A boxing academy founder was expressed his concerns and frustrations as his club faces the prospect of having to find a new home.

The Billingham Boxing Academy is one of the organisations affected by plans for the town centre which include the demolition of its current base, the West Precinct.

Stockton Council has recently announced plans to buy the West Precinct, including the former library site and Queensway South buildings, from owners Evolve Properties.

The site, described by the council as partially vacant, underused and in poor condition, would be demolished and the centre redeveloped to create a new residential area with shops, a refurbished former council office and improved parking and public toilets.

Leaders will be asked to approve the plans in a cabinet meeting on June 17.

Adrian Worth, founder of the Billingham Boxing Academy, said: “Personally I feel like there’s been a lot of mixed messages. It’s very frustrating for us.

“We’re a large community group, we have between 60 and 90 kids every single night. It’s absolutely buzzing.

“Our users are concerned about the future. I get asked all the time, are we getting a new premises? Where will it be? I can’t give them anything concrete because we don’t know ourselves.

“We’d like to stay in the town centre because we do have a large footfall and I think our presence is good for the town centre. The police have praised us for our work around Billingham.

“If you see the work we’re doing, it’s so impressive and there’s no other community group like us in Billingham town centre.”

He said he was impressed with Evolve Estates, the new owners of the town centre: “Evolve have been very very good. I can’t fault them at all.

“They’ve been very forthcoming. They’ve come out and seen us, had face-to-face meetings. They’ve said they’d like to keep us in the town centre.

“The council, they’re saying the right things, that they’re going to help us. They say ‘we’ll support you’, that’s all well and good, but for me anything like that needs planning ahead.”

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He said he would appreciate more communication, face-to-face meetings and a visit to the club to help understanding of its needs and circumstances. He told how the club, run by volunteers, had three boxing rings, 12 punchbags, a cardio room with bikes, treadmills and skiing machines, a strength and conditioning room, had classes for children with autism, people with Parkinson’s and over-50s, and had won nine national titles, including three in schools championships in recent weeks.

He said until now they had paid a peppercorn rate, but a new location could cost as much as £15,000 per year.

In response, Stockton Council said it was committed to working alongside the owners of Billingham town centre to relocate businesses within the areas affected by the redevelopment proposals. It has said the regeneration plans, including the acquisition of part of the town centre, are subject to cabinet approval in June.

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If they are approved, the council says it will then work closely with Evolve Properties, the centre owner and landlord, to engage with the affected tenants, including Billingham Boxing Academy, and support them into other suitable properties in the town centre.

Only once the relocation process has taken place would the areas be demolished and the town centre redeveloped.

The council says its position on supporting businesses’ relocation and the process regarding cabinet approval has been articulated to Mr Worth on a number of occasions, including face-to-face meetings and site visits to potential alternative premises.