Plans revealed for new £1.5m football stadium
Newark & Sherwood United FC (NSUFC) has revealed a 3D model of a potential new 500-seater stadium which is set to be built in the East Midlands.
The project, called Yorke Park, has been designed by Gusto Group architects, Studio G, and the product design team at Rototek.
The stadium is estimated to cost £1.5m to build, and will be constructed using 66 repurposed shipping containers. It is also designed to have off-grid energy solutions such as solar power and rainwater harvesting.
Alongside enclosed stands, there will be a bar and sponsors area with balconies overlooking the 3G pitch, changing rooms and a training pitch. The stadium has also been designed to allow space for community-focused elements, including classrooms which will house an educational academy helping young people get a career in the sports and events industry; a community kitchen, a Men in Sheds workspace; a boxing gym; floodlit 3G pitches for training and youth games with additional changing rooms; space for music events and tree planting around the site to create a woodland walk.
NSUFC, which is currently ground sharing with Harrowby United FC, will be based at the stadium alongside other local junior clubs.
Jed Wright, NSUFC’s operations director, said: “If given the go-ahead, the stadium would be fourth best facility in the county, only behind Nottingham Forest, Notts County, and Mansfield’s stadiums and its unique design will create one of the best spectator experiences in lower league football.
“At grassroots level clubs, you typically watch football from the side of the pitch, but the viewing platform at our stadium will be on top of the containers, allowing spectators to watch the action from above. This all-round spectator support will also provide an incredible atmosphere for the players themselves.
“But it’s not just about what happens on the pitch, the academy is for those who want to work in the sports industry to learn what’s involved with the running of a stadium. They will get hands-on experience and take responsibility for our match day operations once they have gained confidence in their roles. On the final home game of the season, our apprentices will run the full match day experience.”
The plans for the community stadium have the backing of county and district councillor Debbie Darby, of Newark’s Bridge ward, who said it would be an “amazing opportunity for the community and for younger people in Newark”.
Before a planning application is made, the team still needs to gather sufficient public support for the project. They will be holding several public consultations, including one which took place recently on the Yorke Drive estate where the team spoke to the community about using Lincoln Road playing fields as a potential location.
Gusto Group’s founder and chairman, Steff Wright, who has long been an advocate for businesses and initiatives that enrich the environment around them, is adamant about ensuring that the stadium is community-driven.
He says: “We are asking the council to transfer the land into a Community Land Trust (CLT), meaning local residents can become shareholders and will have a say in how the site is managed. This ensures that the stadium and the wider land will first benefit local Newark residents.
“Wherever the stadium is built, we aim to employ and train local people to contribute to its construction and management. Whether it’s bar work, sports coaching, stadium operations, or events and facilities management, we want the community to play a key role in creating their own stadium.”
If approved, work is expected to begin in the summer of 2025, with completion within the following year.
The Lincoln Road playing field is part of a large regeneration scheme for 207 new homes which was given planning permission on 13th February 2025. The community is hoping this project will be an enhancement to that scheme.
