Hykeham Hub, North Hykeham – Library, Café & New MUGA for the Community
Extending and Transforming a Local Sports Pavilion into a Multi-Purpose Community Hub
Improving Community Provision in North Hykeham
North Hykeham Town Council approached Fytche-Taylor Planning to help them unlock the full potential of the Hykeham Hub – a well-used sports pavilion and area of public open space at the heart of the Manor Farm neighbourhood.
The Town Council’s vision was clear: retain and improve the existing sports facilities, while introducing a new library, community café and all-weather Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) on under-used green space. The aim was to create a genuine community hub, supporting health, learning and social connection all in one place.
The Project
Design and consultation for a new single-storey extension to the existing Hykeham Hub
Extension would provide space for a new public library and community café, with associated kitchen and office
New all-weather MUGA for football, basketball, netball and tennis
Roof-mounted solar panels to improve the building’s sustainability
Retention of existing changing rooms, club space and sports pitches
Crucially, the scheme does not reduce playing pitch provision on the site. The adult and junior football pitches secured through the original s106 agreement are all retained and remain fully usable.
Our Brief
North Hykeham Town Council approached us after a previous application, submitted prior to our appointment, had been refused. That refusal related to the protection of existing open space and playing fields – a key issue for Sport England and the planning authority.
Our role was to:
Develop a robust, policy-led strategy for a revised scheme
Demonstrate that the upgraded Hub would enhance, not erode, the Local Green Space
Provide the evidence Sport England needed on the benefits of a MUGA
Guide the project through pre-application discussions, devise a final scheme with input from local councillors and the community - and then prepare and submit a new full application with all the necessary supporting technical assessments and scale plans.
Public Sector Partnership Working
Throughout the project we worked closely with:
North Hykeham Town Council – to shape a deliverable scheme that meets local priorities and funding expectations
North Kesteven District Council – via formal pre-application engagement to resolve policy concerns in advance
Sport England – ensuring the proposals align with national guidance on protecting and enhancing playing fields
This collaborative approach meant the re-submission directly addressed the reasons for the earlier refusal and arrived with a fully coordinated planning case in support.
Our Approach
Our Approach
1. Enhancing Local Green Space: We repositioned the scheme as a clear improvement to a valued community asset, showing that it maintains openness, supports outdoor recreation and strengthens the Hub’s role in community wellbeing.
2. Protecting Sports Provision: All pitches, changing rooms and club facilities were preserved, with the MUGA carefully located to avoid any loss of playing space. A Sport England–style justification demonstrated strong local demand and clear sporting benefits.
3. Adding New Community Uses: We evidenced the need for a modern library and café, showing they enhance existing services, provide social value and meet policy tests, with no more suitable alternative sites available.
4. Managing Amenity, Access & Sustainability: We coordinated all technical assessments to deliver a robust, integrated case - covering noise, safe access and parking, sympathetic design, sustainability features (including solar panels) and full compliance with Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.
Services Provided by Fytche-Taylor Planning
Planning strategy and options advice to the Town Council
Review of previous refusal and risk-based route-map for resubmission
Coordination of pre-application discussions with the LPA and Sport England
Preparation of the Planning Application including Planning Statement and Sport & Recreation Justification
Policy analysis (Local Green Space, community facilities, playing pitches, BNG, minerals safeguarding)
All Architectural Design and Measured Building Survey, including policy compliant site layout to protect pitches
Submission management and ongoing dialogue with officers
Growing Our Public Sector Portfolio
If you’re a town, parish or district council, or a public body seeking to upgrade a pavilion or leisure facility or introduce new community uses such as libraries, cafés or flexible hall space, we’d be happy to talk about how we can support your next project.