Test Valley Playing Pitch Strategy: Assessment of Need Report - Cricket Test Valley Playing Pitch Strategy: Appendix A Cricket - Assessment of Needs 1. Introduction 1.1 This appendix to the Test Valley Playing Pitch Strategy details the current picture of facility supply and demand for the playing pitch sport of cricket - at individual sites, in each of two sub-areas (North and South) and borough wide across the administrative area of the Borough of Test Valley. 1.2 It also sets out how this current picture of provision may change over the time period of the next Local Plan. The likely future picture of provision is assessed based on potential changes in supply (both committed and planned cricket infrastructure projects within the borough and its primary travel catchment), forecasts for growth in the resident population along with national trends in participation in cricket, and the development aspirations of the community cricket clubs based in the borough. 1.3 The policies, development programmes and investment priorities of the national governing body for the sport will also influence the future picture of facility supply and demand for the sport in Test Valley. These are summarised in Section 2 below. 1.4 The final section brings together the information on supply and demand in the borough and draws conclusions as to the adequacy or otherwise of the existing supply to accommodate current demand (both from within the borough and, if relevant, displaced demand from neighbouring local authority areas). Conclusions are also drawn as to the likely facility needs for this playing pitch sport in the North and South sub areas and borough-wide to 2036. 2. ECB Inspiring Generations Strategy 2020 - 2024 2.1 In January 2019, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced its strategy for 2020-24: 'Inspiring Generations' - a blueprint for the future of cricket from grassroots to the top end of the professional game. 2.2 The new strategy aims to invest over £500 million into the game to 2024 with 26 specific action areas being targeted to deliver across 6 strategic priorities: o Grow and Nurture the Core - ensure that there is a thriving county network at the heart of the domestic game. o Inspire through Elite Teams - create and celebrate the heroes at the pinnacle of the elite game. o Make Cricket Accessible - give more people the opportunity to engage with cricket more often o Engage Children and Young People - inspire a new generation of players and fans to develop a love for cricket. o Transform Women's and Girls' Cricket - drive cricket’s progress to becoming a truly gender-neutral sport. (NB. In October 2019 the ECB launched an action plan towards achieving this strategic priority). o Support our Communities - use our purpose to connect communities and improve lives more broadly across society. 2.3 In creating its new vision the ECB acknowledges that recreational cricket is the lifeblood of the game. In total 22 of the 26 strategic activities will be delivered and funded through the county network. In Test Valley, this is Hampshire Cricket Board (HCB) based at The Ageas Bowl in Eastleigh. The ECB has made the preparation of a facilities strategy a condition of future funding for all the County Boards. HCB propose to produce a county facilities strategy in 2020 informed by district/borough playing pitch strategies and their underlying cricket facility needs assessments. This assessment of facility needs for cricket in Test Valley will therefore inform the county facilities strategy. www.continuumleisure.co.uk Appendix A: P a g e | 1 Test Valley Playing Pitch Strategy: Assessment of Need Report - Cricket 2.4 To support the delivery of the new county facilities strategy, HCB propose to introduce a County Fund and application process for capital grants of between £1,000 and £10,000. The ECB will also launch a new Central Grant Fund in 2020 towards facility provision and enhancements that will deliver against the 6 Inspiring Generations priorities. The priority project themes for this larger Central Grants Fund (e.g. replacement of older pavilions, installation of non-turf pitches) and application criteria will also be announced in 2020. 2.5 The Inspiring Generations strategic priorities and action areas most relevant to the playing pitch plans for community club and recreational cricket in Test Valley are: Table 2.1: ECB Strategic Priorities ECB Priority Action Areas Grow & Nurture the Core o A new Community Investment Fund for investment in to community-based initiatives by First Class Clubs and County Cricket Boards. o Invest in recreational cricket club facilities enhancing the player and family experience. Make Cricket Accessible o Create a new digital community for cricket. o Launch a new participation product linked to the new 100 ball professional competition. Engage Children & Young People o Double cricket participation in primary schools. o Deliver a recreational playing offer from age five upwards. Transform Women's & Girl's o Grow the base through participation and facilities Cricket investment. o Deliver a girls cricket programme in secondary schools. Support our Communities o Double the number of volunteers to include new officials and community coaches. o Increase participation in disability cricket. 3. Supply & Demand Information Sources 3.1 For all four sports included in the PPS scope pitch supply and demand information has been gathered, as far as possible, by a combination of data collection and review, surveys and consultations. For cricket this comprises: o Sport England Active Places Power audit for playing pitches. o Hampshire Cricket website. o Websites of community cricket clubs with home grounds in Test Valley. o Online survey returns submitted by six cricket clubs based in Test Valley (Andover CC; Old Tauntonians & Romsey CC; Mottisfont CC; Wherwell CC; Wellow & Plaitford CC; Thruxton CC). o Cricket information provided by Test Valley schools on site visits. o Information provided by town and parish councils by email and phone. o Site visits to 30 of the 32 playing fields with cricket pitches in Test Valley for visual, non-technical inspection and information provided by TVBC Streetscene grounds staff, cricket club officials, school site managers, head teachers, PE staff or grounds staff in the course of the site visits. o League fixture lists. o TVBC pitch booking records. o Sport England Active Lives Survey cricket participation data for Test Valley. o Sport England Sports Market Segmentation latent cricket demand data for Test Valley. 3.2 In total, just over half (52%) of the 21 cricket clubs based in Test Valley either submitted completed survey returns or provided information on supply and demand and views on any facility needs and priorities. A large proportion of the cricket clubs in Test Valley are single men's team clubs. The clubs engaged in the consultation represented 75% of all affiliated cricket teams (48/64). www.continuumleisure.co.uk Appendix A: P a g e | 2 Test Valley Playing Pitch Strategy: Assessment of Need Report - Cricket 4. Supply 4.1 Findings relating to cricket pitch supply in Test Valley are summarised below. Fine turf cricket pitches 4.2 In the 2019 season, there were 28 maintained and operational natural turf cricket pitches in Test Valley borough plus three other natural turf pitches that were not prepared for the 2019 season due to lack of demand for bookings. (These unprepared pitches are located at Hunts Farm near Romsey, Picket Twenty Playing Field in Andover and at Upper Clatford Sports Ground a parish ground close to Andover). 4.3 A further cricket pitch is located just inside the Test Valley borough boundary with Eastleigh at the Hardmoor Sports Ground. Although this pitch was not available in the 2019 season due to enhancement works by Eastleigh Borough Council, it will be available in future seasons, managed and maintained by Trojans Sports Club from the club's sports ground located adjacent to this playing field. 4.4 When the four unused or temporarily unavailable pitches are added to the maintained supply, the total number of natural turf cricket pitches available to residents of Test Valley borough is 32. 4.5 In addition, four community secondary schools (3 in Andover in the north and the Romsey School in the south) have stand-alone cricket NTPs (i.e. with no maintained fine turf cricket table). These school NTPs are used exclusively for PE and school cricket currently (i.e. there is no community use). 4.6 The distribution of the fine turf pitch sites in the north and south sub areas is split equally as shown in the maps at Figures 7 & 8 at paragraph 1.9.2 in the Playing Pitch Strategy report and in table 4.1 below. The distribution of the cricket Non Turf Pitches (NTPs) is heavily skewed to the north sub area as shown in the maps at Figures 10 & 11 at paragraph 1.9.3 in the Playing Pitch Strategy report and in table 4.1 below. Table 4.1: Fine Turf Cricket Playing Pitch Sites in Test Valley Sub Area Site Name Postcode Ownership North Amport Cricket Ground SP11 8BB Club North Andover Cricket Ground SP10 1HP Local Authority / Club lease North Appleshaw Ward Memorial Playing Field SP11 9BS Playing Field Association North Bakers Farm Cricket Ground SO20 6JF Private South Braishfield Recreation Ground SO51 0QG Club South Broughton Sports Field SO20 6PP Parish Council North East Anton Playing Field SP11 6AB Local Authority South East Tytherley Cricket Ground SO51 0LW Club South Embley (formerly Hampshire Collegiate SO51 6ZE Independent School) school North Farleigh