A basketball club is “gutted” after not being able to move back into a council-run facility after it was sold on.

Members of Swale Hawks BC are driving double the distance for sessions following the closure of New House Sports Centre in Sittingbourne.

For the last three seasons, the club has been holding sessions at The Abbey School in Faversham.

Head coach and treasurer Jack Streatfield says the team had always been hopeful they could return to the original venue.

They had moved out after being told of problems with the roof and the discovery of asbestos.

However, after reading KentOnline’s report on how the building was up for sale, they were “disappointed” that the sports hub would be lost.

The 25-year-old accountant from Milton Regis had hoped for “better transparency” from its owners, Kent County Council (KCC).

He said: “It's just a shame, that was our home for 15 years.

"We were always optimistic that once they [the council] were able to sort the issues, we'd be able to move back in.

“They told us a decision was being made and would let us know. We never heard back.

“Then to see the building for sale, it just felt like the council had made the choice off of their own back without considering the people that benefited from it.”

In January 2023, the site was one of 35 earmarked for closure, as cash-strapped KCC looked to cut back on spending.

At the beginning of the year, it went up for auction with a guide price of £500,000.

The four-storey Victorian building had been described as offering a “fabulous opportunity” for builders and developers.

It was then revealed in February that the site had gone for £766,000.

The Newhouse Table Tennis Club, which also used the building, described the decision as a “monumental loss to Sittingbourne”.

Swale Hawks BC was founded by chairman Andrew Martin back in 2006.

It has around 60 members, from ages seven to 18, as well as a small group of volunteers.

More than 40 still live in Sittingbourne and have an extra 25 minutes of travel time via the A2 to Faversham.

Jack says the club has tried looking at other sites, however, many charge higher prices.

The New House used to be around £30 per hour and The Abbey School is currently at £38.

Leigh Academy Rainham has a rate of £58, whereas the Swallows Leisure Centre in Sittingbourne charges around £60.

Jack said: “If we had to go anywhere else we'd have to rethink the way we run the club and the pricing structure.

“At New House, we could use the facilities to store all of our equipment securely in a locked closet,” he added. “It made life easier.

“You also had glass backboards, which are rare and expensive. The court was tailor-made for basketball.

“At The Abbey School, there are a lot of dead spots on the floor. When you bounce the ball, it doesn't rebound as easily.

“We can't use the changing rooms or have our own closet for equipment.

“Now we have to take more than 30 basketballs, chairs and cones to and from Faversham every weekend.”

The club has decided to do a sponsored walk from the old venue to the new – a distance of eight miles.

It aims to commemorate the loss of the facility and fundraise to provide new equipment, quality training sessions and an infrastructure for the group to grow.

At the time of writing, they have raised more than £200 on their GoFundMe page.

If you’d like to contribute, please click here.

“It was always clear to sports clubs using the building that it would be disposed of if it was found to be surplus to the council’s operational needs.”

The walk will take place on Sunday, April 13, starting from Chalkwell Road at 10am.

A KCC spokeswoman said: “In 2023 the council took a decision that the New House Youth Centre in Sittingbourne was no longer suitable to deliver KCC youth services, which relocated to an alternative location as part of its Family Hub Programme.

“It was always clear to sports clubs using the building that it would be disposed of if it was found to be surplus to the council’s operational needs.

“The council considered all possible operational requirements for the site and the decision was taken to sell the property in line with our disposal policy and statutory duties.

“The site was recently sold at auction and will generate a capital receipt which will be reinvested back into the delivery of KCC services such as the provision of school places and the maintenance of schools, KCC buildings and roads.”