the Hobart City Council and fronts Washington St on the north-western boundary and Wentworth St on the south-western boundary.

At a special meeting of the council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday, elected members unanimously voted to approve the development application but imposed a number of conditions on the project, including that street trees and the public access gate on Wentworth St be retained.

South Hobart Football Club's development application proposes a new 'sports centre' at Darcy St.

The club, which has secured $1.5m in funding for the project through state and federal government grants, is hoping to lease the new building from the city once it’s been built.

The SHFC has more than 500 registered members. More than one-third of the membership is now female, with women and girls expected to account for half the total members in coming years.

Despite the fact more than 2500 players use the site’s facilities each season and an average of three games are played at the ground each Saturday and Sunday, there is only one set of change rooms.

SHFC vice-president Ed Swan said the existing change rooms were no longer sufficient.

“The fundamental change rooms have not been updated since the 1950s and are not fit-for-purpose, especially … with the changing cohort and increased female participation,” he said.

Mr Swan said the new building would be available for use by other community groups and that the club would work with the council to ensure the development did not reduce accessibility of the site for people with disability.

South Hobart Football Club's development application proposes a new 'sports centre' at Darcy St.

Emma Smith, a neighbouring resident of the oval, voiced several concerns about the development, saying its size, height, and scale wouldn’t accord with the built form of the surrounding area.

“The design and siting of the proposed building works will detrimentally affect the streetscape, the character, the historic and cultural significance of the precinct,” she said.

South Hobart Oval features two heritage-listed grandstands and is part of a broader public space precinct including a playground, community centre, and playing courts.

The new club facilities will be built between the oval playing surface and the site’s frontage with Washington St.

Councillor Bill Harvey welcomed the development, describing it as “much-needed”.

“It will bring another dimension to the game, it’ll have fit-for-purpose change rooms and especially female change rooms. We all know that there’s been a growth in female sport across all different codes,” he said.

Development stirs anger in community

INITIAL: Hobart City Council planning officers have recommended the approval of a proposed new two-storey building at South Hobart Oval, despite objections from local residents who claim the development would limit public use of the city-owned property.

The South Hobart Football Club says the building will include club rooms, a reception, canteen, decks, change rooms, and amenities.

In a planning report prepared for the club by engineering consulting firm pitt&sherry, the current facilities at the ground are described as “not fit-for-purpose”.

Part of the proposed development site at South Hobart Oval, where a new building is proposed. Picture: Supplied

“The club identified the requirement for improved facilities included dedicated female change rooms to allow facilities to be fit-for-purpose,” the report said.

“This development will support current and future participants and demonstrate the club’s commitment to female participation and success.”

Located at 42 D’Arcy St, the South Hobart Oval is owned by the council and fronts Washington St on the northwestern boundary and Wentworth St on the southwestern boundary.

It features two heritage-listed grandstands and the proposed development would be between the playing surface and the site’s frontage with Washington St.

The property also comprises playing courts, a playground, and the building housing the South Hobart Community Centre.

Council officers have recommended that elected members approve the proposed development but have suggested a number of conditions be placed on the permit, including that nearby street trees must be protected in the construction phase.

The South Hobart Football Club wants to build new club facilities at the South Hobart Oval.

During the advertising period for the development application, the council received 22 public representations, with the only positive one being from Football Tasmania, the governing body for soccer in the state.

The rest raised concerns about the potential impacts of the development on the local community.

These included fears that the building would negatively affect the historical and cultural significance of the sports precinct, as well as the adjacent streetscapes and character of the area.

Representations also claimed the new building would worsen parking issues in South Hobart and result in increased use of the facilities by the club, which could limit use by other groups, such as dog walkers.

However, council officers rejected these concerns, saying the proposal was not likely to exacerbate parking problems and that the city would retain control of how the site was used.

A planning assessment report said there was “nothing in the proposal that would preclude use of the site by other users”.

“The proposed facility would be a council asset that is available to any participants engaging in a sports and recreation use of the site,” the report said.

The council will vote on the application at a special meeting of the Planning Authority Committee on Wednesday.

Originally published as South Hobart Football Club’s proposed new two-storey building given green light