LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL
INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
FINAL REPORT
APRIL 2014
Integrity, Innovation, Inspiration
1-2 Frecheville Court off Knowsley Street Bury BL9 0UF T 0161 764 7040 F 0161 764 7490 E [email protected] www.kkp.co.uk
Quality assurance Name Date Report origination AQ/CML 21.03.14 Quality control DM 24.03.14 Client comments KF 04.04.14 Final approval
LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
CONTENTS
PART 1 : INTRODUCTION 1
PART 2: BACKGROUND 3
PART 3: INDOOR SPORTS FACILITIES ASSESSMENT 29
PART 4: SPORTS HALLS 33
PART 5: SWIMMING POOLS 47
PART 6: INDOOR BOWLS 62
PART 7: INDOOR TENNIS 65
PART 8: CONCLUSION 69
LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
PART 1: INTRODUCTION
This is the final report by Knight, Kavanagh & Page (KKP) to deliver an Indoor Sport Facility Needs Assessment for Luton Borough Council. It focuses on reporting the findings of the research, consultation, site assessments, data analysis and mapping that underpins the study and uses this evidence to inform future development.
We have developed the Assessment Report to provide a detailed explanation of the following:
Audit of all facilities by type including strategic scale indoor sports facilities. Assessment of demand for indoor sports facilities across Luton based on population projections through to 2031, participation increases and development proposals (supplied by Luton Borough Council officers). Supply and demand analysis to determine potential surpluses and deficiencies of indoor sports facilities in terms of quantity, quality and accessibility. Identification of the main challenges from the assessment and recommendations on how shortfalls and future needs should be addressed; and if appropriate the general location of new facilities. Identification of the potential scale of investment required to deliver and potential sources of finding including, but not limited to planning obligations/CIL. Recommendations for local standards of provision to be adopted by LBC for planning purposes, to include strategic recommendations relating to:
Surpluses or deficiencies Existing provision to be protected Existing provision to be enhanced Opportunities for relocation Proposals for new provision and including measures in relation to the quality of provision required.
1.1 Scope of the project
The Assessment Report provides the detail as to what exists in the Borough, its condition, distribution and overall quality. It also considers the demand for facilities based on population distribution, planned growth and also takes account of other factors such as health and economic deprivation. The Assessment will provide direction on the future provision of accessible, high quality, financially sustainable facilities for sport and leisure in Luton.
The indoor sports facility assessment incorporates 3 court+ sports halls, swimming pools, indoor bowling halls and tennis courts. Particular consideration will also be taken to boxing, indoor cricket, indoor bowls and indoor tennis as these are sports which are of particular interest in Luton from participation and planning perspective at present.
This factual report provides a quantitative and qualitative audit based assessment of indoor sports facilities. It provides a robust and up-to-date assessment of the needs for indoor sports facilities and opportunities for new and rationalised provision. Specific deficiencies and surpluses are identified to inform what provision is required. The specific objectives of this audit and assessment are to:
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Identify local needs and quantify levels of demand Audit existing local indoor sports provision
The specific tasks to be addressed as part of this strategy include:
Review of relevant Council strategies, plans, reports, corporate objectives; Review of the local, regional and national strategic context; Supply and demand analysis; Analysis of the demographics of the local population; Consideration of potential participation rates and modelling of likely demand for leisure facilities; Detailed audit of indoor leisure facilities provided by public, private, voluntary and education sectors; An understanding of outdoor leisure facilities provided by public, private, voluntary and education sectors; Analysis of the balance between supply of and demand for leisure facilities and identification of potential under and over provision; Recommendations in respect of the size type and location of leisure provision required in the Borough over the life of the Strategy and beyond.
1.2: Report structure
This report considers supply and demand issues for indoor sports facilities in Luton. Each part contains specific data relevant to a range of types of indoor sports facilities. Descriptions of the methodologies used are detailed within Part 3 of this report. The report as a whole covers the predominant issues for each of the following types of built facilities:
Sports halls Swimming pools Indoor bowls Indoor tennis
It, further, takes into consideration the needs of the sports of boxing, indoor cricket, indoor bowls, squash and indoor tennis as these are sports which are of particular interest in Luton. The resulting document considers the sports development requirements and also takes into account other significant factors such as competition and performance needs, training requirements, health challenges, deprivation and funding drivers.
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
PART 2: BACKGROUND
It is important to be aware of relevant local and national documents to be taken into consideration during this assessment. The following section outlines a series of national, regional and local policies pertaining to the study, which are of significance in the development of the Strategy
2.1: National context
Sport England: A Sporting Habit for Life (2012-2017)
In 2017, five years after the Olympic Games, Sport England aspires to transform sport in England so that it is a habit for life for more people and a regular choice for the majority. The strategy will:
See more people starting and keeping a sporting habit for life. Create more opportunities for young people. Nurture and develop talent. Provide the right facilities in the right places. Support local authorities and unlock local funding. Ensure real opportunities for communities.
The vision is for England to be a world leading sporting nation where many more people choose to play sport. There are five strategic themes including:
Maximise value from current NGB investment. Places, People, Play. Strategic direction and market intelligence. Set criteria and support system for NGB 2013-17 investment. Market development.
Launched in January 2012, it sets out how Sport England will invest over one billion pounds of National Lottery and Exchequer funding during the five year plan period. The investment is to be used to create a lasting community sport legacy by growing sports participation at the grassroots level following the 2012 London Olympics. Two key areas for this strategy are identified as:
£292m is allocated for local investment. This will include investment in sprt in further education colleges ; a new community sport activation fund to promote sports participation in local communities; door step clubs and get on track programmes in disadvantaged communities and; pilot work on health related sports programmes and commercial market development to drive participation growth. Facilities still play a key role in the Strategy with £249m set aside to provide new or upgraded facilities in line with current Places People Play facility investment and a new mid-range (£50,000-£500,000) funding programme.
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National Planning Policy Framework
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the government’s planning policy, recognises the clear link between sport and health. It is a key part of the government’s reforms to make the planning system less complex and more accessible. The framework acts as guidance for local planning authorities, both in drawing up plans and making decisions about planning applications. Improving health, social and cultural wellbeing is one of its twelve core principles. Paragraph 171 places health considerations and by extension participation in sport, as a key consideration in the planning process, it states:
‘Local planning authorities should work with public health leads and health organisations to understand and take account of the health status and needs of the local population (such as for sports, recreation and places of worship), including expected future changes, and any information about relevant barriers to improving health and well-being.’
Meeting the needs of local communities through the provision of accessible, high quality facilities which provide opportunities to participate in sport is therefore a critical part of good planning. The efficient and effective delivery of sports facilities depends on understanding the nature of current provision and assessing what will be required in the future by taking account of demographic and sports participation changes and trends. The NPPF makes this clear in paragraph 73, which states:
“Access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and recreation can make an important contribution to the health and well-being of communities. Planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the needs for open space, sports and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision. The assessments should identify specific needs and quantitative or qualitative deficits or surpluses of open space, sports and recreational facilities in the local area. Information gained from the assessments should be used to determine what open space, sports and recreational provision is required.”
It further emphasizes that: “Existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be built on unless: An assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space, buildings or land to be surplus to requirements; or the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location; or the development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the needs for which clearly outweigh the loss.
Sport England therefore aims to ensure ‘positive planning for sport to increase participation and maximise the health benefits, enabling the right facilities to be provided in the right places, based on robust and up-to date assessments of need for all levels of sport and all sectors of the community.’
The Local Authority however remains at the centre of the local facility network as the sport and planning authority. From a local authority perspective the need to work with partners across the public, private, education and voluntary sector to plan sports facility provision is central to the NPPF.
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Investment in school sport
In March 2013 the Government announced its funding for school sport (Sport Premium) which sees £150 million per annum invested over the next two years. This will be made up of funding from various Government departments including Department for Education (£80m), the Department of Health (£60m) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (£10m). The Government’s strategy will see funds go directly into the hands of primary school head teachers for them to spend on sport.
Schools will be measured by Ofsted on how well they use their Sport Premium to improve the quality and breadth of PE and sporting provision, including increasing participation in PE and sport so that all pupils develop healthy lifestyles and reach the performances levels they are capable of.
2.2: Luton context
Luton Borough Council Corporate Plan 2011-2014
The Corporate Plan sets out the corporate priorities for Luton Borough Council which link to the 32 priorities in the Sustainable Community Strategy, which also provides the wider vision for Luton up until 2026. The eight key strategic priorities also link to key partnership plans – such as the refreshed Children and Young People’s Plan. The Strategic priorities are to:
1. Empower, support and protect the vulnerable 2. Improve health and promote health equality 3. Improve life and learning opportunities for all 4. Create a vibrant environment where businesses thrive and prosper 5. Reduce crime, antisocial behaviour and the fear it causes 6. Protect and enhance the quality of the natural and built environment 7. Strengthen community cohesion 8. Ensure a financially sound and efficient Council
Luton Borough Council Prospectus 2013-2016
As detailed in the Luton Borough Council Prospectus 2013-16, the backdrop to the development of the Indoor Sport Facility Needs Assessment is that for the next three years, the Council must manage on much less funding from Government than in the previous three years. Increased pressures are likely to flow from changes to welfare benefits, greater need for social care and a new duty to improve the public’s health. LBC has committed to a three point plan:
To increase income from business growth (Business and Growth). To better equip residents of all ages to get jobs through investment in education and training (Education and Lifelong Learning). To work efficiently with other organisations to ensure the most vulnerable in Luton are safe and supported (Safe, Supported and Healthy).
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Luton Local Plan 2001-2031
As stated in the Luton Local Plan, 2001 – 2011, Luton is now generally developed up to its administrative boundary and a central issue is the ‘extent to which the conflicting needs for various uses and facilities are to be balanced.’ In relation to an Indoor Sport Facility Strategy, the use of land for formal sport must be set in the context of the other potential uses.
There will be a need for consistency and coordination with the emerging Luton Local plan 2011-31. This plan will reflect and help set the corporate agenda for service delivery by setting out the future housing, population and economic growth of the Town over a 20 year period. The spatial development strategy in the plan seeks to establish and nurture a network of new and existing District and Neighbourhood Centres across the Borough. These will act as a foci for housing and development as well as to enable and facilitate the delivery of linked and shared facilities of co-located service hubs (including leisure and recreation) at the heart of local communities. These will be accessible by walking and cycling and public transport as well as the car, and for linked trips which will make the development pattern more sustainable.
Community Priorities documents, developed as part of the Your Say, Your Way programme
A key part of the Community Involvement Strategy is the “Your Say, Your Way” programme. This involves a wide range of citizens in influencing and agreeing local priorities, and co-ordinates partnership and community led responses to this agenda. It was piloted in Luton’s West Area in 2009/10 and extended to the South Area in 2010/11. The programme is being rolled out across the rest of the Borough.
Luton Borough Council Housing Strategy 2012-2015
Luton is faced with significant housing problems. It has a number of characteristics which are shared with many of the London boroughs including overcrowding, high levels of homelessness, variable conditions in the private rented sector and shortage of good quality land suitable for house building. Luton is one of the largest towns in South East England, with a population of 205,000 residents in 2010 (mid year estimates), and about 77,500 households. The population is projected to rise to 220,350 by 2030, a rise of 7.5%.
The Key strategic priorities for housing in Luton are:
Place-shaping and maintaining sustainable communities. Improve housing conditions across all tenures. Meeting Housing Need. Tackling homelessness.
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Corporate Asset Management Plan and Capital Strategy 2010- 2015
Our Luton in 2026’, Luton’s Sustainable Community Strategy is the foundation upon which Luton’s other strategic plans are built. The plan sets out four themed areas for delivering the vision:
Stronger and Safer Communities Health and Well Being Environment and the Economy, and Children and Young People.
The key objective of the AMP is summarised in the Mission Statement:
‘Luton Borough Council is committed to providing property assets, which are in good condition, fit for purpose and in the best location to support good quality, accessible services to its customers and represent value for money.’
The overall objectives of the AMP are to ensure that all operational assets must be:
Able to make a positive contribution to the Council’s purpose, vision, strategic aims, corporate objectives and service priorities. In good condition to the extent that services can be provided from them in a comfortable environment for both staff and customers without interruption. Suitable and sufficient for the purpose for which they are being used in terms of size, type and layout of accommodation – including accessible to people with disabilities. In the right location to allow customers to access the services and staff who deliver it – including sharing with partners in service delivery. Able to demonstrate ‘Best Value’ in terms of balance between efficiency in operation, running costs and long-term sustainability. Good examples of sustainable development if new or extensively refurbished. Able to contribute something positive to the immediate environment, to give the ‘feel good factor’ – particularly where there is a need for physical regeneration in the locality. Able to convey a positive image of the Council and/or the service being provided.
Luton’s Sustainable Community Strategy, 2008 – 2026
This statutory plan describes the shared vision for Luton’s Local Strategic Partnership. It is underpinned by shorter term plans set out in the Local Area Agreement. There are four themed areas for delivering the vision: Stronger and Safer Communities, Health and Wellbeing, Environment and Economic Development, and Children and Young People. Relevant priorities from the themed areas include:
Promoting healthy living and tackling the key risk factors which affect health Focusing on prevention and early intervention Improving leisure and cultural opportunities for all, and better access Understanding that different service delivery will be necessary to ensure fair health and wellbeing outcomes for all Improving the health of children and young people
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Supporting our children and young people to achieve skills and experience to enhance their prospects for the future Providing positive activities for young people and reducing anti-social behaviour Better meeting the needs of children and young people with disabilities/learning difficulties.
A Healthier Future Improving Health and Wellbeing in Luton 2012 - 2017
This Strategy is designed to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities through better integration of services and a planned move of resources towards prevention and early intervention away from avoidable treatment and care. The three main priorities of the Strategy are:
Every child and young person has a healthy start in life Reduced health inequalities within Luton- this outlines increased physical activity as a focus Healthier and more independent adults and older people
Luton Borough Council Strategic Vision for Sport and Physical Activity April 2013
The Strategic Vision for Sport and Physical Activity (2013) is a corporate document which ensures that the Council’s investment into sport effectively contributes to the authority’s overall outcomes. Beyond this, a vision for sport in Luton focuses on increasing participation, volunteering and coaching and supporting voluntary sports clubs and developing skills of individuals.
NHS Luton- Luton Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2011
The Luton Forum, Luton's local strategic partnership, has agreed a priorities framework with an overall goal to reduce inequalities adversely affecting Lutons communities. In addition, the framework is working to reduce inequalities between Luton‟s communities and between Luton and the rest of the country. Eight priority outcomes have been identified; one has a specific health focus "to increase healthy life expectancy", but it is acknowledged that the other priority outcomes relating to issues such as community cohesion, community safety, education and skills employment, the natural and built environment, reducing poverty, and support for vulnerable people, will also have an impact on the health of the local community.
Luton Playing Pitch Strategy 2014-2031
The recent Playing Pitch Strategy makes reference to artificial grass pitches and the following conclusions are made:
The FA model suggests that there are enough 3G pitches to service current football training demand in Luton. However, local demand suggests that more across is needed to 3G provision, although pricing is also a key factor for clubs Currently there is not a high demand for competitive fixtures to be played on 3G pitches in Luton.
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However, if the quality of grass pitches deteriorates there may be a future increase in demand to play matches on 3G pitches.
This has the potential to impact on indoor facilities as if there is insufficient supply of outdoor facilities for football, then there may well be an increase in demand for indoor, which may impact negatively on the availability of sports halls for non football use.
Luton Sports Network
By working with local partners affiliated to the Luton Sports Network, its role in the community is:
To increase awareness and participation in local sport and active recreation. Improve health and well being. To help create stronger communities through sport and active recreation. Improve education through participation.
Team Beds and Luton
Team BEDS & LUTON is the lead agency for the strategic development and coordination of sport and physical activity across Bedfordshire and Luton. Its vision is described as:
‘Working in partnership at the heart of the community to support, develop and promote high quality opportunities to allow everyone to get involved, stay involved and succeed in sport and physical activity’.
Its purpose is further described to create the environment that enables its vision to be achieved.
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Summary
The key strategic themes emanating from the main strategies are, therefore, considered to be:
The need for high quality sports facilities. Facilities which are placed in the right location to be accessible to the whole community. Facilities and programmes of activity which will contribute to reducing health inequalities across the Borough for all age groups. Facilities which contribute to the local economic development. Understanding that service delivery may vary to ensure fair health and wellbeing. Facilities and programmes which contribute to the education and skills development of the local population. Facilities which better meet the needs of under-represented and vulnerable people in the Borough.
2.3: Demographic profile
Luton
Luton is a unitary authority located 30 miles north of London and covers an area of approximately 16.7 square miles. The Borough is surrounded by Central Bedfordshire and North Hertfordshire local authority areas. Towns close to Luton include Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Harpenden. The national census in 2011 showed that the population of the Borough has increased by 10% since 2001 and now stands at 203,200. Nationally the figure rose by 7%.1
Figure 2.1: Luton with major road routes
1 Office of National Statistics 2011 census
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Luton is home to Luton Town Football Club and the University of Bedfordshire has three campuses in the Borough. The largest employers are Luton Borough Council (9000+ employees) and Luton and Dunstable NHS (3000+ employees). The County Sports Partnership (CSP) that covers the area is Team Beds & Luton which is based at Wigmore Hall in Luton. Sports facilities are operated Luton on behalf of the local authority by Active Luton, a not for profit sports and leisure trust. It is also responsible for developing sport and has a key role helping to improve the health and well-being of residents within the local community.
Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) tells us the following:
The unemployment rate in Luton is higher than the national figure of 7.7% at 8.4%.2 Luton has a much higher rate of residents with no formal qualifications than national and regional figures, 16.1% compared to 9.7% nationally1. Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) is the amount of money that individuals have left to save or invest after deductions such as taxation, property and social contributions. This is £12,474 in Luton, which is 22% less than the national average.3 Luton was the most densely populated authority in the East of England with almost 4,700 people per square kilometre, and the highest average household size with 2.7 people.
In developing the report a mix of datasets have been used and referred to. To assess the Borough’s wide demographic profile, population data has been taken from the 2011 Census. Supply and demand is, thus assessed on a borough-wide basis against the district population. Taking advice from LBC officers (Department of Environment and Regeneration, LBC) this study will use a variety of projections to derive the respective outputs which are identified as 18,000; 20,000 and 32,000 households up to 2031. The Sport England local sports profile for Luton forecasts population growth through to 2021 and not 2031.
Age and gender profile
The total population, from the 2011 population census, in Luton was 203,200 (males = 101,900 and females = 101,300). The following charts in Figure 2.1 and 2.2 comparatively show the age and gender distributions of the population in Luton and in the East region.
2 ONS Annual Population Survey 2012 3 Office of National Statistics GDHI Figures April 2012
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Figure 2.3 and 2.4: Luton and the East region population by age and gender .
Luton UA Female % EAST Female % 90+ 0.1% 0.3% 0.2% 0.6% Male % 90+ Male % 85-89 0.3% 0.6% 85-89 0.6% 1.0% 80-84 0.7% 0.9% 80-84 1.1% 1.5% 75-79 1.1% 1.3% 75-79 1.6% 1.8% 70-74 1.5% 1.5% 70-74 1.9% 2.1% 65-69 1.6% 1.7% 65-69 2.5% 2.6% 60-64 2.0% 2.1% 60-64 3.1% 3.3% 55-59 2.3% 2.3% 55-59 2.9% 3.0% 50-54 2.8% 2.8% 50-54 3.2% 3.3% 45-49 3.3% 3.3% 45-49 3.7% 3.8%
40-44 3.4% 3.4% 40-44 3.7% 3.7% Age range Age 35-39 3.5% 3.4% range Age 35-39 3.3% 3.3% 30-34 4.0% 3.9% 30-34 3.1% 3.1% 25-29 4.8% 4.5% 25-29 3.1% 3.1% 20-24 4.2% 4.0% 20-24 3.1% 3.0% 15-19 3.3% 3.3% 15-19 3.1% 3.0% 10-14 3.3% 3.3% 10-14 3.0% 2.9% 5-9 3.6% 3.3% 5-9 2.9% 2.7% 0-4 4.2% 3.9% 0-4 3.2% 3.0% 6% 4% 2% 0% 2% 4% 6% 6% 4% 2% 0% 2% 4% 6% Percentage Percentage
Figures 2.3 and 2.4 show, most obviously, that Luton has an over representation of 20-24 and 25-29 age bands. There is currently an under representation of the higher age bands from 50+ compared to the regional average.
Ethnicity
The breakdown of ethnicity in Luton is outlined below. It can be seen that Luton has a significantly higher proportion of Asian residents (30%) than the national average of 7.8%. As a result, there are lower percentages of white and black residents compared to national figures.
Figure 2.5: Ethnicity in Luton
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Table 2.1 : Breakdown by ethnicity of Luton and national population4
Luton England Ethnicity Number Percentage Number Percentage White 111,079 54.66% 45,281,142 85.4% Mixed 8,281 4.08% 1,192,879 2.3% Asian 60,952 30.00% 4,143,403 7.8% Black 19,909 9.80% 1,846,614 3.5% Other 2,980 1.47% 548,418 1.0%
Religion
The data below in Table 2.2 shows that almost a quarter of residents (24.6%) in Luton identify themselves as Muslim. This is a significantly larger percentage than the national figure of 4.8%. Both the differences in religious make up and ethnicity compared to national figures both become more relevant later in the report.
Table 2.2: Breakdown of religion in Luton5
Luton % Luton % East of % England Religion population population England and Wales Christian 96,271 47.4% 59.7% 59.3% Buddhist 652 0.3% 0.4% 0.4% Hindu 6,749 3.3% 0.9% 1.5% Jewish 326 0.2% 0.6% 0.5% Muslim (Islam) 49,991 24.6% 2.5% 4.8% Sikh 2,347 1.2% 0.3% 0.8% Other religion 898 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% No religion 33,594 16.5% 27.9% 25.1% Religion Not Stated 12,373 6.1% 7.3% 7.2%
Population density
Figure 2.6 allows residential and non-residential areas to be easily identified. It shows that the most densely populated areas in Luton are concentrated within the area of Luton town and surrounding the area to the north of the town centre around Biscot Road. There is also a densely populated ward in the north of the Authority.
4 Data source: 2011 Census: Ethnic group, local authorities in England and Wales 5 Research and Geospatial Information Team Department of Environment and Regeneration, 2011 Census, Office for National Statistics,
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Figure 2.6: Population density in Luton
Figure 2.7 shows the population density in comparison to other authorities in the East of England. The darkest blue areas show the areas with the highest population density. It can be seen that Luton is one of a small number of pockets of densely populated areas.
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Figure 2.7: East of England population density by local or unitary authority6
6 Office for National Statistics Population density data 2010
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Potential impact on sports facilities
It is important to consider where facilities are in terms of population. Further in the report, facilities are mapped against population. This will show the percentage of population that live close by and have physical access to the facility type.
Deprivation
The deprivation maps that follow illustrate the ranking of super output areas (SOAs) in Luton based on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s (ODPMs) ‘Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010’ (IMD 2010). The IMD is based on 32,482 SOAs throughout England, which relate to the geography used in the 2001 Census. The manner in which the ranking works is for a rank position of one to indicate the most deprived SOA in the Country.
The IMD 2010 is a valuable source of information about spatial patterns of deprivation in England and can be used to help focus policy and interventions on deprived areas and particular types of deprivation. It comprises 37 different indicators which are grouped into seven separate ‘domains’ of deprivation covering income, employment, health deprivation and disability, education, skills and training, barriers to housing and services, living environment deprivation and crime. The seven main ‘domains’ may also be combined to make an overall measure of deprivation.
Figure 2.8: Indices of Multiple deprivation in Luton7
7 Data source: 2010 indices of deprivation, ODPM
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Figure 2.8 above shows that the most deprived areas are around Luton town centre, similar to the densely populated areas. There are also higher levels of deprivation in the south of the Borough. Areas in the Borough with lower population density also have lower levels of deprivation.
The table below 2.3 identifies the proportion of Luton’s population which live in deprived areas. It illustrates that 7.4% of its population live in areas deemed as being in the bottom 10% of SOA’s nationally in 2010, i.e. in the most deprived areas of the country. In direct comparison, only 0.7% lives in the top 10% of least deprived areas in the country.
Table 2.3: Population and IMD in Luton
Percent of Area Deprivation IMD Rank Percent Population in Band Population Most 0.0 – 10.0 14,728 7.4% deprived 10.1 – 20.0 37,198 18.7% 20.1 – 30.0 32,796 16.5% 30.1 – 40.0 32,042 16.1% 40.1 – 50.0 26,714 13.4% 50.1 – 60.0 16,857 8.5% 60.1 – 70.0 14,602 7.3% Least 70.1 – 80.0 14,765 7.4% deprived 80.1 – 90.0 7,600 3.8% 90.1 – 100.0 1,450 0.7%
Potential impact on sports facilities
It is important to be aware of the areas with the highest and lowest levels of deprivation in Luton to ensure that the right facilities are in the right places. This will be highlighted later in the report. For example, the location of facilities relative to the areas of deprivation is important in assessing the potential physical accessibility of facilities and the need of certain communities to have to travel greater distances.
Car or van ownership
Car or van ownership is important to take into consideration when planning and programming facilities. Lack of car ownership severely limits the potential of the local population travelling to and from facilities. Although not absolute, the low levels of car or van ownership is linked closely to areas of deprivation, making it even more important for facilities to be local, affordable and accessible, if the harder to reach communities are to be catered for. Facilities located on bus routes may also need to consider the programming in relation to the communities that the bus routes serve.
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Figure 2.9: Car or van ownership in Luton
It can be seen that the higher levels of car or van ownership are centred around Luton itself but is lower in the other areas of the Authority.
Mosaic profiling
Mosaic 2009 is a consumer segmentation product which classifies all 26 million households into 15 groups, 67 household types and 155 segments. This data can be used to paint a picture of UK consumers in terms of their social-demographics, lifestyles, culture and behaviour. The table below (Table X) shows the top five mosaic classifications in the Luton local authority area, compared to the country as a whole, and Figure Y illustrates the spread of different profiles mapped across Luton.
Table 2.4: Mosaic profiling- top profiles in Luton
National Mosaic group description Population in Luton Percentage Percentage Suburban Mindsets 45,011 22.7% 12.5% Terraced Melting Pot 38,808 19.6% 7.2% Ex-Council Community 24,001 12.1% 9.9% New Homemakers 19,008 9.6% 4.3% Industrial Heritage 16,858 8.5% 7.9%
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The dominant profile is the Suburban Mindsets ( ) which makes up 22.7% of households in the area, which is 10.2% more than the national figure
Figure 10: Word Cloud of Suburban Mindset- the dominant profile in Luton8
Figure 2.11: Mosaic profiling mapped across Luton
8 Experian Mosaic profiling 2009
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Suburban Mindsets ( ) dominate around the town of Luton in the most densely populated area, but not in the town as this is dominated by the second most dominant profile, Terraced Melting Pots ( ). There is an area to the south of the town with a cluster of Liberal Opinions ( ). Industrial Heritage ( ) and Ex Council Community ( ) ) are spread around the four corners of the Borough. a Figure 12 demonstrates more clearly the over representation of the Suburban Mindsetp and Terraced Melting Pot profiles compared to national figures. The Terraced Meltinge Pot percentage in Luton (19.6%) is more than double the national figure of 7.2%. aThere is no one in the Borough from the Rural Solitude category. r
Figure: 12 Mosaic profiles in Luton s p 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%r Alpha Territory e a Professional Rewards d Rural Solitude
Small Town Diversity o u Active Retirement t Suburban Mindsets a Careers and Kids c New Homemakers r Ex-Council Community o s Claimant Cultures s Upper Floor Living Elderly Needs t h Industrial Heritage e Terraced Melting Pot
Liberal Opinions
Luton National
Figure 2.13: Overview of top Mosaic profiles in Luton
Suburban This group is defined as refers to people who are predominantly middle class Mindsets or skilled working class people who are married and living with their children in well maintained family houses. Some commute to City office jobs, whilst
others earn good wages in manufacturing jobs. These people are industrious Approx. 45,011 and value their independence, but do not necessarily get involved with their residents local community. Generally middle aged. Manual or office workers. Industrious and favour Key features main stream brands.
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This group is defined as refers to people who work in relatively menial/routine Terraced occupations and are poorly educated. The majority are young and live close Melting Pot to the centres of small towns in densely packed and poorly maintained terraced housing. Residents often have to contend with a variety of Approx. 38,808 environmental problems such as noise and pollution and focus on spending residents their time and money outside of the home. Many residents in these neighbourhoods belong to groups that have recently arrived in the UK. Young singles and couples, an ethnically diverse group. Poorly qualified with Key features a below average income. Have an interest in participating in sport.
Ex-Council This group is defined as refers to people who are practical and enterprising, Community rather than well-educated. They have created a comfortable lifestyle for themselves through their own hard work. Many live on pleasant well-built
council estates where a large proportion has exercised their right to buy. Approx. 24,001 These communities are characterised by informal community networks often residents centred around family and friends.
Hard workers and self-reliant. Generally council tenants with a comfortable Key features life style and seek for value for money.
New Homemakers are generally young single people who, live in homes which are likely to have been built only in the last five years. Found largely in New Home new brownfield inner city locations, many rent from private landlords. Most Makers residents have a ready income from a secure position working for a large Approx. 19,008 public company or for central or local government. Most residents own a car residents which may be used for visits to the gym or the local cinema New Homemakers rely on an Internet search engine for accessing information about products and services
Generally young single professionals, setting up a new or starter home. Own Key features cars and use takeaways and ready meals, happy to rent.
This group is defined as refers to people who traditional and conservative, Industrial living in communities that have historically been dependent on mines, mills Heritage and assembly plants for their livelihood. Most of these people are married overview and are approaching retirement age and their children have left them in a family home larger than they really need. They are socially responsible Approx. 16,858 people who are likely to live in the same community as the one in which they residents were born and have saved conscientiously to repay their mortgages and loans on time.
Key features Common trends suggest below average incomes, traditional, approaching retirement and are careful with money.
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Potential impact on sports facilities
The top two profiles in Luton are Suburban Mindset (45,011 residents) and Terraced Melting Pot (38,808 residents). These profiles represent just over 41% of the local population. They present two very different profiles and attributes. The dominant areas of Terraced Melting Pot residents are around the town centre, are not considered affluent, generally young and interested in participating in sport, and are possibly from outside of the UK. Facilities need to accommodate accordingly. Further, the Borough has a lower proportion of Professional Rewards and Alpha Territory, Career and Kids and Active Retirement profiles. These latter profiles tend to be the most wealthy and influential individuals in the UK (Alpha Territory), whilst others may have risen to senior positions in large multinational organisations (Professional Rewards); they have significant incomes from investments and are generally affluent.
Sport England data
Sport England’s participation analysis tool (i.e., the Local Sport Profile tool) is used to provide an overview on how active the local population is, what sports are played and how likely residents are to participate in sports hall sports. It provides an overview of key participation trends between different groups in the Borough’s population.
Active People Survey
The Active People Survey (APS) is the largest ever survey of sport and active recreation to be undertaken in Europe. The first year of the survey, APS1 was conducted between October 2005 and October 2006. A total of 363,724 adults living in England took part. APS2, the second year of the survey, was conducted between October 2007 and October 2008 this time a total of 191,325 adults took part. It has now become a continuous process, with APS3 completed in Oct 2009, APS4 in October 2010, APS5 in October 2011 and APS6 in October 2012 and APS7 in October 2013.
Each survey gathers data on the type, duration and intensity of people's participation in different types of sport, active recreation and cultural participation, as well as information about volunteering, club membership, tuition as an instructor or coach, participation in competitive sport and overall satisfaction with local sports provision.
Table 2.5 shows APS3-7 results for Luton in comparison to the national and the Sport England Regional figures. Data for Luton’s nearest neighbours is also presented.
Nearest neighbours are not geographic but those which are the closest to Luton in terms of socio-demographics. This type of comparison has been developed to aid local authorities to compare and benchmark. The models apply a range of socio-economic indicators upon which the specific family group (nearest neighbours) is calculated.
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Table 2.5: Active People Survey – Luton and nearest neighbours9
East of Nearest neighbours National KPI England Luton % % Oldham Bradford Coventry % % % % 2008/09 4.7 4.7 2.1 3.9 6.1 7.9 KPI 2 - At least 1 2009/10 4.5 4.8 2.7 4.5 6.0 2.9 hour per week 2010/11 7.3 8.0 6.9 6.6 9.2 6.3 volunteering to support sport. 2011/12 7.6 7.4 3.8 6.5 5.5 6.1 2012/13 6.0 6.8 6.0 4.6 7.9 2.8 2008/09 24.1 25.5 19.7 19.6 20.8 24.6 KPI 3 - Club 2009/10 23.9 24.3 17.6 19.9 20.0 18.3 membership in the 2010/11 23.3 23.6 17.1 19.2 19.2 23.6 last 4 weeks. 2011/12 22.8 23.7 12.4 20.1 12.7 19.8 2012/13 21.0 22.2 19.2 15.0 19.4 15.4 2008/09 17.5 18.3 14.5 14.0 13.8 19.0 KPI 4 - Received 2009/10 17.5 18.3 11.0 12.2 15.4 12.9 tuition / coaching 2010/11 16.2 16.8 11.1 13.1 15.7 15.5 in last 12 months. 2011/12 16.8 17.4 10.4 11.6 13.4 12.7 2012/13 15.8 16.7 11.8 13.4 15.5 10.6 2008/09 14.4 14.7 12.2 13.3 11.7 17.8 KPI 5 - Taken part 2009/10 14.4 15.3 11.4 10.3 14.3 12.1 in organised 2010/11 14.3 14.5 9.1 10.5 11.5 13.8 competitive sport in last 12 months. 2011/12 14.4 15.1 9.8 11.7 12.8 13.5 2012/13 11.2 13.6 8.1 6.8 13.8 7.7 27.4 1x30 Indicator 2008/09 35.7 35.6 34.0 31.2 31.4 Participation in 30 2009/10 35.3 34.9 27.9 28.4 35.3 30.4 minutes moderate 2010/11 34.8 34.7 28.3 35.7 35.2 35.2 intensity sport per 2011/12 36.0 36.0 29.0 35.4 35.3 30.6 week. 2012/13 35.7 35.1 28.1 32.9 33.2 35.8
These figures indicate that overall Luton currently has lower participation levels than the regional and national figures for each Key Performance Indicator. This is a general trend throughout APS3-7, indicating the accuracy of the findings. The exception to this is KPI 1, volunteering in sport (6%), which appears to equate to the national figure.
The percentage of adults doing at least 1 x 30 minutes exercise has increased marginally to 28.1%; it is, however, still over 6% lower than the national and regional average, and almost 5% lower than the closest nearest neighbour, Oldham (32.9%).
Club membership dropped to its lowest rate in 2010/11 of 12.4% and although has increased again to 19.2%, is still lower than the national average of 21%. Luton does have a higher club membership than the closest neighbours Oldham (15%) and Coventry (15.4%)
The final information retrieved from Active People is illustrated in Figures X and Y. They compare the levels of no participation from APS1 and APS7.
9 According to www.cipfastats.net Bradford’s top three nearest neighbours are Kirklees, Coventry and Bolton
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Figure 2.14: APS1 2005/06 - Sports participation in Luton- no sport
It can be seen that in 2005/06 the rate of none participation in Luton and the surrounding area was 51.2-54.5%. Figure 2.15 below shows that in 2012/13 the rate of none participation has risen to 55.4-66.6% both in Luton and the surrounding areas.
Figure 2.15: APS7 20012/13 - Sports participation in Luton- no sport
Market Analysis
It is not possible to break down the Active People Survey information into individual ward or analysis areas. However, in order to establish a more detailed market picture it is possible to cross-tabulate the demographic profile of Luton’s analysis areas with the nation demographic trends in sports participation that are identified in the Active People Survey.
Based on national trends, levels of sports participation (overall and by sport) and latent demand within any geographical area are likely to be affected by the ethnicity and age composition of that area. However, the demographic of Luton is so different from the Sport England’s data that it is not considered entirely reliable for the purposes of this study. Please refer to Appendix 2 for further Sport England Market Segmentation data.
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The chart below shows the ethnic profile of Luton’s population by ward and analysis area (ONS Census 2011 data). Overall, the White British segment is the single largest group, accounting for 45% of Luton’s total population, with White Other accounting for an additional 10%. There is significant variance by ward however, with ‘Asian British: Indian / Pakistani / Bangladeshi’ making up the majority segment in three wards (Biscot, Saints, Dallow).
Table 2.6: Ethnicity breakdown in Luton
Potential impact on sports facilities
As participation figures for each of the key performance indicators outlined in Table 2.6 are lower than the national average, it would be logical to suggest that sport providers may need to take a different approach in Luton to encourage residents to become involved. The programming in sports facilities (particularly swimming pools) may well be affected if they are to attract participation from the Asian Community, in particular.
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Education investment
Building Schools for the Future (BSF) was a programme of school build started in 2005/6. It was revoked in 2010 but schools benefitting from BSF in Luton prior to this are:
Lea Manor High School Challney School for Girls Ashcroft High School Lealands High School Barnfield West Academy Barnfield South Academy
Schools identified to benefit from Priority School Build Programme investment
Stopsley High School Cardinal Newman High School
Central Bedfordshire Leisure Strategy
Adopted in March 2014, the Central Bedfordshire Leisure Strategy includes a range of proposals which may affect the population and accessibility of sports facilities for Luton residents. These are considered to be:
Strategic proposals for a refurbished leisure centre in Dunstable (incorporating additional health and fitness and squash facilities). A replacement leisure centre in Houghton Regis (comprising a 6 court sports hall and 6 lane 25m swimming pool with a range of other facilities). A replacement leisure centre in Flitwick (4 court sports hall and 8 lane swimming pool).
Potential impact on sports facilities
It is perceived that many people will use high quality facilties, with relevant programmes of activity, which are accessible at convenient times regardless of the management. The importance of accessible educational and facilities which are in reasonable travelling distance (whether in the local authority boundaries) should also be considered.
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Population projections
Strategic planning: Change from 2011 to 202110
Plans to increase levels of physical activity must not be set in stone, as if the current population is to remain in its age structure, gender and ethnic composition for ever more. Plans at strategic and operational levels must pay due regard to predictable changes. The most recent ONS projections indicate a rise of 14.3% in Luton’s population (29,177) over the 10 years from 2011 to 2021.
It is understood that the ONS id due to release the latest 25 year population projection figures from 2012-2037 in May or June of this year. In light of this announcement, Luton Borough Council should ensure that due regard is paid to these most recent figures as any potential alterations could affect the recommendations outlined later in the report.
As is evident in Table 2.8 and Figure 2.16, Luton is predicted to have some significant changes in its population structure over the next 8-10 years. This is specifically relevant within the 0-15 age group, where population is expected to increase by 20.8% and both 55-64 and 65+ where the population is expected to grow by 21.9% and 15.9% respectively.
Table 2.8: Luton - ONS Projected population change in Luton 2011 to 2021
Age 2011 2016 2021 band Current Projected Change from 2011 Projected Change from 2011 0-15 46,835 51,864 110.74% 5,029 56,578 120.80% 9,743 16-24 27,351 29,534 108.00% 2,183 29,126 106.50% 1,775 25-34 35,045 38,365 109.50% 3,320 40,834 116.50% 5,789 35-44 27,850 28,838 103.50% 988 31,485 113.10% 3,635 45-54 24,850 26,057 104.90% 1,207 25,390 102.20% 540 55-64 17,716 18,974 107.10% 1,258 21,598 121.90% 3,882 65+ 23,994 25,872 107.80% 1,878 27,806 115.90% 3,812 Total 203,641 219,504 107.80% 15,863 232,818 114.30% 29,177
10 Office for National Statistics Interim 2011-based population projections’
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Figure 2.16: Luton - ONS Projected population change in Luton 2011 to 2021
This is significant in terms of facility provision and what activities and facilities will suit the population. Facilities planning for increases in the 65+ and 0-15 age groups may lead the Council to determine that these opposing age groups require very different provision at key times of the day and week from other users. A key example of this is that the 65+ age group often requires activities during the day, which is similar to the 0-5 age group, but different from the 5-15 year olds which are very much focussed on after school and weekend activities.
Consultation with North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) indicates that it is aware of LBC’s proposed growth and housing needs. NHDC also has a projected growth target and needs to accommodate c.10,000-12,000 dwellings of its own during the same time period. These are likely to be centred on its four main settlements. Therefore, it is likely that if it accommodates any increased growth for Luton, these settlements should look to LBC for their employment, retail, educational and leisure needs. Central Bedfordshire indicates that it too has issues with responding to the needs of LBC as it also identifies growth of c. 25,000 dwellings over the next 20 years. This may well entail building on significant swathes of green space.
Potential impact on sports facilities
While strategic planning needs to consider change over the 20+ years, service planning is often more closely aligned to a much shorter time horizon, typically five or so years. This study, as identified above also takes account of projected household growth in Luton of 18,000; 21,000 and 30,000 dwellings up until 2031 following consultation with the Department for Environment and Regeneration, LBC.
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PART 3: INDOOR SPORTS FACILITIES ASSESSMENT
3.1: Methodology
The assessment of provision is presented by analysis of the quality, quantity and accessibility for sports facilities. Each facility is considered on a ‘like for like’ basis, in order that it can be assessed for adequacy.
The report considers the distribution of, and interrelationship between, all sports halls facilities in Luton and evaluates demand. It gives a clear indication of areas of high demand. The report will identify where there is potential to provide improved and/or additional facilities to meet this demand and to, where appropriate, protect or rationalise the current stock.
Assessment of supply
Where possible, assessments have been undertaken in the presence of facility staff. Even if only partially achievable it is of considerable value. It not only enables access to be gained to all aspects of facilities, but also allows more detailed in-situ discussion of issues such as customer perspectives, quality, maintenance etc. This is essential as the audit is a ‘snapshot’ visit in time and there is a risk, dependent upon the time of day/year, that it may not wholly reflect general user experience.
We define and undertake site visits to key indoor facilities, those operated by other partners and the voluntary sector. Through the audit and via informal interviews with facility managers, we build a ‘relevance’ and ‘condition’ register which describes (e.g.):
Facility and scale. Usage/local market. Ownership, management and access arrangements (plus, where available, facility owner aspirations). Management, programming, catchments, user groups, gaps. Location (urban/rural), access and accessibility. Condition, maintenance, existing improvement plans, facility ‘investment status’ (lifespan in the short, medium and long term). Community value (now and in the future). Existing/ planned adjacent facilities.
This enables us to identify the potential of each facility and will inform roles to be developed for each; or, as applicable, provide justification for rationalisation.
Based on the principles above we have developed an assessment form to capture quantity and quality data on a site by site basis and which also feeds directly into our database to be stored and analysed. (It should be noted that this is a KKP database and is not a Sport England tool, nor is it endorsed by Sport England). The data can, however, formatted and used by Luton Borough Council to directly update Active Places Power
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Assessment of demand
We assess facility provision against demand, taking into account key issues such as population and participation growth. Population projections up to 2021 for Luton are shown below. It can be seen that the population is expected to rise by 29,177 by 2021.
Table 3.1: Luton population projections
2016 projected 2021 projected Age (years) 2011 population population population 0-15 46,835 51,864 56,578 16-24 27,351 29,534 29,126 25-34 35,045 38,365 40,834 35-44 27,850 28,838 31,485 45-54 24,850 26,057 25,390 55-64 17,716 18,974 21,598 65+ 23,994 25,872 27,806 Total 203,641 219,504 232,818
Catchment areas
Catchment areas for different types of provision provide a tool for identifying areas currently not served by existing indoor sports facilities. It is recognised that catchment areas vary from person to person, day to day, hour to hour. This problem has been overcome by accepting the concept of ‘effective catchment’, defined as the distance travelled by around 75-80% of users.
This, coupled with KKP’s experience of working with leisure facilities and having completed such assessments for similar local authorities, has enabled the identification of catchment areas for sports halls as follows:
Table 3.2: Facility catchment areas
Facility type Identified catchment area by urban/rural Sport halls 20 minute walk/ 20 minute drive Swimming pools 20 minute walk/ 20 minute drive Indoor bowls centre 20 minute drive Indoor tennis centres 20 minute drive
User mapping
Where possible we map current users of facilities; where information is available. This enables us to determine the true catchment of each facility and to identify the reach it has into specific communities. That is, we are able to profile users and to determine if facility programmes and pricing policies reflect the wider aspirations of the Borough, especially in relation to health inequalities and deprivation.
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Supply and demand analysis
The supply and demand analysis tools applied in this report employs principles engaged within the Sport England Facilities Planning Model (FPM) toolkit which is a nationally recognised database of sport and recreation facilities. It forms the basis of a planning tool for the provision of specific sports facilities in order to identify demand for provision. It has been designed to help local authorities carry out audits of their sports provision and develop local strategies. It also assists national governing bodies of sport to identify areas in need for some sports facility provision. In addition a number of runs have been made on the FPM to provide additional supply and demand information.
To determine future actions and priorities the supply and demand assessment is run through the KKP database in line with Sport England facility planning principles. This analysis is key in determining whether the Borough currently has sufficient provision to account for any future changes in population. It also takes into account the spread of provision and enables identification of communities not served by an indoor facility.
It can subsequently be used, in consultation with Steering Group members to identify appropriate modelling scenarios to run through the supply and demand analysis. For example, we may run a model which removes sites approaching the end of their life span (e.g. within the next 5 years) to analyse the impact on the accessibility to that type of provision and to determine the potential need for investment across the Authority. The following analysis is then carried out on an area-by-area basis and by facility type
A quantitative summary A summary of usage Calculation of local demand A quality impact assessment An accessibility impact assessment (through the use of catchment mapping) Identification of current and future surpluses and deficiencies in provision
The principles of supply and demand have been used to evaluate demand for sports halls and swimming pools in Luton. To identify shortfalls in the quantity of halls and pools, it is necessary to estimate the current capacity of provision across the Borough and potential demand (based on population and participation trends). This helps determine whether current facility capacity is meeting current demand and provides an indication of surplus or shortfall. In addition, by applying estimated population and participation increases to the demand it is possible to calculate whether current supply will also meet future demands.
Capacity, as identified by Sport England, is calculated by the following formulae for sports halls and swimming pools as follows:
Pools Capacity = Area in sq. m / 6 x Number of hours open in peak / Duration. Halls Capacity = Equivalent courts x 5 x Number of hours open in peak / Duration.
Number of hours open in peak time varies by facility, but peak time is shown below:
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Table 3.3: Peak time for sports halls
Day of the Pools Halls week Peak time TOTAL Peak Peak time TOTAL Peak time hours time hours Mon-Fri 12:00 – 13:30 37.5 17:00 – 22:00 25 16:00 – 22:00 Sat 09:00 – 16:00 7 09:30 – 17:00 7.5 Sun 09:00 – 16:30 7.5 09:00 – 14:30 8 17:00 – 19:30 TOTAL 52 40.5
The above peak hours are for modelling purposes and may not necessarily reflect actual peak and off-peak hours at Luton’s sports facilities. Consultation suggests that many sports halls (particularly school sites) are less busy at weekends than at weekday peak times and peak hours in pools may be based on early mornings/lunchtime swims.
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PART 4: SPORTS HALLS
Indoor multi-sports halls are defined as areas where a range of sport and recreational activities are carried out. This assessment considers all sports hall facilities in Luton that comprise at least three badminton courts (a main hall as defined by Sport England). It should be noted that 4-court sports halls provide greater flexibility in that they accommodate major indoor team sports such as badminton, basketball and netball.
4.1 Sport England Facilities Planning Model (FPM)
The Sport England Facilities Planning Model for Luton was undertaken using the 2013 National Facilities Audit data. The key summary of the FPM analysis identifies that:
The supply of sports hall space per head of population in Luton is relatively low in Luton compared to the East Region but equivalent to that of Central Bedfordshire. Luton has 21 halls on 14 different sites. The facilities included are made up of three 3 court halls, nine 4 court halls, one 6 court hall and one 8 court hall. The remainder of the 21 halls are halls under the set 3 court limit. When looking at a very simplistic picture of supply and demand across Luton, the resident population is estimated to generate a demand for a minimum 63.38 courts. This compares to a current supply of 55.66 courts giving a supply/demand balance of -7.7 courts. Further, this balance does not take account of a number of key factors, such as the location of sports halls compared to the location of demand and cross boundary flows. Overall the model estimates that 6.7% of the total demand for sports halls from Luton residents is not currently being met by supply either within or outside of Luton. The FPM further indicates that approximately 93.3% of demand for sports hall provision in Luton is thought to be met by the supply. 86.7% of this is retained within Luton facilities, which results in 13.3% of the met demand being exported to neighbouring authority facilities. The unmet demand from the FPM model estimates that 6.7% of the total demand for sports halls from Luton residents is not currently being met by supply either within or outside of Luton. Aggregated Unmet Demand identifies a relatively evenly spread demand for more courts with the lowest of just 0.4 in the North and East of the Borough and the highest of 1.2 in the Central and South areas. This means that if additional court space were provided there is no obvious location at this time that would have a major impact on reducing the levels of unmet demand due to resident location. 26.5% of the resident population do not have access to a car. Whilst this is not unusual for more urban authorities the figure is higher than the national average (24.9%) and regional averages (17.7%). For Luton 79.7% of the unmet demand is as a result of people not having access to a car. This means that large numbers of residents will be reliant on walking to facilities and the current distribution means they are outside of the modelled 15-20 minute walk time and as a result are deemed unlikely to participate. It is important to recognise that even if a further 7-8 courts were provided this is likely to result in those facilities being at capacity, as there is an already identified shortfall in provision. As a result an ideal position for an authority is to have a slight over supply to provide a level of comfort in terms of provision. The fact that Central Bedfordshire only has a limited over supply and North Hertfordshire under provision means that neither neighbouring authority is likely to be
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in a position to assist in overcoming shortfalls, even if their facilities were ideally located to serve Luton residents. The local neighbours of Central Bedfordshire and North Hertfordshire also have sports hall supply challenges. As a result, the development of any new facilities should involve engagement with these partners to ensure maximum sporting benefit and impact.
Therefore a key aspect of this study is to set into context the current position in Luton with regards to the supply of sports halls across the Borough. Ultimately this will enable the Council and Sport England to re-run the National Facilities Audit in order to determine future challenges for the authority.
4.2: Supply
Quantity
The supply of sports halls in Luton has changed considerably over the last five years. The area has benefited from a number of recently developed sports halls on school sites such as Barnfield South and West (2011) and Challney School for Girls. Luton 6th Form (2010) has provided a new 6 court hall and the Inspire Luton Sports Village (2012) an 8 court facility. Whilst this is positive there are three facilities originally built in the 1960’s and three in the 1970’s. Whilst a number of these have had more recent refurbishment the age of the facilities does need to be considered when planning for the future. The older a facility gets the less attractive to users it becomes, and whilst refurbishment can improve this dramatically, replacement will need to be considered at some stage to ensure that supply levels do not drop from their current position.
The development of academies and the autonomy that comes with that for schools also creates challenges for community sport. Securing long term contractual arrangements either through the planning system, or through local engagement is crucial and should be considered for those sites where arrangements are not currently in place and insisted upon for any new proposals to secure long term community access to provision.
Whilst the area has enjoyed the development of new facilities in recent years much of the remaining stock is ageing. A long term plan / approach on how these will be refurbished/ replaced needs to be developed to ensure continuity of provision in the future. This is particularly important in light of the academies developing in Luton and the Borough Council not being in control of the stock in the same manner as it has been in the past.
In Luton there are 17 individual sites providing 30 individual sports halls and activity halls which are purportedly available for community use. These are identified in figure 4.1.
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Figure 4.1: All identified sports halls and activity halls in Luton
Table 4.1: All sports halls and activity halls
Map Badminton AP Ref Site name Facility ID Type ID courts 1 1203566 Ashcroft High School 2210746 Activity Hall 0 2 1203566 Ashcroft High School 2210745 Main 4 3 1044958 Barnfield South Academy 4114333 Main 4 4 1039833 Barnfield West Academy 4087956 Main 4 5 1203591 Cardinal Newman Catholic School 2210815 Activity Hall 1 6 1203591 Cardinal Newman Catholic School 2210814 Main 4 7 1044027 Central Baptist Church 4111413 Activity Hall 0 Challney High School for Boys & Main 4 8 1203810 2211718 Community College Challney High School for Boys & Activity Hall 1 9 1203810 2211717 Community College 10 1044091 Challney High School for Girls 4111573 Main 4 11 1014092 Denbigh High School 2036266 Activity Hall 1 12 1014092 Denbigh High School 2026726 Main 4 13 1008601 Foxdell Community Education Centre 2007377 Activity Hall 2 Hightown Community Sport and Arts Activity Hall 0 14 1009701 4117161 Centre Hightown Community Sport and Arts Main 3 15 1009701 2008019 Centre 16 1203574 Icknield High School 2210762 Activity Hall 3 17 1203574 Icknield High School 2210763 Activity Hall 0 18 1203574 Icknield High School 2210764 Activity Hall 3 19 1203574 Icknield High School 2079001 Activity Hall 1
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20 1042805 Inspire: Luton Sports Village 4117158 Activity Hall 0 21 1042805 Inspire: Luton Sports Village 4117159 Activity Hall 0 22 1042805 Inspire: Luton Sports Village 4109338 Main 8 23 1005724 Lea Manor Recreation Centre 4115753 Activity Hall 0 24 1005724 Lea Manor Recreation Centre 4117160 Activity Hall 0 25 1005724 Lea Manor Recreation Centre 2005483 Main 4 26 1203589 Lealands High School 2210799 Activity Hall 0 27 1203589 Lealands High School 2210798 Main 3 28 1000446 Lewsey Sports Park 4117162 Activity Hall 0 29 1044262 Luton Sixth Form College 4112026 Main 6 30 1011235 Venue 360 2027044 Main 4
This study is, however, concerned with multipurpose sports halls which are a minimum of three courts. These are identified in the map overleaf, and the subsequent table which also takes account of their general condition. The map above indicates that sports halls are generally accessible when considering a 20 minute walk in all parts of the Borough, including the more densely populated areas.
Quality
Site assessments
As part of the study KKP visited all main sports halls and completed non-technical visual inspections. The assessments highlighted that there is a degree of variation in the quality of sports halls across the Borough, but in general the quality appears to be broadly positive. KKP has recorded facilities varying from poor to good quality. Only three sports halls are considered poor which are Icknield School and Cardinal Newman School. The quality rating of sports halls is identified in Figure 4.4 and Table 4.2.
Figure 4.4: Three court+ sports halls by condition and one mile radial catchments
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Table 4.2: Three court + sports halls by condition
Map Site Access Condition Court ID Sports Club/Community Above 2 Ashcroft High School 4 Association use average 3 Barnfield South Academy Pay and Play Good 4 4 Barnfield West Academy Pay and Play Good 4 Cardinal Newman Catholic Sports Club/Community 6 Poor 4 School Association use Challney High School for Boys Above 8 Pay and Play 4 & Community College average Sports Club/Community 10 Challney High School for Girls Good 4 Association use Sports Club/Community Above 12 Denbigh High School 4 Association use average Hightown Community Sport and Above 15 Pay and Play 3 Arts Centre average Sports Club/Community 16 Icknield High School Poor 3 Association use Sports Club/Community 18 Icknield High School Poor 3 Association use 22 Inspire: Luton Sports Village Pay and Play Good 8 25 Lea Manor Recreation Centre Pay and Play Good 4 Sports Club/Community Above 27 Lealands High School 3 Association use average Sports Club/Community Above 29 Luton Sixth Form College 6 Association use average Above 30 Venue 360 Pay and Play 4 average
The Borough has two halls which are larger than four courts. This includes a 6-court hall at Luton 6th Form Centre and an 8 court hall at Inspire Luton Sports Village. The significance of the larger halls is that they are able to accommodate a wider range of activities such as Borough-wide and regional events, potentially making them significant in the context of sports development and competition programmes
Accessibility
This section considers the accessibility of facilities in relation to both the physical (i.e. built environment) and human (i.e. management of entry to facilities) elements.
Human
The majority of sports hall facilities in Luton indicate that they are available for community use offering either Pay and Play or Sports Club/Community Association Access policy (i.e. regular block bookings). However, local consultation indicates that some facilities are not available for community use due to the following:
Ashcroft High School - is available to hire but costs are reportedly high so not much community use occurs. Lealands High School - the sports hall is not available to hire due to issues with contract with Mitie.
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Barnfield South Academy- the sports hall is not available during exam time. Barnfield West Academy- the sports hall is not available during exam time. Challney High School for Girls - the sports hall appears to be available for occasional community use. Icknield High School- not available for community use, mainly due to the poor condition of facilities. Putteridge High School- sports hall has been out of action due to asbestos in the roof. Scheduled to reopen at the end of March. Stopsley High School – is not mapped as it currently does not have a sports hall although one is planned to be built in the near future
Physical
Appropriate walk and drive time accessibility standards can be applied to indoor sports provision to determine deficiencies in provision. The normal acceptable standard is to apply a 20 minute walk time (1 mile radial catchment) for an urban area and a 20 minute drive time for a rural area. Consultation in Luton has confirmed that a 20 minute walk time is appropriate.
Catchment mapping, based on an amalgamated 20 minute walk time has been adopted to analyse the adequacy of coverage of sports hall provision across the Borough as it helps to identify areas currently not serviced by existing sports halls.
Management arrangements
Challney High School for Girls- Mitie are currently key holders with the School office taking bookings. Mitie indicated that it would prefer to manage all community bookings to drive up community use. Denbigh High School manages the facility in-house and only takes block bookings due to ease of administration. Lealands High School- Mitie currently key holders and due to a contract dispute with the schools there is currently no community use. Hightown Community sports and arts centre is not on a school site but there is priority booking during curriculum time as part of Space for Sport and Arts Project.
The map below indicates which sports halls are currently available for community based following consultation.
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Figure 4.2: Community accessible sports halls by condition with 1 mile radial catchment
Figure: 4.3 3+ Court halls by hours of community use
Map Site Type Courts Weekly community ID use (hours) 2 Ashcroft High School Main 4 42.0 3 Barnfield South Academy Main 4 46.0 4 Barnfield West Academy Main 4 46.0 6 Cardinal Newman Catholic School Main 4 0.0 8 Challney High School for Boys & Main 4 27.0 Community College 10 Challney High School for Girls Main 4 20.0 12 Denbigh High School Main 4 39.0 15 Hightown Community Sport and Arts Main 3 77.0 Centre 16 Icknield High School Activity 3 0.0 Hall 18 Icknield High School Activity 3 0.0 Hall 22 Inspire: Luton Sports Village Main 8 103.0 25 Lea Manor Recreation Centre Main 4 42.5 27 Lealands High School Main 3 0.0 29 Luton Sixth Form College Main 6 36.0 30 Venue 360 Main 4 95.0
The FPM identifies three 3 court halls, however, only one of these is available for community use. Eight four court halls have been identified as being available for community use (as opposed to the FPM findings of nine courts). There is, however one 6 court and one 8 court hall. The total number of sports halls available for community use is 11 which have a combined total of 49 courts.
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The North East and South East of the Borough do not have coverage of a sports hall within a one mile catchment area. Further, consultation indicates that Ashcroft High School has prohibitive costs for local community groups.
The situation is further complicated by facilities outside the Borough which residents may consider accessible. The map below indicates the sports halls available in Central Bedfordshire which may be considered within travelling distance. The map below indicates that using the 20min walk time assessment, residents in the North West of the Borough may consider Houghton Regis Leisure Centre accessible, which corresponds with the findings of the FPM which identifies that 13.3% of the met demand being exported to neighbouring authority facilities. (No site assessment has been undertaken at neighbouring facilities).
Figure 4.4: 3+ Court halls by condition with neighbouring facilities
Ownership AP Ref Site Name Courts Access Type Type 1005718 Dunstable Leisure Centre 6 Pay and Play Local Authority 1005722 Houghton Regis Leisure 6 Pay and Play Local Authority Centre 1203610 Manshead Church of England 4 Sports Club / Voluntary Aided Upper School Community Association School
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4.3: Demand
Analysis of demand for sports halls
The Sport England Facilities Planning Model identifies that based on the current population; Bedfordshire as a whole has an unmet demand that equates to 10.34 courts, Luton has 4.28 of these. A sports hall is deemed to be “full” when it is at or above 80% capacity. Beyond this limit the ability to obtain a booking or use the facility in a flexible way is severely impaired and will have a negative impact on propensity to participate. Currently the sports halls in Luton are modelled to be at 85% capacity, somewhat above the 80% limit. The average figure of 85% can mask highs and lows of individual sites, so it is important to highlight those sites which are able to potentially accommodate more activity and those that are at near full capacity, according to the modelling.
However, there are a number of key factors that need to be considered in understanding the above unmet demand in provision. One of the main issues to be addressed is the degree of accessibility and availability of sports halls on school sites. Luton only has three halls which are not on an education site; these are at Inspire Luton Sports Village (8 courts), High Town Community and Arts centre (3 courts) and Venue 360. Although many of the other facilities are available during the peak period, consultation has identified that there are issues in relation to the price differences across the range of facilities. In addition, unmet demand for a range of sports may well be resolved if existing smaller community sports and primary school halls were to become more widely available and accessible for community use. Further work is needed to identify current utilisation of these types of facilities.
NGB key issues
The following section identifies the results of consultation from a range of key NGBs and clubs in the Borough and looks to identify key issues emanating from them.
Cricket
Cricket is considered a highly sensitive and political sport within Luton. Bedfordshire Cricket Board (BCB) is currently in the process of developing an indoor facilities strategy. Team Beds and Luton and BCB are aware of the high demand for cricket in the area. There is a recognised need to harness the enthusiasm of all the different ethnic groups currently participating. Cricket and its development is therefore considered a priority sport within Luton Borough. Consultation with cricket clubs in the Borough indicates that just over half of clubs (55%) report additional demand for training facilities. Opportunities to play indoors are, however, currently restricted. There is a perception that operators of facilities do not consider that it is as profitable, as say, indoor football. There is an indoor cricket practice facility at Challney High School for Girls, which is not currently being utilised due to limited community use of the facility in general. Luton 6th Form College (6 courts) has been identified as a strategic priority and of borough wide importance in addressing cricket facility deficiencies (as identified in the recently produced Playing Pitch Strategy 2014- 2021). BCB is working with the College to develop it a venue for a cricket league.
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Luton Town and Indians Cricket club uses facilities at Denbigh High School for indoor cricket. Further, BCB is actively exploring whether the indoor tennis facility at Venue 360 would be an opportunity to develop indoor cricket. It is acknowledged that work is being undertaken in the business community to find and develop another indoor venue for cricket. Bedfordshire ECB has a long term cricket plan and would like to work with Clubmark accredited clubs, although there is only one in the Borough.
Badminton
Overall there is significant badminton activity in the Borough, but it does not appear to be joined up. Badminton England has prioritised Active Luton for the Play Badminton framework. Venue 360 is key to this development and has been recognised as a performance centre. There are good school facilities for badminton but access to them is limited, in some instances and programming is an ongoing issue.
Basketball
Basketball is considered a significant sport in Bedfordshire. Basketball England has identified that there are different factions in Luton who are not in a position, or willing to work with one another. Until local issues can be resolved it is unlikely that Luton will benefit from investment or officer time as it is not considered a strategic priority Basketball England is also undergoing a restructure, following funding cuts from Sport England The NGB is also aware that there is good support for basketball development from Team Beds and Luton. Luton 6th Form Centre has been identified by the CSP as a good facility in which to develop basketball, due to its size, location and potential accessibility of younger age groups.
Netball
Bedfordshire has traditionally been a strong county with regards to netball development. There is a strong outdoor netball league in Luton. There has been some developmental work at Lea Manor School in developing a ‘Back to Netball’ programme. This is a good example of the NGB working with both the School and Team Beds and Luton. Luton Tornadoes is considered to be the strong local team and plays and trains at Luton 6th Form Centre. Luton Community Club is a relatively new club which occasionally trains at Denbigh High School, although the cost is prohibitive. The ‘Back to Netball’ programme was not as successful at Denbigh as it was at Lea Manor. The NGB suggests that training indoors is not a priority and it would prefer to focus on developing a good Central Venue League outdoors.
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Volleyball
Luton is not considered an investment zone for Volleyball England. Any drive for volleyball within the area is, therefore, likely to be recreational and through the university.
Other indoor activity (non-standard sports halls)
Squash
Lewsey Sports Park has a tradition of strong participation and competition of squash. It currently has five squash courts which has received investment (c. £40,000) from the Squash and Racketball Association (SRA) in 2011. During the upgrade of the facility, it was noted that one squash court was used as a dance studio and should demand outstrip the current five courts, the SRA would look to see this converted back to its former use. There is a strong developmentally minded club, Luton and Dunstable Squash Club, which operates out of the facility. The NGB considers this a particularly pro-active club and will look to put any further investment in the area through it. The Club hosts regional tournaments. It is likely that the squash courts will need further investment in a couple of years if the quality of facility is to be maintained to its current regional standard.
Boxing
The strategic direction of Boxing in Luton is governed by the ABAE, which in turn is defined by its Whole Sport Plan. Luton does have the demographic profile which the ABAE are trying to attract i.e. 16- 25 year olds and 25+. It has the facilities, clubs and a good range of younger people in the BME community. There are, reportedly, up to 10 boxing clubs in Luton, which train out of an array of very small local facilities. The development and investment from the ABAE (c. £100,000 in 2012) at Lewsey Park was intended to bring this boxing development together. Local politics between clubs and rivalry appear to have conspired against this as boxing clubs, in particular, are not keen to work together. The ABAE has deemed Luton as second tier in its Whole Sport Plan and its drive to increase participation. The ABAE currently has limited capacity and much of its energies are currently going into Tier one areas, which is Essex in the East of England. There are, however, a range of products which are available for use which are intended to drive up participation including ‘BOX’, ‘URBAN’ and the satellite club concept. The ABAE suggests that it is for the leisure operator to utilise these products to help increase participation.
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4.4: Challenges
The consultation undertaken during this study has identified the following challenges:
Some schools with a BSF contract report that there are limitations on community use; this does not lend itself to maximising participation and use of the facilities. This is particularly apparent at Lealands High School, where the sports hall is completely unused by the community. There are wide variations in the approach to schools managing community use of their sports facilities. In some instances the approach limits the availability for the community. Some school sports halls, although purporting to have community access, have limited community use. Given that Inspire Luton Sports Village is in the North East of the Borough and the FPM indicates that travel to the site by walking constitutes only 5% usage, the importance of other sites cannot be underestimated. Active Luton appears to have a good overview of current activity in sports halls but is unable to influence the schools and academies and there appears to be no overall programming across the Borough. Luton is identified as having unmet demand (as identified in the FPM), the fact that many of the facilities are located within educational sites and with limited community access during the school day, will become more of an issue as the population increase and with an ageing population. Further work is required on gathering data regarding usage/access of indoor facilities by disabled people and the BME community. This is particularly relevant in terms of how affordable activities are to disadvantaged sections of the community.
It would appear that Luton requires additional use of facilities in order to address unmet demand as identified in the the FPM and the consultation which suggests that this is exacerbated by limitations on community use. Therefore, there is a need to:
Consider increasing the use of smaller community and primary school halls to alleviate some of the unmet demand (although this will not always support sports which need a larger hall). Protect the existing provision Resolve community use issues especially on School and Academy sites. Provide additional facilities.
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4.5 Sport England’s Facilities Calculator
The Sports Facilities Calculator (SFC) has been created by Sport England to help local planning authorities quantify how much additional demand for the key community sports facilities, is generated by populations of new growth, development and regeneration areas.
Whilst SFC can be used to estimate the facility needs for whole area populations, such as for the whole of Luton Borough Council, there are dangers in how these figures are subsequently used. The SFC should not be used for strategic gap analysis as it has no spatial dimension. It is important to note that the SFC does not take account of:
Facility location compared to demand Capacity and availability of facilities – opening hours. Cross boundary movement of demand Travel networks and topography Attractiveness of facilities
The following table indicates the results from a number of proposed different dwellings, taking account of the c.6000 dwellings LBC suggests it can currently accommodate; 18,000 dwellings, 30,000 dwellings and the current ONS estimates for the Borough up to 2021. The calculations consider an increase of 2.71 people per household.
Table 4.6: Comparator of different populations on the demand for sports halls in Luton
Population estimates Additional ummet demand 6,000 dwellings 219,901 4 courts Increase of 11,000 dwellings 232,818 7 courts (as per 2021 projections) Increase 18,000 dwellings 252,421 13 courts Increase in 30,000 dwellings 284,941 23 courts
The above table indicates that, should there be any increase in population, this will result in increasing unmet demand for sports hall facilities and will put increased pressure on those currently available for community use.
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4.6 Summary
In summary, the above consultation and analysis would indicate that Luton is in the following position with regards to its sports hall provision:
This assessment identifies a total of 15 sports hall (3 court and above) sites providing 62 badminton courts. These sports halls provide a total of 11 community accessible venues with 49 badminton courts. The Sport England FPM analysis indicates that there is unmet demand of 4.28 courts. The assessment undertaken would suggest that this is higher due to the inaccessibility of a number of 3 and 4 court sports halls identified above. The model does not specify where these should/could be. Increases in population will put further pressure on exisiting facilities. The quality of sports halls is variable across the Borough; the majority of halls, however, are rated as good or above average. The ones identified as poor tend not to currently have community use. The amount of community use available at school sites varies, depending on the approach of each school to community access. There is a demand for indoor cricket, although the relationship with Bedfordshire Cricket Board and Luton 6th Form College is developing. This site has been identified as a strategic priority in the Luton’s Playing Pitch Strategy 2014-2021.It is hoped/expected that this will increase indoor opportunity in the near future. The programming of adult football does not appear to be reducing the opportunities for other sports in the facilities. Cost appears to be more of an issue, especially with regard to hiring school facilities. Given the fragmented nature of management arrangements for sports halls; there does not appear to be any one organisation which takes the lead on programming activities across the Borough. The proposed increase in population is likely to put more strain on the current stock of facilities. Further investment will be required in the sporting infrastructure if it is to keep pace with projected demand (assuming population projections are maintained). Facility developments in Central Bedfordshire at Houghton Regis and Dunstable may offer alternative facilities for residents of Luton (but only if they have access to personal transport (which has been highlighted as low in Luton).
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PART 5: SWIMMING POOLS
A swimming pool can be defined as an “enclosed area of water, specifically maintained for all forms of water based sport and recreation”. It includes indoor and outdoor pools, freeform leisure pools and specific diving tanks used for general swimming, teaching, training and diving”. This is an assessment of swimming pools in Luton.
5.1: Sport England Facilities Planning Model (FPM)
The Sport England Facilities Planning Model for Luton was undertaken using the 2013 National Facilities Audit data. The FPM run for swimming pools is more accurate than sports halls given that there have been less changes in the supply of swimming pools in the Borough over recent years. The analysis provides a useful start point in identifying the issues and challenges for LBC’s swimming provision. The key summary of the FPM analysis identifies that:
Luton has nine pools on seven different sites. The facilities included are made up one 50m pool at Inspire Luton Sports Village, this also has a 20x 10 learner pool. There are two 25m pools, one 5 lane pool at Lea Manor and one 6 lane pool at Lewsey. Denbigh High School has a 23m pool with 5 lanes. The three remaining pools are 20x10m at Lealands High School, Bannatynes and David Lloyd (also has a 10m x5m pool). Collectively the pool provision included provides a measure of 12.79m2 of water space per 1,000 population. This figure is similar to the national (12.75) and regional (12.62) averages. It is significantly higher than near neighbour Central Beds (9.17) but considerably lower than North Hertfordshire (18.91). In terms of CIPFA comparators Luton is far higher than both Bradford (8.24) and Oldham (10.61). The area has benefited from the recent investment at Inspire Luton Sports Village which was completed in 2012 but the remaining public sector stock is ageing. Denbigh was built in 1960 and there is no reported significant investment since then; Lewsey in 1973 but has recently had significant investment and refurbishment (2012). Lealands in 1980 with no recorded refurbishment, and Lea Manor built in 1978 with refurbishment in 2010. The private sector facilities are now over a decade old - David Lloyd 2001 and Bannatynes 2002. This poses problems in the short, medium and long term and it may be that key decisions with regards to future water provision to serve the whole of Luton are required. The provision by the public sector is a key factor in Luton and the public are reliant on this current provision for the levels of access they currently enjoy. Luton has just over 33% of Bedfordshire’s population and has just over 36% of the total supply of water space for the area. Approximately 92.3% of demand for pool provision in Luton is thought to be met by the supply network included in this modelling. This is above the national (91.5%) and similar to the regional (92.4%) averages. It is similar to Central Bedfordshire (92.1%) but lower than North Hertfordshire (95.2%). It is lower than Oldham (96%) but considerably higher than Bradford (88%) and Peterborough (81.4%). The model estimates that of the 92.3% of demand that is currently met by the supply included in the modelling, 88.2% of this is retained within Luton facilities. This results in 11.8% of the met demand being exported to neighbouring authority facilities
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Overall the model estimates that 7.7% of the total demand for pools from Luton residents is not currently being met by supply either within or outside of Luton. This equates to 179m2 of water space. 91.3% of this unmet demand is as a result of residents living outside of a current catchment for a facility. This level of unmet demand, as a result of being outside a catchment, will link back to the low levels of comparative car ownership. At 26.5% these are high and will mean that large numbers of residents will be reliant on walking to facilities and the current distribution means they are outside of the modelled 15-20 minute walk time and as a result are deemed unlikely to participate. For Luton 85% of the unmet demand is as a result of people not having access to a car.
FPM findings for individual sites
Capacity is limited at community sites. Denbigh and Lea Manor are modelled to be completely full in the peak period; Lealands is at 94%, Lewsey at 99%. Inspire is modelled to have 38% of its capacity free at present. As a result the Inspire site is the only facility in the publicly managed sites with any real capacity. However, its location at one edge of the Borough does create access limitation for a number of residents.
86.3% of all visits to pools in Luton are made by road and 13.7% by those walking. In comparison the national figures are 84.5% and 15.5%, and regionally 89% and 11%. The surprise here is that the walking figures are not higher for an urban area like Luton. However, it is likely reflective of the location of Inspire on the edge of the Borough resulting in large proportions of the resident community not being within walking distance of the facility.
In contrast Denbigh has a very high level of walking access at 56%. This is due to the fact that in most cases schools sit within their community and are designed to be accessed by those walking. Whilst the figures at Lealands (15%) and Lea Manor (20%) are much lower than Denbigh they are still significantly higher than those at Inspire.
5.2: Supply
Quantity and quality
The assessment identifies 10 swimming pools on eight sites across Luton. For the purposes of the assessment Bannatynes, David Lloyd and Waves Health and Leisure Club pools have been excluded from the assessment because they are member only clubs and not available to the wider community and the pools are too small.
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Figure 5.1: Swimming pools by condition
Table 5.1: Swimming pools in Luton
Map AP Ref Site Type Lanes Condition ID Bannatynes Health Club Not 1 1006786 Main/General 1 (Luton) assessed Not 2 1001202 David Lloyd Club (Luton) Main/General 3 assessed Not 3 1001202 David Lloyd Club (Luton) Learner/Teaching/Training 0 assessed 4 1014092 Denbigh High School Main/General 4 Good Inspire: Luton Sports 5 1042805 Main/General 8 Good Village Inspire: Luton Sports 6 1042805 Main/General 5 Good Village Lea Manor Recreation Below 7 1005724 Main/General 5 Centre average Above 8 1203589 Lealands High School Main/General 4 average Above 9 1005725 Lewsey Park Pool Main/General 5 average Waves Health & Leisure Not 10 1009101 Learner/Teaching/Training 0 Club (Strathmore) assessed
Apart from Denbigh High School, the distribution of swimming pools is towards the outer edges of the Borough; in addition, they are not located in the highest areas of population density. The current stock of pools is generally at a good standard although there is a requirement for investment at Lea Manor Recreation Centre, which is scheduled for Summer 2014.
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Community accessible pools
If we consider the community accessible pools in the Borough (i.e. those pools where there are no restrictions to accessing the pool as a result of membership criteria) it can be identified that there are challenges with respect to the distribution throughout the Borough.
Figure 5.2: Community accessible pools by quality
Table 5.2: Community accessible pools by quality
Map AP Ref Site Type Lanes Condition ID 4 1014092 Denbigh High School Main/General 4 Good Inspire: Luton Sports 5 1042805 Main/General 8 Good Village Inspire: Luton Sports 6 1042805 Main/General 5 Good Village Lea Manor Recreation Below 7 1005724 Main/General 5 Centre average Above 8 1203589 Lealands High School Main/General 4 average Above 9 1005725 Lewsey Park Pool Main/General 5 average
Figure 5.2 and Table 5.2 indicate that three out of the six swimming pools (at five facilities) are rated as good and only Lea Manor Recreation centre is rated as below average.
The distribution of water space across the Borough is clearly an issue within the central and south areas of the Borough being serviced by Denbigh High School swimming pool only. The North, North East and North West of the Borough is, however, well serviced by
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Lewsey Park Pool, Lea Manor Recreation Centre, Lealands High School and Inspire Luton Sports Village; all of which report significant community use. Community use at Denbigh Pool is restricted to evenings from 1700 to 2300 hours on weekdays and from 0900 to 1700hours on weekends. Although, there is a high level of community use recorded at Denbigh Pool. Lealands High School operates independently of othe swimming pools and is reported to have a significant amount of time given over to the Penguins Swim School.
Figure 5.3: Denbigh High School swimming pool
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Accessibility
Physical
Appropriate walk and drive time accessibility standards can be applied to swimming provision to determine deficiencies in provision. The normal acceptable standard is to apply a 20 minute walk time (1 mile radial catchment) for an urban area and a 20 minute drive time for a rural area. Consultation in Luton has confirmed that, taking account of local need, 20 minute walk time is appropriate.
Catchment mapping, based on an amalgamated 20 minute walk time has been adopted to analyse the adequacy of coverage of swimming pool provision across the Borough; it also helps to identify areas currently not served by existing swimming pools. In the main, the majority of the population is within 1 mile (20 minute walk time) of a swimming pool, although there are some key population areas in the middle of and to the South of the Borough that have gaps in provision.
Figure 5.3 below shows the current stock of community accessible swimming pools with an amalgamated 20 minute walk-time catchment area.
Figure 5.3: All publicly accessible pools with a 1 mile radial catchment.
However, if we assess this coverage of pools in the context of Indices of Multiple Deprivation we can contextualise the nature of the communities within the catchment (and outside) of a community accessible swimming pool.
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Figure 5.4: All publicly accessible pools with a 1 mile radial catchment (overlaid on IMD)
Figure 5.4 clearly demonstrates that there are key areas of deprivation and relatively high population density to the South and West of the Borough that are outside of the 1 mile radial catchment for a community accessible swimming pool. Furthermore, the closest pool they have access to is the Denbigh School Pool, which has restricted access during the day because of school use. It is, however, open for community use from 1700 hours to 2200 hours on week days and from 0900 hours to 1700 hours on a weekend.
If we measure and profile the community within and outside of the catchment of a community accessible swimming pool we can see clearly that 123,425 (62.1%) residents are within the 1 mile radial catchment of a swimming pool and approximately 75,325 residents outside. However, one of the important aspects of the analysis is that proportions of the most deprived communities are outside of the catchment. This is especially important for the top 20% most deprived areas of Luton where 30% of these specific residents are outside of the catchment of a swimming pool.
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Figure 5.5: Swimming pools including Dunstable with catchments
AP Ref Site Name Facility Sub Access Type Ownership Type Type 6008328 Ardley Hill Lower Main/General Sports Club / Community School Community Association school Main/General Pay and Play Local Authority Dunstable Leisure 1005718 Centre Learner/Teaching Pay and Play Local Authority /Training 1036456 DW Sports Fitness Main/General Registered Commercial Membership use
Figure 5.5 clearly indicates that Dunstable pool is wihin travelling distance of some Luton residents and may well allow for community access to swimming which is not provided for by Lealands High School Pool in the North West of the Borough.
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Table 5.3: Population IMD catchment of community accessible pools in Luton
Community accessible pools 20 Indices of Luton Multiple minute walk (1 mile) catchments Deprivation 2010 Population % Population % Inside % Outside 10% bands mid-2010 00 - 10% 14,728 7.4% 5.5% 1.9% 10 - 20% 37,198 18.7% 12.9% 5.9% 20 - 30% 32,796 16.5% 8.0% 8.5% 30 - 40% 32,042 16.1% 10.6% 5.5% 40 - 50% 26,714 13.4% 6.5% 6.9% 50 - 60% 16,857 8.5% 6.0% 2.5% 60 - 70% 14,602 7.3% 5.9% 1.4% 70 - 80% 14,765 7.4% 5.2% 2.2% 80 - 90% 7,600 3.8% 0.7% 3.1% 90 - 100% 1,450 0.7% 0.7% 0.0% Total 198,752 100.0% 62.1% 37.9%
If we measure and profile the community within and outside of the catchment of a community accessible swimming pool we can see clearly that only 35% of residents are within the 1 mile radial catchment of a swimming pool with 65 % of residents outside, completely reversing the current situation.
If Denbigh High School swimming pool becomes unavailable for community use, nearly 76% of people in the top 20% most deprived areas of Luton are then outside the catchment of a swimming pool within the Borough.
Table 5.4: Population IMD catchment of community accessible pools in Luton, excluding Denbigh High School
Community accessible pools 20 Indices of Multiple Luton minute walk (1 mile) catchments Deprivation 2010 10% bands Population % % Inside % Outside mid-2010 Population 00 - 10% 14,728 7.4% 1.3% 6.1% 10 - 20% 37,198 18.7% 4.9% 13.8% 20 - 30% 32,796 16.5% 4.4% 12.1% 30 - 40% 32,042 16.1% 6.9% 9.2% 40 - 50% 26,714 13.4% 4.7% 8.8% 50 - 60% 16,857 8.5% 3.3% 5.2% 60 - 70% 14,602 7.3% 5.2% 2.2% 70 - 80% 14,765 7.4% 2.9% 4.6% 80 - 90% 7,600 3.8% 0.7% 3.1% 90 - 100% 1,450 0.7% 0.7% 0.0% Total 198,752 100.0% 35.0% 65.0%
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5.3: Demand
Analysis of demand for swimming pools
The Sport England Facilities Planning Model identifies the following:
When looking at a very simplistic picture of supply and demand across Luton there is a disparity with between supply and demand with an over provision of 117.98m2. To give this some context a 25m 6 lane pool is 325m2, so this level of over provision equates to approximately 2 lanes of a pool.
26.5% of the resident population do not have access to a car. Whilst the provision of Inspire Luton Sports Village is a genuine positive it does mean that a high level of supply for the Borough is in one location which may well not be accessible to all residents.
Luton imports a high level of swims each week, and a great deal of this is likely to be via the Inspire Luton Sports Village facility due to its quality and location. This is an important part of making any large scale facility sustainable and should not be seen as a negative but purely a reflection of modern user demands for high quality experiences.
The above analysis is relatively crude and does not take account of some of the other key factors that affect the supply and demand analysis.
NGB key issues
The following section identifies the consultation with the ASA.
As with most NGBs the key driver for the ASA is to drive up participation, but it understands that it is dependent to a large extent on local providers. The ASA recognises that driving up participation rates in areas of high BME communities is particularly challenging. The ASA and Inspire Luton Sports Village have entered into a Pool Partnership Programme which includes a specific aquatic improvement plan. This covers both swimming and diving. Workforce development is a key priority for the ASA. Inspire is an accredited venue for the delivery of swimming qualifications. Inspire is a priority venue for the ASA with the Diving and 50m pool making it a strategically significant hub for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Other Consultation
There are significant learn to swim programmes at all of the pools. Inspire draws people in from both inside and from outside the Borough Team Luton Swimming club has approximately 180 members and links very well to the lean to swim programmes. Talent Identification is a key element of the programme. Team Luton uses Inspire, Lewsey and Lea Manor. In general, it reports that it has sufficient water time but has to balance this against the costs of hiring the facilities.
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The Club would appear to have under representation from the BME community in general. It recognises this as a key challenge and has tried several initiatives, with Active Luton, to try and improve participation but to no avail. There is also a Learn to Dive Scheme, a competitive Diving Club Inspire is part of the ASA Beacon Diving Programme. AL also undertakes talent identification programmes in schools. It is planned to focus on BME communities over the coming 12 months.
Figure 5.5: Membership of Inspire Luton Sports Village with 20 min walking catchment
This membership data takes account of all different membership types at Inspire Luton Sports Village and does not just appertain to swimming alone. It is interesting to note that all areas of Luton Borough contribute to the membership of Inspire Luton Sports Village. As noted in the FPM, there is significant travel to the facility from people resident outside the Borough but this is not necessarily a bad thing as it contributes to the financial viability of the site.
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Figure 5.6: Membership data of the Inspire Luton Sports Village facility set against IMD
Further interrogation of the membership data at Inspire Luton Sports Village, indicates that very little of its membership and therefore usage comes from areas of high deprivation in Luton. Lewsey Park Pool does appear to reach more people as does Lea Manor Recreation Centre in the more deprived areas than Inspire.
It may be that LBC decides to introduce performance measurement criteria on the leisure provider to challenge them to increasing usage, across the site, from the most deprived areas of the Borough.
Figure 5.7: Membership of Lewsey Swimming Pool with 20 min walking catchment
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Figure 5.8 and 5.9: Membership data of Lewsey Swimming pool and Lea Manor Recreation Centre set against IMD for Luton
NB. The information for Lea Manor Recreation Centre and Inspire covers all membership
One of the main issues to be addressed is the degree of accessibility and availability of swimming pools on school sites. Luton has three swimming pools on School sites, one of which is part of a dual use facility (Lea Manor) and Denbigh and Lealands High School. Although many of these facilities are available during the peak period, consultation has identified that there are issues in relation to the quality and access arrangements for pools across the Borough.
Although Denbigh is situated in an area of high deprivation and consultation suggests that community use is high, there is no data available to challenge this. Consequently, there is no evidence to confirm, or not, whether residents from the areas of high deprivation use access swimming at all.
5.4 Sport England’s Facilities Calculator
The Sports Facilities Calculator (SFC) has been created by Sport England to help local planning authorities quantify how much additional demand for the key community sports facilities, is generated by populations of new growth, development & regeneration areas.
Whilst SFC can be used to estimate the facility needs for whole area populations, such as for the whole of Luton Borough Council, there are dangers in how these figures are subsequently used. The FPM is outputs are generally considered to be far more sophisticated and account for other factors which the SFC does not. For example, the SFC should not be used for strategic gap analysis as it has no spatial dimension. In addition, it also does not take account of:
Facility location compared to demand Capacity and availability of facilities – opening hours. Cross boundary movement of demand Travel networks and topography Attractiveness of facilities
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The following table indicates the results from a number of proposed different dwellings, taking account of the c.6000 dwellings LBC suggests it can currently accommodate; 18,000 dwellings, 30,000 dwellings and the current ONS estimates for the Borough up to 2021. The calculations consider an increase of 2.71 people per household.
Table 5.10: Comparator of different populations on the demand for swimming in Luton
Population SFC calculation Additional demand estimates generated 6,000 dwellings 219,901 57 sq m This would be a considered a very small deficit of 57 sq m of water. Increase of 11,000 232,818 200 sq m 200sq m which is dwellings (as per 2021 equivalent to just more projections) than 3 lanes of 25m pool
Increase 18,000 252,421 417 sq m 417sq m which is dwellings equivalent to 5 lanes of 25m pool Increase in 30,000 284,941 773 sq m 773sq m which is dwellings equivalent to 12 lanes of 25m pool
These calculations assume that the current swimming stock remains accessible for community use and the quality remains the same. It is clear that Luton has some significant challenges in relation to its future swimming pool provision based on the SFC projections.
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5.5 Summary
In summary, the above consultation and analysis would indicate that Luton is in the following position with regards to its swimming pool provision: Need to add in the effect of Houghton regis and Dunstable This assessment identifies a total of six swimming pools across five sites. However, this excludes the following swimming pools from the assessment (due to their size and restrictive access arrangements): Bannatynes, two at David Lloyd and Waves Health and Leisure Club. There is currently considered an over supply of water (equating to approximately 2 lanes of 25m swimming pool). The main facility is located in the NOrt East of the Borough However, there is a crunch at peak times with all sectors of the community competing for water space at the same time. If there is a population increase of 18,000 dwellings with in Luton, the SFC models that this will additional demand to the equivalent of a 6 lane 25m pool. The quality of swimming pools is generally good. The investment and opening of Inspire Luton Sports Village in the North East of the Borough draws users from a wide area from across the Borough and from further afield. The Council’s main swimming pool provision is generally of good quality; Inspire Luton Sports Village is brand new so the quality is high. Other facilities have had investment in them, which has helped to maintain them to a good standard. Lea Manor stands out as a key challenge for investment, in its roof. This is scheduled for June 2014. Denbigh High School is strategically placed, has high community use and will need investment in it in the future to help it maintain standards. It is reportedly well used by the local community. In general the coverage of all community pools in the Borough is adequate with 62.1% of residents living within the 1 mile catchment of a swimming pool. This reduces to 35% of residents if Denbigh High School is taken out of the equation with 76% of those in the higher areas of deprivation unable to access swimming within the one mile catchment area. The strategic significance of Denbigh High School Pool should not be underestimated. It appears to serve the main deprived areas of the Borough. Denbigh High School, Lewsey, Lea Manor and Inspire offer women’s only sessions but it is a challenge, especially to accommodate the needs of women and girls and specific religious and cultural groups. Team Luton Swimming club is aware that it has the use of a high quality facility. It has close links and good relationships with Active Luton, using the Active Luton Swim School for Talent Identification. It has very few members from the BME community. Facility/swimming pool developments in Central Bedfordshire at Houghton Regis and Dunstable may offer alternative facilities for residents of Luton (but only if they have access to personal transport (which has been highlighted as low in Luton).
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PART 6: INDOOR BOWLS
6.1 Introduction
The English Bowls Association (EIBA) is the NGB for bowls. Its stated objectives are:
A growth in participation across the adult population in local Communities. Targeted work to increase female participation. A growth in participation in the 14-25 age range, plus working with primary schools (Year 3 & 4 – age 7 to 9). The provision of an excellent sporting experience for new and existing participants. A growth in Indoor Bowls participation by people who have disabilities.
Luton indoor bowls centre was opened in 1988 and is a well used local amenity with over 500 members. The map below indicates that it is strategically placed and is considered accessible using a 1 mile catchment area. The map indicates that 39,423 (19.8%) of all residents (2011 Census) are served by the 20 minute walk time catchment which includes residents from high areas of deprivation.
Figure 6.1: Indoor bowls centre with 20 minute walk and 20 minute drive time catchments
Table Indoor bowls centres in Luton and surrounding area
Site Rinks Luton Indoor Bowls Club 8 Neighbouring facilities Dunstable Leisure Centre 6 Harpenden & District Indoor Bowls Club 4 Riverain Bowls Club Ltd 8
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6.2 Key issues
The indoor bowls facility is one of three facilities occupying the site. The other two are the outdoor bowls green and the social club. It is understood that all three facilities are in the process of negotiating with the Co-operative Society (the owners of the land) for a longer lease. It is reported that any future lease will have an annual break clause for both sides. Anecdotally, the site is a potential valuable asset for building, with good access. Consultation suggested a degree of concern that the site could be sold off by the Co-operative Society for housing. The facility was opened in 1988 and has built up a strong membership of over 500 playing members (this has reportedly reduced from a peak of 700 over the past few years). Very few of the members are from the BME community. The projected population growth (up to 2021) of 55-64 year olds is expected to outstrip other age groups growth in Luton. This age group is projected to increase by 21% during this time frame. The National Governing Body (EIBA) has indicated that Luton Indoor Bowls Centre is strategically significant. Its membership is in the upper quartile when comparing to similar facilities across the Country. The facility is in need of some repair, especially to the roof which leaks onto the rinks 1, 2 and 8. Other facilities, such as changing rooms, bar and kitchen are generally in a good state of repair. The Club has good links with Active Luton which use the facility for a disability group once per week. The facility has the potential to link to the Health and Wellbeing agenda for the older age groups. The Club plays throughout the year and does not have a summer recess. The NGB is not in a position to be able to support the Club financially so any investment will need to come from other sources such as Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund.
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6.3 Summary
In summary, the above consultation and analysis would indicate that with regard to indoor bowls provision:
Bowls is a particularly popular sport amongst older age groups. EIBA is targeting increasing participation in younger people (14-25), women and girls and people with disabilities as part of its Whole Sport Plan strategy. The older population (55-64 years) is expected to increase substantially in Luton up until 2021. The facility has a vibrant club with reportedly 500 members. It is considered a strategically significant site by the NGB although the NGB does not have funds to invest in it. The Venue is situated in an area of high population density and although it has good parking and access, it is also close to a bus route and has a significant population within walking distance. There is need for ongoing repairs and investment in the roof to ensure that it remains fit for purpose. This is a strategically significant site which has the potential to offer and support physical activity in older people. Support could be offered to the Club to help it attract new members from the wider BME community. This would lead to increased financial viability of the Club and increased physical activity from different sections of the local community. The facility is potentially at risk from being sold for housing development. Consideration will need to be given to protecting or replacing the facility depending on the potential alternative uses of the site.
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PART 7: INDOOR TENNIS
7.1 Introduction
Venue 360 is situated to the South of Luton Borough Council. As a specialist facility it has been mapped with a 20 minute drive time catchment to highlight other indoor tennis facilities in the area and a 20 walk to catchment to show it importance more locally. There are two other facilities currently open within this catchment which are identified below.
Figure 7.1: Indoor tennis with 20 minute walk and 20 minute drive time catchments
Table 7.1: Indoor tennis facilities in Luton and surrounding area
AP Ref Site name Sub Type Courts Facility Status 1011235 Venue 360 Traditional 2 Operational Neighbouring facilities Temporarily 1000255 Batchwood Golf & Tennis Centre Traditional 4 Closed 1000255 Batchwood Golf & Tennis Centre Airhall (seasonal) 3 Operational 1011228 Harpenden Lawn Tennis Club Airhall (seasonal) 5 Operational
The membership data overleaf has been supplied by Venue 360. It has allowed us to map the membership by facility.
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Figure 7.2: Current Tennis and gym membership maps of Venue 360
The adjacent map shows tennis membership clearly indicating that most people use a car or public transport to get to the facility and that very few of its members come from areas of high deprivation.
The membership for gym is far higher than that of tennis only. The maps indicate a radial catchment of 20 mins walk time.
The gym membership suggests that Venue 360 continues to draw from its historical base and that it is still associated with Luton as a whole. Tennis membership is a lot lighter than the gym and again draws mainly from with the Borough. This indicates that Venue 360 is not necessarily a tennis club of strategic significance. There appears to be no one who travels further than 20 minutes by car to the facility. This is probably due to the history of the facility, the fact that it is only has two indoor courts and it does not have the feel of an indoor tennis club, rather as a venue where people play tennis. The data provided, however, indicates that most members (217) reside within Luton Borough and 70 live outside of the local authority.
7.2 Key issues
There is a clear demand for the indoor tennis centre but it is underutilised with current management hiring it out as part of the a badminton performance centre and is working closely with the Badminton Association Access to Venue 360 is good. There is good parking. The site has 2 indoor tennis courts but is physically separated from the main reception and leisure centre (which includes a 4 court sports hall and fitness suite) by the width of two outdoor tennis courts. Venue 360 is run as a leisure trust and its subsidy has reportedly been cut significantly in the past few years, to the extent that it is now receives no subsidy. Commercial opportunities are therefore important to its sustainability.
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The LTA is aware that the local county association is in discussion with Venue 360 to improve the lights at the Tennis Centre and it is reported that there is the potential to access local funding to improve facilities. Venue 360 appears to now have a far more commercial approach than it had in the past when it received an annual subsidy from Vauxhaull. Luton is not considered priority areas by the LTA in its current Whole Sport Plan. The aim is to work with Southend and Bedford as a Tier 1 site in the East. If tennis is going to be developed and invested in from the LTA, there is a need to pull together a local plan working with the Local Authority; it is likely that any such development will concentrate on driving participation in community venues, such as local parks. Each plan is taken on its merit so funding is not guaranteed. Consultation indicates that Venue 360 is strategically important for students from the University of Bedford. The University does not own facilities of its own in Luton and therefore hires a range of facilities from Venue 360. Venue 360 is accessible by walking from one of the main Luton campuses. However, there is a reported need to upgrade the walkway between the two, as this is a cause of consternation for students. The University has indicated that it will consider investigating whether it can contribute financially to this plan. The University is of the opinion that this would significantly improve the participation of its students in the town. The Venue is also being explored, by Bedfordshire Cricket Board, as a potential opportunity to extend the indoor cricket offer. As identified above, there is demand for indoor cricket leagues which will appeal to all sections of the community
7.3 Summary
In summary, the above consultation and analysis would indicate that with regard to indoor tennis provision:
Venue 360 is clearly a site of strategic importance for Luton with it indoor sports hall, indoor tennis centre and outdoor courts, fitness facilities and social areas. Venue 360 in under increasing commercial pressures as its subsidy from Vauxhall has been removed. The geographic spread of the tennis membership suggests that most people travel to the venue by car, but does not draw significantly from outside Luton The Whole Sport Plan for the LTA emphasizes the importance of increasing membership, particularly using community facilities in parks. It is unlikely to be able to offer funding to invest in the site. The management at Venue 360 is in negotiation with Bedfordshire LTA with a view to improving the lighting within the Tennis Centre (as it is currently below national standards due to its age). The site is used by the University, which suggests that this participation would be increased if improved access was made available; this includes travelling through an industrial estate alongside the river from the University. The University is aware that it needs to explore any financial contribution it can bring. Further, Venue 360 is also mentioned by Luton Town FC which also has aspirations to develop an indoor 3G on site ( ¾ of full size) in order that it can become a Category 2 youth football deliverer, as defined by the Premier League. BCB is actively considering whether the indoor facility has capacity and would be suitable for developing an inclusive indoor cricket league.
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LBC needs to consider how it can best support Venue 360 to continue offering the wide range of sports it currently does and whether supporting Venue 360 to consider other sporting options e.g. indoor cricket will service the local need and lead to increases in participation in the local population.
Developer contributions
It is important that any future strategy informs policies and emerging supplementary planning documents by setting out the approach to securing sport and recreational facilities through new housing development. Guidance should form the basis for negotiation with developers to secure contributions to include provision and/or enhancement of appropriate indoor facilities. Section 106 contributions or CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) could also be used to improve the condition and maintenance regimes of existing indoor facilities in order to maintain quality and increase capacity to accommodate more usage, leading to increased participation. It will be necessary for LBC to establish a formula for collating developer contributions for indoor facilities which is demand based. This should be co-ordinated with the approach taken to outdoor sport in the PPS where as a consistent and co-ordinated approach is required to both indoor and outdoor sport which recognises that the traditional standards approach is not really effective in Luton, where there is no scope for developments to make direct facility provision.
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PART 8: CONCLUSION
This section employs a SWOT evaluation to analyse the findings of the assessment and to enable key conclusions to be drawn:
8.1: Strengths
LBC recognises the importance of its leisure facility stock to health and well being and future planning needs. Active Luton is the main leisure provider in Luton and supports sports development across the Borough. It is the key strategic lead for sport in the Borough. There are a wide range of sports facilities in the Borough including 50m swimming pool, indoor tennis centre and indoor bowls centre, alongside 11 community accessible sports halls. There is currently sufficient supply of water space within the Borough. Active Luton operate an effective learn to swim programme, which links to the swimming club. The main local swimming club reports good relationships with Active Luton. Denbigh Swimming Pool is considered a valuable community asset. The majority of accessible sports halls tend to be in good condition. The development of Inspire has been positively received and appears to have a significant proportion of its members and users from Luton Borough, although non- residents do use the facility. It is truly a flagship facility. There has been recent investment in the main community leisure facilities, with Inspire, Lewsey Park and Lea Manor Recreation Centre, as well as new sports halls as part of the recent BSF investment. Lewsey Park has excellent squash and boxing facilities. Programming across the sports halls appears not to be dominated by indoor football. The Indoor Bowls Centre is situated in an area of high population density, is accessible to the local community and has a healthy membership. Venue 360 is strategically important as an accessible community asset with a sports hall and tennis centre. Luton 6th form centre’s 6 court hall is also a significant asset and the management appears keen to develop different sports on site. BCB has identified Luton as an area of development and in particular is working to identify appropriate facilities for an inclusive indoor cricket league.It is working closely with the management team of AL and will consider Inspire should Luton 6th form centre not become available. There is a programme of extensive outreach programmes designed to engage with and drive increases in participation, using a range of community sports facilities. Examples include, Door Step Sports Clubs and Lewsey and Lea Manor, Sportivate and Get Back into, amongst others.
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8.2: Weaknesses
There is a current under supply of accessible sports halls across the Borough (which is the equivalent of 13 badminton courts). Many sports halls are located within educational sites and with limited community access during the school day. Luton has 2 accessible sports halls available during the day. This is likely to prove more challenging with an ageing population who tend to want to use facilities in the day time The amount of community use available at school and academy sites varies, depending on the approach of each school to community access. There are reported issues at some sites in relation to community access. In general the coverage of all community pools in the Borough is adequate with 62.1% of residents living within the 1 mile catchment of a swimming pool. This reduces to 35% of residents if Denbigh High School is taken out of the equation with 76% of those in the higher areas of deprivation unable to access swimming within the one mile catchment area. There is, however, a crunch at peak times with all sectors of the community competing for water space at the same time The strategic significance of Denbigh High School Pool should not be underestimated. It appears to serve the main deprived areas of the Borough. The majority of water space is provided in the North of the Borough. This increases the importance of Denbigh High School Pool as a community asset. There is a demand for the development of indoor cricket leagues across the Borough with no obvious solution. The demise of the previous government’s BSF programme has left a legacy of some outdated school facilities in need of modernisation. Active Luton appears to have a good overview of current activity in sports halls but is unable to influence the schools and academies and there appears to be no overall programming across the Borough. There does not appear to be any key co-ordination of community use of sports facilities, including the non-Active Luton stock (Indoor Bowls Centre and Venue 360) across the Borough and in many cases operators are working within their own silo. Bedford University, with campuses in Luton, does not have any of its own facilities and has a partnership arrangement with Venue 360. Improvements are reportedly needed for accessing this facility from the University. National Governing Bodies, other than cricket, squash and indoor bowls, have identified that Luton is not a priority area for them. The EIBA does not have funds to invest in facilities. There is limited demand for the boxing facilities and there is unlikely to be much support from the ABAE to support development. The reach of Inspire into deprived communities.
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8.3: Opportunities
Active Luton has an opportunity to drive facility programming linked to its whole sport planning process but will need to engage with other providers across the Borough. The proposed increase in housing and population may lead to increased developer contributions. Luton has an opportunity to define the role of all of its sports facilities by getting buy-in from all operators, especially the schools, academies and supporting developments at the indoor bowls centre and Venue 360. The opportunity exists for Active Luton to be the advocate and co-ordinator of high quality community use across all school sites. This could extend to defining the role that key schools and community facilities play in meeting the needs of key sports within certain communities. This may also enable some schools to offer more community use than they currently do. In particular, this may result in different facilities taking a lead in specific sports; this should be subject of a further review taking account of very local demand and links to NGB support. In particular, early consultation with Stopsley High School should occur to ensure the proposed new 4 court hall links to Borough wide programming and becomes available for community use. Luton could facilitate the coordination of Venue 360 as Borough hub, leading to potentially more university students using the facility. The University is keen to consider whether it can work with LBC to improve access to Venue 360 from its campus. Supporting the BCB to develop and an inclusive cricket league should lead to an increase in participation, particularly from 16-25 year olds. Links with health partners need to become more formalised. This offers genuine opportunities to ensure the facilities serve the health and wellbeing needs of residents. This is specifically relevant given the health challenges faced within the Borough. The opportunity exists to co-locate other community based facilities with any future facility developments. This could include libraries, cultural youth and health related facilities. Whilst large community and primary school halls have not been considered as part of this assessment, consideration needs to be given to ascertaining the amount of community use currently available and utilised. These have the potential for addressing demand, especially in areas where community access to 4 court sports halls is restricted.
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8.4: Threats
The projected increase in population for the Borough will put an increasing strain on the current stock of facilities. The increased population as a result of housing growth will result in the need for additional facilities at a time of Council efficiencies and cuts. The potential exists that if more schools become academies this may further fragment the community sport and physical activity offer across the Borough. Denbigh pool is strategically placed and if, for any reason, this becomes unavailable for community use it will lead to a severe shortfall of accessible water space in the middle and south of the Borough. This will result in the most deprived community not being within easy reach of a swimming pool. The age profile of some of the Borough’s indoor facilities stock is significant and there will be a need to be a programme of investment, which the Borough may not be able to justify. Substantial partnership working needs to be undertaken on Lea Manor Recreation Centre roof. The changing age profile of the Borough will put increased pressure on access to facilities during the day. There is the potential that Inspire is or will become perceived to be inaccessible to the most deprived communities in Luton.
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Summary of key findings and priorities
The information below is a very brief summary of the key findings following the assessment of indoor built facilities across Luton:
There is currently unmet demand for sports halls across the Borough. The projected increase in population will exacerbate this issue. The management of the sports halls is diverse with schools, academies, Active Luton and private operators all responsible for different facilities. Community use of schools and academies is variable with some organisations being very amenable to community use and others unable to overcome management issues or, reportedly, pricing the local community out of the market.
Residents will benefit from complementary programming and pricing at all facilities across the Borough. It is acknowledged that this amount of coordination takes time and effort and will need to be undertaken by a lead organisation. Active Luton has good knowledge of demand and for facilities and it is acknowledged that there is a specific demand for indoor cricket provision in the Borough. BCB is currently working with Luton 6th form College to develop indoor cricket nets and is investigating whether Venue 360 has suitable facilities for the development of an indoor cricket league.
Venue 360 is strategically situated in the South of the Borough and is well used by the local community and the University. It has Trust status, being owned by its members. With good access and parking it is looking to increase its usage. As a venue with two large indoor spaces, there is potential to develop a range of indoor activities on the site, assuming that the management can be engaged. The LTA does not consider investment in indoor tennis provision as a priority and there is financial pressure on the Trust to increase revenue.
The recent investment in Lewsey Park has not seen an increase in the number of boxing clubs using the facility, even though there are a number of boxing clubs in the area. Boxing clubs, like many others across the country, do not necessarily work well together. It is likely that the facility will be given over to more boxercise and other associated activities. It is recognised that more martial arts and combat sports could be developed at the site. This site also has the potential to benefit from the centralised programming.
There is a reported slight over provision of water in the Borough. The North and North East of Luton is particularly well served with water space, with Inspire, Lealands, Lewsey and Lea Manor pools. This cannot be said for the South, as the main facility servicing the centre and south of Luton is Denbigh School Swimming pool, which although in good condition, restricts community use to evenings and weekends. Although situated in an area of relatively high deprivation with a programme which purportedly addresses local community issues, this cannot be verified because the data of membership/usage is not available for interrogation. Further, the membership/usage data for Inspire suggests that it is not well used by Luton residents who reside in areas of higher deprivation. This needs to be addressed by LBC to ensure that local residents do not begin to perceive Inspire as out of reach.
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Further, as per dry side bookings, the management of the swimming programme across the Borough is not coordinated because of the different management arrangements at the different facilities. Projected population increases will also lead to an undersupply of water space, which could be significant. Programming to encourage more usage from the BME community also needs to be considered.
The indoor bowls facility currently has a large membership (c.500), is accessible to a large population (using 20 mins walk time) and has the potential to continue to contribute to the physical and social wellbeing of people from older age groups. The bowls club leases the facility from the Co-operative Society, which potentially puts it at risk of being sold to developers. LBC should consider making provision for indoor bowls to continue at an alternative site if the current site becomes unavailable.
The table below identifies priorities for LBC to consider.
Category Priority Protection of facilities The assessment has not identified a signficiant surplus in any indoor facility, so there is a case for protecting all indoor facilities unless adequate alternative provision can be found. Denbigh High School Swimming pool is essential to maintain parity of access to water space across the Borough. Indoor Bowls is a key activity for older age groups and well established in Luton. Support for the club may be necessary to ensure continued provision. Access/availability of Develop access policies with a range of providers across the facilities Borough to improve availability of current facilities for residents and local communities including, for example, Lealands High School. Complementary programming and pricing across all facilities in the Borough could lead to increased participation via better coordination. It also has the potential of drawing in resources from different NGBs leading to a better offer across the Borough. Enhancement There are several sports halls, in some schools, notably Putteridge, Stopsley, two at Icknield and Cardinal Newman, which are currently not used for community provision. Investment in these sites has the potential to redress some of the balance of under provision in the Borough. The Strategy should identify key sites for investment. Partnerships Due to the diverse management arrangements and demand for different facilities, LBC needs to consider developing stronger relationships with, for example: Venue 360 University of Bedfordshire Indoor Bowls club Bedfordshire Cricket Board
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APPENDIX 1: CONSULTEE LIST
Name Designation Organisation Philip Payne Community Development Manager Lealands High School Anthony Basham Federal Head of Asset Development Barnfield South Academy Paul Fox Facilities Manager Challney Girls High School, Leon Popplewell Sports Development Manager Luton Sixth Form College Adam Smith Head of PE Icknield High School Laura Bartoletti Putteridge High School Sam Clayton Head of PE Ashcroft High School Teresa Kelly Business Manager Denbigh High School Challney High School for Boys Ms Sam Klausner Manager Luton Co-operative Sports Club Carl Richardson Director of Operations Salto Gym Club Gemma McCormick Quality & Performance Manager Hightown Community Sports & Arts Centre, David Wright Facility Manager Lewsey Sports Park, David Wright Facility Manager Lea Manor Recreation Centre Jason Goodall Operations Manager Venue 360 Dan Palframan Facility Manager Inspire Sports Village, Karen Fletcher Projects Manager LBC Adam Divney Commissioning Manager, Leisure LBC and Culture Neil Twitchett Tennis Development Manager LTA Lloyd Conaway Chief Executive Team Beds and Luton Rick Donnelly Community Asset Manager LBC Kevin Owen Team Leader, local plan LBC Helen Barnett Chief Executive Active Luton Collette Regional Manager ASA Mark Swim club: Active Luton Naomi Clapham Regional Manager ABAE Richard Keely Planning officer North Herts DC Mandy Page Regional Manager England Basketball Simon Andrews Planning officer Central Beds DC Martin Darlow Chief Executive Bedfordshire Cricket Board Alison Brightman Regional Manager England Netball John Brewer Professor University of Bedfordshire Gary Sweet Managing Director Luton Town FC Steve Rodwell Facilities Manager EIBA Nick Boulter Relationship Manager - Facilities Sport England and Planning Roy Warren Planning Manager Sport England Mark Williams Regional Manager Squash & Racketball association
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APPENDIX 2- OVERVIEW OF SITES IN LUTON
Active Overall Places Name of site Notes quality reference BSF funded new changing rooms and painted sports hall. School has a development officer, primarily responsible for football and AGP usage. Local football club are key Ashcroft High holders to AGP and access through Above 1203566 School the social club and not the school. average Community hire of sports hall is limited due to high costing at weekends. Mitie staff the facility out of school hours.
BSF build in 2011 with community lettings officially starting properly in Barnfield South Sept 2012. A range of facilities to 1044958 Good Academy hire, currently have capacity. Not available for four weeks during exam period. Managed in house
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Active Overall Places Name of site Notes quality reference
Barnfield West 1039833 Good Academy
Built in the 60’s, the school missed out on BSF and is in dire need of investment. Sports hall floor has Cardinal been refurbished, however still have 1203591 Newman Catholic Poor School water running down the walls. Quality is poor and not attractive to a community user, however does have community use.
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Active Overall Places Name of site Notes quality reference
Old school with an old but well Challney High maintained sport hall with a variety of School for Boys markings and cricket nets. The Below 1203810 & Community swimming pool closed 18 months average College ago. The School also has two smaller activity halls.
BSF new build in 2011. Has a range of facilities, not used regularly by the community. School organises Challney High 1044091 bookings and Mitie are key holders Good School for Girls out of school hours. Mitie keen to manage whole process more effectively.
Became an Academy in 2010. Sports hall was NOF built in 2005. There is a separate reception area out of school hours, with a sports centre set up. Denbigh High School has a development officer for Above 1014092 School community use. average The sports hall is available for community bookings and well used. It is not used for school exams. The School ensures a ten week block booking system for ease and manage
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Active Overall Places Name of site Notes quality reference all in house. Regularly cleaned, maintained and re-marked.
This facility appears to be well used by local community, although there is room to increase usage. It is also used during the day (but not Hightown Above 1009701 Community Sport exclusively) by the local school. It is average and Arts Centre in generally good condition. Situated on an industrial estate, it might not feel as accessible during the evenings.
An old school that missed out on BSF investment when the programme was cancelled. Building is old and Icknield High wheelchair access is possible but 1203574 Poor School long winded. The School does not offer community use as the quality of the facility is poor and it would not be in demand.
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Active Overall Places Name of site Notes quality reference
An excellent facility, well used and with a wide programme of activities. Strategically important to the ASA, Inspire: Luton has had excellent publicity via the TV. 1042805 Good Sports Village 8 court hall, 50m swimming pool and diving pool. Situated in the North of the Borough, it also draws usage from outside the Luton.
Situated in an area of high deprivation, the changing rooms were Lea Manor refurbished within the past 5 years. 1005724 Recreation Centre The roof is in need of investment. it offers a wide programme of activities and shares the site with the School.
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Active Overall Places Name of site Notes quality reference BSF invested in the school in 2010. The school has a community development officer role combined with a school role. Issues accessing sports hall as BSF contract does not make it clear who is responsible for putting trampolines away, as a result no one does so they are constantly Lealands High Above 1203589 up so no community use in the sports School average hall. Hall has new cricket nets and cricket mats, which have never been used due to access issues. School has other sports facilities and a community centre. The pool is well used by other schools, clubs and private lesson providers. Pool is well maintained
A real community asset. It is a quirky building offering high quality squash programmes, run through the club on Lewsey Sports site. It has had investment from the Above 1000446 Park ABAE but boxing clubs, reportedly, average do not use the facility. The facility will benefit from centralised programming and pricing.
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Active Overall Places Name of site Notes quality reference
New build with a number of sports facilities available for community use. Sports hall is six court and has a full basketball court with bleacher seating Luton Sixth Form available. Bookings are ony6 taken 1044262 College from clubs with relevant first aid provision, insurance etc. in place. The LSF Centre is currently working with Beds Cricket Board to develop a community pitch
School attached to a recreation centre that is now closed. School still has access to all facilities aside from the pool, which is closed and empty but the School cannot afford to do Putteridge High Above anything with it. Whole centre feels School average deserted, but is available for community use. A variety of facilities, of varying quality. Sports hall has been out of action due to asbestos in the ceiling, it is
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LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL INDOOR SPORT FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Active Overall Places Name of site Notes quality reference due to reopen at the end of March 2014.
Site agents within the school manage lettings out of school hours.
Situated opposite a retail park, Venue 360 has good access and parking. It Above 1011235 Venue 360 has a 4 court sports hall and a 2 court average indoor tennis centre.
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