Newcastle United have completed a “landmark” agreement to purchase Woolsington Hall estate for a new training facility.
Club bosses have struck a deal with former chairman and owner, Sir John Hall and the Hall family to acquire 260 acres of land plus a derelict listed country house and parkland located south of Newcastle International Airport.
As part of the purchase, Newcastle will restore the site whilst introducing a ‘new elite performance facilities’ for the men’s squad and Academy, with flexibility to integrate women and girls’ facilities. in a project estimated to total £190m.
A formal planning application is anticipated to be submitted to relevant authorities in early 2027 with a target date of summer 2029 for the men’s first team to make the move to their new training complex, although preliminary engagement with local authorities and community will be undertaken prior to planning application.
A detailed planning application is then expected to be finalised and submitted to Newcastle City Council in early 2027.
Future plans for the club’s relevant current sites will also be communicated at the appropriate time.
Hall had initially envisioned the site to be a club academy facility when he purchased Woolsington Hall estate in 1994 and current Newcastle Chief Operating Officer, Brad Miller has referenced this development as a “homecoming” for the club
“This is a homecoming for Newcastle United given Sir John Hall’s initial vision for the site in the 1990s.
“Woolsington Hall will be a magnificent location for our new training complex, so we are delighted to have finalised our agreement to acquire the land.”
Miller proceeded to explain that listed structures and parkland form a key part of their designs to ensure that the location’s “beauty” is showcased as a proud representation of the North East.
“We are finalising hugely exciting plans for the estate, which include renovating and enhancing listed structures and parkland and retaining them as key elements in our designs.
“Our aim is to carefully and thoughtfully develop world-class facilities for our players and staff, while bringing out the beauty of the location and preserving it for generations to come.
“It is a highly complex project. We have a rigorous planning process ahead of us, but we will demonstrate how we intend to build something iconic that the club, fans, community and region can be proud of.
“We look forward to engaging with planners, our supporters and interested parties about our exciting plans. Our aim is to sustainably and responsibly move the project forward, delivering a facility that the city and region can be immensely proud of.”
Newcastle CEO, David Hopkinson meanwhile believes that the agreement marks “a landmark moment” for the club with a pledge to create sustainability in peak performance, whilst protecting the land.
“Subject to planning permission, our proposed performance complex will create the world’s best performance environment for our teams. We’ll develop purpose-built facilities that are geared towards developing sustainable success in the future, where players, coaches and staff can perform at their very best every day.
“We will be submitting a detailed planning application that not only demonstrates our vision, but also how we will preserve and enhance an historic estate, its biodiversity and wildlife habitats, and how we’ll be a great neighbour.
“I want to thank everyone who has played a role in getting us to this point today, and extend my gratitude to Sir John and the Hall family.”
Newcastle are currently undertaking formal steps to complete the purchase of the site.
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