Newcastle United has agreed to purchase the 260-acre Woolsington Hall estate to build a £190m training complex, subject to planning permission.
Newcastle United men’s first team is aiming to move into a new training facility for the 2029/30 season. Located south of Newcastle International Airport, the 260-acre Woolsington Hall estate currently includes a derelict listed country house and parkland.
A formal planning application is expected to be submitted to Newcastle City Council in early 2027, with plans to introduce dedicated women’s and girls’ facilities at a later stage.
David Hopkinson, CEO of Newcastle United, who joined the club in September 2025, described the agreement as a “landmark moment” for the club.
“Subject to planning permission, our proposed performance complex will create the world’s best performance environment for our teams,” said Hopkinson.
“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.”
The project is being funded by Newcastle’s owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and RB Sports & Media, as the club looks to attract players and improve the infrastructure. Earlier this year, Newcastle United completed the purchase of a majority of the historic Leazes Terrace building adjacent to St James’ Park.
A £190m infrastructure investment with history
In addition to new performance facilities, the club plans to restore and enhance the listed structures and parkland located on the estate.
Newcastle says the phased development will allow investment to be delivered sustainably, with the initial focus on the men’s first team and Academy before potential women’s and girls’ facilities are built on the site.
Brad Miller, Chief Operating Officer at Newcastle United, says the club is finalising plans for the estate and intends to preserve its existing character.
“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,” said Miller.
“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.”
There is also history behind Newcastle United’s decision to return to Woolsington Hall, with the project reviving an idea first put forward more than three decades ago.
Former Newcastle owner and chairman Sir John Hall purchased the estate in 1994 with a vision for it to become an academy facility for the club.
“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,” said Hopkinson.
“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.”
We have completed an agreement to purchase the Woolsington Hall estate as the site for a new world-class training complex.
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) August 20, 2026
A scheme totalling £190m will see 260 acres of land carefully restored, with a view to the men’s first team moving in for the 2029/30 season ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/aW2vK2giI9
Planning could be a challenge
Newcastle United has explained that the next steps will be to formally complete the purchase and start pre-application engagement with the local authority, nearby residents and the community.
The proposal would also bring Newcastle United’s first-team training base back inside the city boundary, with the club currently training at Darsley Park in Benton, in neighbouring North Tyneside.
Newcastle City Council has welcomed the prospect of the club investing within the city, although it has stressed that the planning application will still be subject to the same scrutiny as any other development.
Colin Ferguson, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “Our independent planning committee will be robust in their challenge; as leader of the council, I rightly do not have influence over that process. Whatever moves forward must be to the benefit of all the city.”
If planning permission is granted and the project stays on schedule, Newcastle’s men’s first team is expected to move into the Woolsington complex for the 2029/30 season.
