The Bournemouth and Poole Sports Strategy Building Facilities

BOURNEMOUTH AND POOLE

SPORTS FACILITIES STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN

2014-26

BUILT FACILITIES ASSESSMENT

DECEMBER, 2013

CONTENTS

Section Page

Introduction 3

Assessment of Sports and Recreation Facilities 7

Sports Halls 16

Swimming Pools 94

Indoor and Outdoor Bowls 148

Netball 180

Indoor and Outdoor Tennis 222

Multi-use Games Areas 273

Athletics Tracks 301

Squash Courts 339

Golf 366

Fitness (Gyms) 389

Bournemouth Ice Rink 412

Appendix 1 Estimating the Impact of Non-residents on the U 413 of Facilities

Appendix 2 Provision Standards 423

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Introduction

This Built Facilities Assessment report forms one of a suite of documents which provide evidence for or ‘sit behind’ the Sports Strategy for Bournemouth and Poole.

Figure 1: Bournemouth and Poole Sports Strategy Documents

The report utilises information and data set out or referenced in the ‘sister’ documents to provide an assessment and analysis of existing built facility provision, demand and gaps in provision and the identification of future needs. It therefore provides the link for built sports facilities between evidence collected through audits, surveys, consultation and data analysis and the Sports Strategy itself which will set out the strategic approach to sports facility and pitch provision in Bournemouth and Poole in the period to 2026.

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Scope of Assessment

The typology for the built facilities assessment, as identified in the Methodology report is as follows:

Detailed focus on:

 Swimming pools (4 lanes x 25m+);  Sports halls (4+ badminton courts) including use by badminton, basketball and five-a-side football;  Indoor and outdoor bowls;  Indoor and outdoor tennis;  Athletics tracks;  Netball courts;  Ballparks / open multi-use games areas; and,  Dedicated five-a-side multi-use games areas.

Limited appraisal on:

 Gyms (as part of leisure centres);  Squash courts;  Ice rinks; and,  Golf courses.

Although artificial grass pitches (AGPs) can be assessed using the built facilities approach, they are included in the pitch assessment report and utilise both the built facilities approach to assessment and that for playing pitches.

The assessment takes into account built facilities which meet the following criteria:

 Comply with minimum requirements and definitions approved by the national sports governing bodies (NGBs) of the respective sports or

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recreation activities (where relevant). This might include standards of quality, dimensions for competitive play, and so on.

 Are generally available to the public (for ‘community use’), including those where membership of a club or organisation is a pre-requisite for access, provided that membership criteria are unrestrictive and the membership fees are not exorbitant. Facilities are considered where they are available to the community for all or part of the peak period of use.

Facilities discounted included:

 those on education sites used exclusively for curricular and extra-curricular purposes, with no use by ‘external’ community clubs; and,

 those on other ‘private’ sites such as armed forces bases, with no (or restrictively limited) use by ‘external’ community clubs.

Key Stages of Assessment

Specifically, the assessment focuses on the following areas of analysis for each type of built sports facility identified in the typology:

 Quantity and capacity of existing provision;  Quality of existing provision;  Accessibility of existing provision (local catchment areas, cost of use, physical access, ownership, management and use constraints);  Shortfalls / gaps in existing provision;  Projecting future demand and needs; and,  Identifying future provision requirements and standards.

Figure 2 below identifies the main sources from which data and other information is drawn to build up the picture of supply, demand and needs. Some sports and facilities use more of these sources than others.

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Figure 2: Main sources of data and information for assessment process

Strategic User / NGB Club, league Management / Facilities Market Sports Active Literature Project Team / opinion comment Active GIS Population Audit and school / owner Planning Segmentation Facility Places Review (inc. Steering Group survey and People mapping projections college surveys comments Model Tool Calculator Power plans and meetings s priorities programmes) loc ation X X X X

number of fac ilities X X X size of fac ilities X X X X ownership type / management X X X of fac ility Quantity key issues identified by NGBs X X X (supply) key issues identified by LA (officers, Members and plans & X X programmes) key issues identified by managers and owners of X X X X fac ilities key issues identified by c lubs / X X X X leagues and users audit sc ores X key issues identified by NGBs X X key issues identified by LA (officers, Members and plans & X X X Quality programmes) key issues identified by managers and owners of X X X X fac ilities key issues identified by c lubs / X X X X leagues and users user / member defined catchments of X X X existing fac ilities in Bournemouth & Poole 20 minute drive-time catchments – catchments coverage provided by ‘reasonable’ travel- X t ime fac ilities within 20 minute drive-time of X Bournemouth and Poole community access including pay and play v club and block X X X X Accessibility bookings cost X parking X X X X key issues identified by NGBs X X key issues identified by managers and owners of X X X fac ilities key issues identified by c lubs / X X leagues and users Demand / supply balance and X X X X X X X X X X shortfalls in provision key issues identified by NGBs X X key issues identified by LA (officers, Members and plans & X X Identifying programmes) gaps in key issues identified by provision managers and owners of X X X fac ilities key issues identified by c lubs / X X leagues and users latent demand X X X X X X forecast participation rates X X X X X X Identifying requirements and standards X X X X X X X X future provision spatial distribution and loc ation X X X X X X X X of future provision

Assessment of Sport & Recreation Facilities

Assessment Structure

In order to be able to properly plan for provision in the future, an understanding first needs to be gained about existing provision. The following sections consider built facility types one by one. For each facility type, there are two elements.

The ‘Understanding Existing Provision’ section considers the following issues in relation to the facilities that are currently available and in use in Bournemouth and Poole:

 Quantity: including number of facilities, location and size; management and ownership; the supply – demand balance; additional quantity issues raised by the audit and key stakeholders;  Accessibility: community access; facilities outside of Bournemouth and Poole’s boundary but within a functional catchment; local catchment areas of facilities and reasonable drive-time distances; cost; additional access issues raised by the audit and key stakeholders; and,  Quality: quality issues raised by the audit and key stakeholders.

The ‘Meeting Demand and Needs’ section then focuses on identifying the gaps present in existing provision and identifying demand and needs in the future, as the population grows in Bournemouth and Poole. It focuses on:

 Identifying shortfalls from existing gaps: quantity, accessibility and quality standards of provision; identifying spatial gaps; and,  Identifying future demand and needs: housing growth and population change (how much and where); implications of growth – quantity and location of additional provision; delivering existing plans and programmes.

Following this analysis, the Sports Strategy will utilise the conclusions, setting out how best to respond to changes implied by analysis in the period to 2026.

It is important to recognise that this analysis and assessment does not consider commercial or competitive issues into account, but takes a fact- based strategic look at provision and existing and future needs and demand.

Responsibility for delivering improved and additional facilities

The assessment identifies both shortfalls in existing provision and demands and needs of sports and facilities in the period to 2026. While the development of the Strategy has been commissioned by Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole (with support from Active Dorset and Sport England) it is not suggested that any additional facilities proposed to fill identified shortfalls or future provision should be funded and delivered by the local authorities. The nature of sports facility provision has changed over the last decade or so with the role of local authorities now moving away from that of a provider and operator of facilities to that of a facilitator.

New facilities are most likely to be provided by other organisations, clubs, businesses and operators, or a consortium of interested parties which may include the local authority. Either way, local authorities will play a key enabling and co-ordination role in planning for and delivering new facilities across their respective Boroughs. The same applies to the improvement of existing facilities, where management and / or ownership of existing facilities is no longer (or never has been) the responsibility of the Council.

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Sources of Information

The main sources of information used for this assessment are:

 The audit of facilities which takes a ‘snapshot’ of a facility’s condition in terms of quality, quantity and accessibility (see the Audit Report);  The Sport England Facilities Planning Model (FPM) reports for Sports Halls and Swimming Pools (appended as separate file);  Stakeholder surveys (sent to clubs for those sports identified in the typology which use sports halls and to schools, colleges and Academies) (see Consultation and Engagement Report);  Stakeholder interviews, workshops and meetings (see Consultation and Engagement Report);  User and Council resident surveys (where already available);  National Sports Governing Bodies (NGB) comments and priorities for their sport in Bournemouth and Poole;  Local authority officer and Member (Councillor) views; and,  Other sources of information as detailed in the Data Profile Report.

National Sports Governing Bodies

As stated in the Consultation & Engagement Report which accompanies the Sports Strategy, all relevant National Sports Governing Bodies (NGBs) were approached during preparation of this assessment and strategy and given the opportunity to provide their thoughts on provision in Bournemouth and Poole. Where responses were received from NGBs, their key issues and priorities have been noted and taken into consideration in the assessments. Where an assessment does not have reference to NGB priorities or key issues, no response from the relevant NGB was received.

Material Considerations

Identified shortfalls and proposed provision of facilities and pitches in the strategy documents have been drawn-up without consideration of site specific - 9 -

matters such as preferred locations or other issues considered material to a proposed development. These types of issue will need to be considered as part of an assessment of the feasibility of a new or improved facility or pitch and through the planning application process if an application for development is made.

Estimating the impact of international students on the use of facilities

The brief for the development of the Sports Strategy included a need to estimate the impact of international students on the provision of sports facilities in Bournemouth and Poole. A report considering the issues is attached as an appendix. The key points relating to the facilities on which international students have an impact are factored into each facility assessment within this report.

Sub-areas

Much of the data on pitches is listed and broken down into sub-areas within Bournemouth and Poole. This has been done to help provide more localised assessment than that provided at a Borough-wide scale if required at a later date. The sub areas comprise aggregations of wards and are as follows:

Figure 3: Sub-areas

Sub-area Wards reference

Bournemouth

B1 Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff

B2 Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne

B3 Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne

B4 Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park

B5 Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park

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West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & B6 Iford

Poole

P1 Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town

P2 Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown

P3 Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney

P4 Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West

P5 Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood

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Figure 4: Sub-areas mapped

However, sub areas are more helpful for Sports Strategy development in less urbanised areas where there are distinct settlements and catchments within a large area of land. These assessments, however, refer to areas of Bournemouth and Poole with which people are familiar more often than the more artificially constructed sub-areas, which it is considered is more helpful to those reading and delivering the strategy and action plan.

Provision Standards

Provision standards can be helpful to understand the quantity of provision (in terms of playing fields or facilities) that is available for the resident population and can also be used to establish approximate provision that should be made available to the growing population. The figures provide a measure of how much land area will be needed for new pitches across the Boroughs and can help to determine the appropriate developer contributions for on-site sports provision (where they apply) or appropriate contributions from community infrastructure levy (CIL) funds where relevant.

The figures provide estimated quantification of existing and future playing pitch and built facility provision for the Borough populations as a whole. However, provision standards have been relied on too much in the past as figures which can be taken to give a definitive answer to demand for a given population for facilities and pitches. As a result, recent playing pitch guidance and emerging built facilities guidance steers users away from reliance on standards and more towards a focus on utilising them as part of an overall strategy which can set out details which can be hidden by use of figures alone. Therefore, provision standards should not be used in isolation. The strategy and assessments as a whole should take precedence over the use of provision standards when identifying needs. The provision standards arising from the evidence considered in the assessments is presented in an appendix to this assessment.

Accessibility

Accessibility is an important issue, both for able-bodied people and those with a disability and local authority and other owners, managers and providers of facilities and pitches should respond positively to their responsibility to ensure that good access is maintained.

Sport England’s current strategy sets out its focus for the period to 2017 which is to increase regular participation in sport amongst young people aged 14 - 25 and disabled people. These aims encapsulated by Sport England are also translated to aims and objectives for specific sports through the individual strategies of the National Sports Governing Bodies (NGBs) and also tied to their funding from Sport England by setting targets for increasing participation rates for both able-bodied and disabled people wanting to take part in sport at all skill / ability levels.

This assessment and the audits which form the evidence which underpin the strategy have identified the existing facilities and pitches where there is a need to improve accessibility. Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole officers have the records from the detailed audits undertaken by their staff during the assessment process which can be used as a basis for establishing a programme of scheduled improvements.

All new facilities should be designed so that there is good accessibility and should follow design and access requirements for access outlined by the appropriate Building Regulations and the Disability Discrimination Act1. This will be a requirement on all new developments enforced through the planning system and building control processes overseen by the Councils as local planning authority and responsible authority for enforcing building regulations.

1 the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requires service providers to make 'reasonable adjustments' to their premises to tackle any physical features that prevent disabled people from using their services. See the Planning Portal here http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/approveddocuments/partm/approved#D ownload and the NHBC guidance note here http://www.nhbc.co.uk/Builders/ProductsandServices/BuildingControl/documents/filedownload, 40529,en.pdf for further information on the DDA and Building Regualtions (Part M). - 14 -

The importance of access goes beyond physical access to facilities and pitches to, for example, good coaching, joining clubs or getting informal access, ease of booking, an understanding of availability of facilities to play sport and provision of affordable sports opportunities. These issues are covered by this

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Sports Halls

Defining Sports Halls

The sports halls which are featured in this assessment are those which feature in the Sport England Facilities Planning Model (FPM) which analyses existing and future provision and demand. The FPM:

 Includes all Operational Halls available for community use i.e. pay and play, membership, Sports Club/Community Association;  Excludes all Halls not available for community use i.e. private use (which would include facilities on school site where those facilities are used solely by pupils / students);  Excludes all Halls where the main hall is less than 3 Courts in size; and,  Includes all ‘planned’ facilities and commitments as identified within runs.

For a facility to be considered as part of the assessment, it should also meet the following criteria:

 It complies with the minimum requirements and definitions approved by the national sports governing bodies (NGBs) of the respective sports or recreation activities (where relevant). This might include standards of quality, dimensions for competitive play, and so on; and,

 It is generally available to the public (for ‘community use’), including those where membership of a club or organisation is a pre-requisite for access, provided that membership criteria are unrestrictive and the membership fees are not exorbitant. Facilities are considered where they are available to the community for all or part of the peak period of use.

As sports halls are multi-functional spaces serving the needs of many sports, the analysis which follows includes comments from those responsible for or who play a variety of sports which are played in sports halls such as badminton, basketball, netball, trampoline, gymnastics and table tennis (i.e. those sports identified in the typology which use sports halls).

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUANTITY AND CAPACITY

Quantity, Location and Size

There are 16 sports halls in Bournemouth and 13 in Poole which meet these criteria and which have community access, providing an equivalent of 115 badminton courts.

Sports halls not included in the list below which do not meet the criteria specified above are identified in the FPM Report on Sports Halls (see appendix). Some halls are not assessed as part of the FPM report but have been audited to assess their condition. Records of those smaller halls in need of improvement have been passed on to the relevant Borough Council officers for information. However, there are not sufficient concerns about the condition of these smaller halls to indicate a need to consider them as key to strategic improvements in Bournemouth and Poole. Of the smaller halls assessed and not included within the FPM report, only Moordown Community Centre’s hall and Bishop of Winchester School’s activity hall (both in Bournemouth) and Carter Community School’s activity hall in Poole were identified as being in need of a new or refurbished surface.

Figures 5 and 6 show the location and size of these sports halls and includes school halls. Analysis about accessibility later in this section considers the degree to which school halls are accessible to the community outside of dedicated use required for pupils and students.

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Figure 5: Location and Size of Sports Halls

Bournemouth Poole

Sports Hall Size* Sports Hall Size*

Bournemouth Collegiate School 4 Ashdown Leisure Centre 6

Bournemouth University Avonbourne College 4 4 Sports Centre

Canford School Sports A Avonbourne College 1 8 Centre

Harewood College 7 Carter Community School 4

A Harewood College 1 Corfe Hills School 6

Dorset Health and Racquets LEAF Academy 4 4 (Virgin Active)

LEAF Academy 1 A Parkstone Grammar School 4

Linwood School 4 Parkstone Grammar School 1 A

Linwood School 1 A Rossmore Leisure Centre 4

Littledown Centre 8 Rossmore Leisure Centre 2 A

Sir David English Sports Centre 8 St Edwards School 4

St Peter’s Catholic School 4 St Edwards School 1 A (Upper)

The Junction Sports and Talbot Heath School 4 4 Leisure Centre

Bishop of Winchester Academy 3

Bourne Academy 5

Winton Arts and Media College 4

Sub-total no. of courts 63 Sub-total no. of courts 52

Total number of courts (Bournemouth and Poole) 115 including activity courts marked out for badminton Notes: * Sports halls have been measured in the number of badminton courts they accommodate. A Activity hall which can accommodate badminton

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The Dolphin Sports Centre sports hall in Poole is not included in the list of halls as it is not currently open. However, its capacity (of 10 badminton courts) is noted for purposes of understanding potential supply and planning for future provision in Poole. At the time of drafting, the facility has been re- opened using part of the space as a climbing centre. The company which have opened the centre plan to re-open the squash courts and dojo and are open to considering re-opening some badminton courts.

We understand that Poole High School has recently opened its 4 badminton court sports hall to the community during weekday evenings. This facility was not included in the FPM report as it previously did not open to the community. This additional capacity will be factored in to the commentary at the end of the sports hall analysis.

The OLGA Gymnastics and Trampoline Club in Poole has a purpose built gymnastics and trampoline centre at Rossmore Leisure Centre. As it is not a multi-sports sports hall, it has not been included in the main FPM analysis of sports hall supply and demand. However, demand for gymnastics (at OLGA in Poole and Avonbourne Gymnastics Club, Bournemouth Gymnastics Club and Littledown Gymnastics Club in Bournemouth) is such that provision for gymnastics has been assessed for Bournemouth and Poole within the context of hall provision and analysis is included throughout this section.

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Figure 6: Mapped Location of Sports Halls

Source: Borough of Poole

N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

Management and Ownership

Publicly accessible sports halls in Bournemouth and Poole tend to be run either by a sports management organisation / company or by schools and colleges as highlighted below. Ownership of the main leisure centres remains with the Borough Councils.

Figure 7: Management and Ownership of Halls

Bournemouth Poole

Ownership & Ownership & Sports Hall Management Sports Hall Management (where different) (where different)

Borough of Poole & Bournemouth Ashdown Leisure Sport & Leisure School Collegiate School Centre Management Ltd. (Everyone Active)

Bournemouth Avonbourne College University Sports University College Centre

Canford School Harewood College College School Sports Centre

Carter Community LEAF Academy Academy School School

Linwood School School Corfe Hills School School

Bournemouth Dorset Health and Littledown Centre Borough Council & Racquets (Virgin Commercial BH Live Active)

Bournemouth Borough of Poole & Borough Council & YMCA The Junction Sir David English BH Live with Sports and Leisure Sports Centre Bournemouth Centre School Sports Trust and Bournemouth

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Bournemouth Poole

Ownership & Ownership & Sports Hall Management Sports Hall Management (where different) (where different) School Charitable Trust

St Peter’s Catholic Parkstone School School School (Upper) Grammar School

Borough of Poole & Talbot Heath Rossmore Leisure Sport & Leisure School School Centre Management Ltd. (Everyone Active)

Bishop of Winchester Academy St Edwards School School Academy

Bourne Academy Academy

Winton Arts and College Media College

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Supply – Demand Balance

A good starting point is the Sport England Sports Calculator, a useful online tool which provides a basic estimate of provision by applying the demographic make-up and size of a given population to facility types. It can do this for sports halls, swimming pools, artificial grass pitches and indoor bowls facilities. For Bournemouth and Poole, the calculator suggests the following sports hall provision is appropriate for the resident population.

Figure 8: Sports Facilities Calculator Estimate of Demand for Space

Bournemouth Poole

Population in 2011 183,460 148,080

Space equivalent:

Badminton courts 51.99 39.57

or sports halls 13 9.89

or visits per week in the 8,422 6,411 peak period (VPWPP)

Source: Sport Facilities Calculator, Sport England Notes: Population figures taken from 2011 census, ONS

Comparatively, the Sport England Facilities Planning Model has also identified the supply – demand balance of sports halls, producing the following figures. The figures broadly verify the position of demand in Bournemouth and Poole.

In Bournemouth in 2012, there was a supply of 56.05 badminton courts when figures are scaled to account for the number of hours courts are available for community use. This compares to a demand for 53.76 courts, leaving a supply – demand balance of +2.29. In Poole, the supply in 2012 was 42.33

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courts with a demand for 40.43 courts, leaving a supply – demand balance of +1.90 courts. The figures also take into account Sport England’s ‘comfort factor’2. This suggests that there is no shortfall in provision within Bournemouth and Poole at the current time.

Whilst these are basic figures identifying pure supply of against demand for space, the FPM also introduces other variables, such as spatial distribution, impact of neighbouring authority area populations, catchments of facilities or density of population to test the appropriateness of the calculation to an area. These factors are considered later in this section to give a better understanding of the ‘on the ground’ picture of provision.

Sport Specific Demand

The Sport England Market Segmentation Tool can provide data on demand for specific sports in local authority areas as detailed as lower super output area (for those 16 years or over). In addition to identification of demand for the multi-sport hall, it is helpful to gain an understanding of the demand presented by those playing and wanting to play hall based sports. Existing demand and latent demand for badminton, basketball and gymnastics (which uses multi-sport halls as well as bespoke facilities) is set out in the following pages.

Badminton

There are 3,072 people resident in Bournemouth who play badminton over the age of 16. In Poole, the figure is 2,453. Across Dorset as a whole, there are approximately 1,000 affiliated players. Geographically, Figures 9 and 10 shows the highest areas of demand by the resident population in Bournemouth. There are no real areas of concentration, with demand fairly

2 This is a figure beyond which use of a facility can get uncomfortable. A figure of 80% of total capacity is applied for sports halls, after which making best and most effective use of the facility can become difficult, for example, the closer to 100% capacity a figure is, the greater the implied use during off-peak times, and in practical terms, the demand may simply not be there. Figures beyond 80% also imply that the maximum use is being made of a sports hall, for example 4 badminton courts hosting four doubles games, rather than four singles games, which can again be impractical for users. - 25 -

evenly spread across the Borough ranging from 1.1% to 5%. However, there are some areas with slightly lower levels of demand than others.

Figure 9: Demand from Residents in Bournemouth

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 10: Demand from Residents in Poole

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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The segments of population types which play badminton the most are shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11: Segments of population which play the most badminton (number and % of resident badminton players playing the sport)

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a 452 14.7 house and settling down with partner

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes enjoying football, pints 411 13.4 and pool

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty 336 10.9 males with older children and more time for themselves Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with 286 9.3 a ‘work-hard, play-hard’ attitude

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums and their 246 8 supportive college mates

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a 408 16.6 house and settling down with partner

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty 356 14.5 males with older children and more time for themselves

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with 257 10.5 a ‘work-hard, play-hard’ attitude

Roger & Early Retirement Couples: Free-time couples nearing the 176 7.2 Joy end of their careers

Elaine Empty Nest Career Ladies: Mid-life professionals who have more time for themselves since their children left 157 6.4 home Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

The segmentation data also provides an estimate of latent demand – i.e. those people who would like to play the sport who do not do so at the moment. The data does not set out reasons why these people are not accessing the sport but reasons can vary and can include (amongst others)

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lack of transport to get to a venue, cost of playing, or availability of court time or personal time to play.

In Poole, there are a total of 2,064 people wanting to play badminton, of which 12.5% are ‘Tims’, 13% are ‘Philips’ and 8.6% are ‘Elaines’, all of whom are likely to require additional peak-time courts to be available. In Bournemouth, there are a total of 2,595 wanting to play with the most demand from ‘Jamies’ (11.1%), ‘Tims’ (11%) and ‘Leannes’ (10.1%).

While there are no details on why these levels of latent demand exist, together with people not having time, Dorset Badminton has suggested that difficulty in being able to find out where and when courts can be booked might be an issue, due to the existing disparate management of available courts. This appears to be an issue for clubs as well as casual players. The availability of courts at the times when people would like to play could also be a factor affecting demand, with leisure centres now having to focus on more commercially attractive sports and uses for halls at peak times.

It is understood from Dorset Badminton that the number of affiliates across the county is on the decline due to lack of good access to good facilities. Anecdotally, club members are also generally getting older, with a challenge for the sport therefore being to attract younger players, as if is the case with a number of sports.

Basketball

Geographically, there are no areas of great concentration, with demand reasonably evenly spread across both Boroughs ranging from 0.1% to 2%. The segments of population types which play basketball the most are shown in Figure 12.

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Figure 12: Segments of population which play the most basketball (number and % of resident basketball players playing the sport)

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes enjoying football, pints 313 32.6% and pool

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, 216 22.5% with a ‘work-hard, play-hard’ attitude

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums and their 107 11.2% supportive college mates

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, 194 31.1% with a ‘work-hard, play-hard’ attitude

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes enjoying football, pints 98 15.7% and pool

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying 80 12.8% a house and settling down with partner Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

In Poole, there are a total of 401 people wanting to play basketball, of which 25.7% are ‘Bens’, 21.7% are ‘Jamies’ and 10% are ‘Leannes’. In Bournemouth, there are a total of 685 wanting to play with the most demand from ‘Jamies’ (40.7%), ‘Bens’ (16.6%) and ‘Leannes’ (14.6%). Basketball is traditionally more difficult to access by individuals given that it requires both whole hallspace availability (rather than part) and access to a club if it is being played indoors on a competitive basis. However, the figures may

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represent, in part, lack of access to an openly available or bookable multi-use games area (MUGA) if play is desired on an informal basis outside (and have therefore contributed towards the understanding of MUGA provision later in this assessment report).

Gymnastics

Geographically, there are no areas of concentration, with demand very evenly spread across both Boroughs ranging from 0.1% to 1% of the resident 16+ years population.

The segments of population types which participate in gymnastics and trampolining the most are shown in Figure 13. As can be seen from the figures, numbers participating are fairly low amongst the 16+ age group compared to junior members and people 16+ taking part in other sports.

Figure 13: Segments of population which participate the most in gymnastics (number and % of resident gymnasts playing the sport)

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image-conscious females 37 13.7% keeping fit and trim

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums and their 35 12.9% supportive college mates

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, 31 11.4% enjoying life in the fast lane

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image-conscious females 34 15.2% keeping fit and trim

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, 23 10.3% with a ‘work-hard, play-hard’ attitude

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, 23 10.3% enjoying life in the fast lane Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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In Poole, there are a total of 156 people wanting to take part in gymnastics and trampolining, of which 20.5% are ‘Chloes’, 11.5% are ‘Leannes’ and 11.5% are ‘Jackies’ (Middle England Mums: Mums juggling work, family and finance). In Bournemouth, there are a total of 199 wanting to take part with the most demand from ‘Leannes’ (22.1%) and ‘Chloes’ (18.1%).

Quantity, Demand and Capacity Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

Key issues about the quantity of facilities and their capacity to accommodate users, some relating to specific facilities, were raised through the audit and surveys, workshops and consultation meetings. Where available and relevant, user surveys have also been utilised. The main issues raised are summarised below, grouped by facility or issue.

Only key issues identified through consultation are highlighted below. Site or facility specific issues which are not likely to have a strategic or major impact upon provision for the facility type or sport as a whole are not included. These more localised, specific issues have been passed on to officers at the Borough of Poole, Bournemouth Borough Council and Active Dorset, and to relevant National Sports Governing Bodies, as they are, nonetheless, important to sports development and to individual clubs in terms of their development.

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Figure 14: Quantity, Demand and Capacity Issues: Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Littledown Leisure Centre Multi There is a need for additional multi-purpose space although this is more for studio and Stokewood Leisure and fitness room space than hall space. (Interview with management) Centre

BH Live facilities Multi There has been a significant growth in membership in recent months due to a review of membership packages and prices. Most increases in use, however, have been in use of gyms and fitness classes. There has been an increase in attracting new members from Poole. (Interview with management)

BH Live facilities Badminton Sports halls tend to be less used at weekends and so BH Live has been talking to Badminton England about increasing informal participation at these times. (Interview with management)

Stokewood Leisure Centre Multi Student membership is largely concentrated at Stokewood where approximately one third of members are students, many of whom are international students. Other leisure centres have around 3-5% of members being students. (Interview with management)

Harewood College Gymnastics Membership at the Avonbourne Gym Club has increased in recent years and there

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source) is a waiting list for juniors and adults to join, suggesting some latent demand. Accessibility to facilities limits the club’s capacity. (Club survey)

Capacity issues are also recognised by British Gymnastics. (NGB discussion)

Littledown Leisure Centre Gymnastics Membership at the Bournemouth Gymnastics Club has increased in recent years and there is a waiting list for juniors to join, suggesting some latent demand. Accessibility to facilities and the existing facility size limits the club’s capacity. (Club survey)

Membership at the Littledown Gymnastics Club (a juniors only club) is at capacity and there is a waiting list to join.

Avonbourne College Badminton Two clubs which use Avonbourne have indicated that the quantity of courts limits their capacity.

General Badminton The number of badminton teams in the Dorset Badminton League has seen a net reduction in the last 3 years (lost 5 but gained 3). (League survey)

Although this could suggest a fall in demand, there are currently 20 teams playing in the Dorset league, which county-wide suggests that demand remains steady. Should there be a more dramatic drop-off of teams in the league, this would indicate a significant change.

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Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

General Badminton There has been an increase in junior membership at 3 of the 7 clubs which responded to the club survey in the last 2 years, 1 has seen levels remain steady and 3 have seen membership decrease. Levels are similar for adult members. No clubs have a waiting list to join.

This suggests a steady level of demand overall in Bournemouth and Poole.

General Multi The ETC International College has no built facilities of its own but is aware that there is significant demand from international students for sports facilities to play sport informally. There is a particular need for sports hall space which can accommodate handball, basketball and volleyball. The international college currently uses local schools and the University facilities. There is a particular high demand in the summer months, although needs are reasonably well catered for in the winter months when there are fewer international students. Over the course of the year there are around 50,000 international students studying across 30 international colleges in Bournemouth (and Poole). (Interview with ETC International College)

General Gymnastics The clubs and British Gymnastics have both identified that a key problem for gymnastics using multi-sports sports halls is that it takes time to set up and clear

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Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source) away equipment which leaves them less time to do their sport. (Club surveys and NGB discussion)

Leasing commercial units has been an option used elsewhere to overcome this problem. (NGB discussion)

Talbot Heath School Netball Poole Netball Club has expressed a desire for an additional indoor court to satisfy their growing demand. (Club survey)

This demand may not be something which necessarily needs to be provided at the school itself, although there is likely to be a preference for the club to remain wholly at the site given its levels of satisfaction with the facility expressed in its survey return.

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Figure 14a: Quantity, Demand and Capacity Issues: Poole

Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

OLGA at Rossmore Leisure Gymnastics There is a waiting list to join OLGA (6 – 12 months) which gives an indication of Centre and latent demand. (Interview with management) Trampoline Membership at OLGA has increased in recent years and there is a waiting list for juniors to join, suggesting some latent demand. Quantity of facilities and quality of coaches limit the club’s capacity. (Club survey)

Capacity issues are also recognised by British Gymnastics. (NGB discussion)

Poole High School Badminton The Poole High School has recently opened its sports hall up to badminton for use during weekday evenings. (League survey)

The FPM report does not account for this as it was undertaken in early 2013. The availability of the hall to the community is likely to have a local impact on levels of ‘comfortable’ supply at nearby sports halls (for example, St Edwards School is approaching its ‘comfortable’ capacity and The Nuction and Rossmore are both operating at their maximum capacity) and help to meet some of the unmet demand in central Poole in the evenings.

Everyone Active (SLM) Multi There has been significant growth in the last year or so, particularly people using

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source) facilities the gym and swimming, rather than hall use. (Interview with management)

The Junction Multi Membership has grown in last couple of years. (Interview with management)

The Junction Multi Demand has grown to the point that a two-storey extension to the building is being considered. (Interview with management)

The Junction Multi There are very few gaps for pay and play users with more club based sport taking place across the leisure centre. (Interview with management)

Bournemouth University Multi There is sufficient demand to warrant doubling the size of the sports hall. The lack Sports Centre of courts available has been identified by the University Basketball Club as well as staff / management who run the BU Sports Centre. The size of courts is an issue preventing play in a national senior basketball league. Increasing the size might also free up some capacity for further community use. Capacity is not necessarily maximised out of University term time (a point backed up by the FPM report which suggests use at 67% capacity) as there is the impression amongst the community that it cannot be booked.

(Interview with University staff and club survey)

There will be limits to how much capacity will be available for community use during construction of the new student centre (summer 2013 – April 2015) when

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source) the capacity of the hall will be reduced for the period of construction of the new centre and the sports hall will be closed completely between June and September 20143. This will have some impact upon existing hall capacity in the area in the next 2 years.

Canford School Badminton A club which uses Canford School has indicated that the quantity of courts limits their capacity.

General Basketball In Poole there are only single court basketball facilities which could limit growth at a club level simply due to the number of courts available. Many of them are not suitable for national league basketball although there are national league clubs operating in the area. (England Basketball)

General Badminton The number of badminton teams in the Dorset Badminton League has seen a net reduction in the last 3 years (lost 5 but gained 3). (League survey)

3 See http://studentportal.bournemouth.ac.uk/news/student-centre-faq.html

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: ACCESSIBILITY

Community Accessibility and Shared Sites

As defined earlier in this report, community accessibility, for the purposes of this assessment, is defined as a facility which is generally available to the public, including where membership of a club or organisation is a pre-requisite for access, provided that membership criteria are unrestrictive and the membership fees are not exorbitant. Facilities need to be available to the community for all or part of the peak period of use and meet certain size criteria.

For sports halls, as identified in the list of halls above, an important part of supply of sports halls across Bournemouth and Poole is that provided by schools, colleges and Academies. We have been made aware of a number of issues facing schools, colleges and Academies in relation to accessibility to facilities on their or shared sites which include:

 Competing demand for access on shared sites during school hours (between schools and between schools and community use);  Reliance upon shared facilities (e.g. particularly where schools share a leisure facility with community use);  Lack of dedicated parking on shared sites;  The cost to schools of hiring space on shared sites where facilities are not owned by the school;  The need for additional time to that currently available to use shared facilities during and after school hours as the school age population grows in the future;  Concerns around security of school premises if school facilities are opened up to the community outside of school hours; and,  Concerns around cost of opening up facilities to the community outside of school hours.

School and facility specific issues are picked up later in this section.

The Academies and Colleges that the consultant team spoke to during the development of the Strategy identified that most would be willing to open facilities more than they currently do if demand is present as they will usually have a presence (e.g. security or caretaker / maintenance staff) during evenings and weekends and so there would be no significant increase in cost to them.

Cross-boundary relationships

In reality, the use of sports facilities does not, of course, restrict itself to boundaries of local authorities, or even of built-up areas. The following map shows the sports halls within a 20 minute drive (at 30 mph) of Bournemouth and Poole’s administrative boundaries.

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Figure 15: Sports Hall 20 minute Drive-time and Walking Distance Catchments in Bournemouth and Poole

Source: Facilities Planning Model Halls Report, Sport England, 2013

What the map shows is that while residents in Bournemouth and Poole all have access to at least one hall within a 20 minute drive-time, if there is no access to a car, or to public transport, access is restricted across much of both Boroughs. This is a factor reflected on further in this report, where unmet demand and its causes are examined.

From analysis of use and consultation, no sports halls within a 20 minute drive-time catchment of residents in Bournemouth and Poole have been identified as exerting a major pull of residents away from facilities in Bournemouth and Poole.

In terms of demand currently being imported from neighbouring authority areas, there is a good level of import and export swap between Bournemouth and Poole themselves although levels seem to cancel each other out. As is to be expected, the next highest level of imported demand for Bournemouth is from Christchurch for Poole is from East Dorset. These patterns are illustrated by the following figures taken from the Facilities Planning Model.

Figure 16: Imported Demand from neighbouring local authority areas, 2012 (to Bournemouth and to Poole)

Source: Facilities Planning Model Run, 2012, Sport England

With regard to gymnastics, while there is some provision at Two Riversmeet Leisure Centre in Christchurch, it is understood (from discussion with an Avonbourne Gymnastics club representative) that the availability of hallspace at that venue is not sufficient to meet demand and so, as a result, clubs in Bournemouth import some of the demand from Christchurch.

Local catchment areas of Sports Halls in Bournemouth and Poole

 Discussion with managers of facilities (such as sports or leisure centres);  Club and league surveys;  User surveys;  The Sport England FPM Report;  Population density;  Proximity of one facility to another, similar, facility;  Discussion with officers from local authorities;  Experience from undertaking similar work elsewhere in the country; and,  Travel times by car established through Department for Transport and the South East Dorset Multi-Modal Transport Study data on average speeds4.

4 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Bournemouth and Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion-on-local-authority- managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. - 44 -

catchment at 30 mph and, in our view, represents a maximum distance and time threshold. For the purposes of this analysis, the locally derived catchments provide a more likely scenario for most users of facilities and represent a more useful tool when seeking to identify spatial gaps in provision.

The catchment for sports halls in Bournemouth and Poole has been identified, from these sources, as being approximately a 15 minute drive at an average urban driving speed of 23mph and a 1 mile or 20 minute journey by foot for those walking.

Whilst, in an ideal world scenario, a facility would be available within a short walking distance for all residents, this is unlikely to be practically possible in viability terms. Figure 17 maps the impact of the catchment.

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Figure 17: Walking Catchment Area for Sports Halls

Source: Borough of Poole

Figure 17b: 20 Minute Drive-time Catchment Area for Sports Halls (Bournemouth)

Source: Borough of Poole

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Figure 17c: 20 Minute Drive-time Catchment Area for Sports Halls (Poole)

Source: Borough of Poole

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N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

The catchment areas do not mean that those falling outside of a catchment area do not or cannot access facilities. The areas reflect the places that the majority of users will come from to access facilities, including club members, leisure centre members and those accessing pay and play / casual use of facilities.

Cost of Using Facilities

From discussion with managers of sports halls and user, club and league surveys, whilst cost has been raised by some people as an issue, it is not considered to be prohibitive to most people currently using facilities, given the demand for use of facilities identified above.

However, cost is a particular issue for those not currently accessing facilities and may be a prohibitive factor in increasing use in areas of Bournemouth and Poole where there are socio-economic issues illustrated through the Index of Multiple Deprivation. This factor is considered further in the section later in this report which considers the challenges in meeting demand and needs.

Accessibility Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

Key issues about accessibility, some relating to specific facilities, were raised through the audit and surveys, workshops and consultation meetings. Where available and relevant, user surveys have also been utilised. These are summarised below, grouped by facility or issue.

These more localised, specific issues have been passed on to officers at the Borough of Poole, Bournemouth Borough Council and Active Dorset, and to relevant National Sports Governing Bodies, as they are, nonetheless, important to sports development and to individual clubs in terms of their development.

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Figure 18: Accessibility Issues

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Littledown Sports Badminton Dorset Badminton has suggested that this is the preferred location for badminton use as Centre there are 8 courts in good condition and with a good height. However, booking can be difficult due to other uses such as 5-a-side football and other events.

Winton Arts and Media Multi The college has stated that the 4 court sports hall is not large enough for varsity matches College and the ceiling not high enough for competitive badminton matches. (Workshop with Schools, Colleges and Academies)

Off-site sports facilities Multi All sectors of education provision have identified the need for children / pupils and students used by Primary, to have easily accessible facilities close to their base. For Primary age children in particular, Secondary, FE and HE this means an accessible facility within a short walking distance to reduce costs of travel by education bus and loss of teaching time during the day. It may typically mean 0.5 mile maximum walking distance for effective use of time. For older children at secondary level, 0.5 mile is also a maximum distance. For students at FE and HE level, this may mean provision within a 20 minute walk as use is unlikely to be during structured teaching time, unless sport is a component part of a course – e.g. undergraduate degree in Sports Science.

General Badminton Relationships between clubs who use school facilities and the staff at the schools seems to

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source) be good. While there are restrictions on when and for how long clubs can use some of the school facilities, they generally represent good value, when considered against the general higher cost of courts elsewhere. (Club surveys)

General Multi Many school halls are also used for exams when they cannot be used for sports and so capacity is lost to students. At Primaries, much of the stock of hall space is based on older multi-use halls which double as the dinner hall and are often too small to host various sports including badminton. (Workshop with Schools, Colleges and Academies)

General Gymnastics There are no competition halls in Bournemouth or Poole that have seating and parking for large events consisting of tumbling, floor and vault. (NGB discussion)

General Netball There is a general lack of affordable indoor courts available in Bournemouth and Poole. (NGB discussion)

General Multi Dual use of sports halls makes it difficult for the halls to be freed-up during the school day. Schools will often choose to play sports outside if weather permits, leaving the hall vacant. This is difficult to overcome as schools need the hallspace to be reserved in case of bad weather.

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Rossmore Leisure Multi There is a lack of car parking, particularly during the school day, which is of particular Centre relevance to those going to classes and the OLGA gymnastics and trampoline club.

This may be less of an issue for sports hall users who are members of clubs. However, it could have an impact on those booking ‘pay and play’ time for badminton or indoor football in the sports hall. Changes at the shared site may lead to separated parking for leisure centre / school users.

Bournemouth Multi There is a lack of parking at the University Sports Centre. (Basketball club survey) University Sports This is largely an issue for the University to deal with through travel plans and parking

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source) Centre policy. However, if the sports hall is doubled in size as the University would like, opening it up for further community use would need to ensure sufficient parking on campus for the public using the facility.

General Badminton Relationships between clubs who use school facilities and the staff at the schools seems to be good. While there are restrictions on when and for how long clubs can use some of the school facilities, they generally represent good value, when considered against the general higher cost of courts elsewhere. (Club surveys)

General Multi There is a lack of sports halls available during the daytime (off-peak) for the community, because of a large proportion of halls available to the community are on school / shared sites and are therefore dedicated to pupil and student use during term-time during the day. The Junction (Broadstone) is the only daytime sports hall open to the community. Daytime accessibility in central areas of Poole has largely arisen since the closure of the Dolphin sports centre above the shopping centre. It is understood that closure of the facility was less to do with lack of demand and more to do with accessibility issues such as town centre parking fees and commercial viability of a standalone hall with no associated facilities such as a gym or fitness studio. (local authority officers)

General Multi With a reduction in the amount of funding support local authorities can give to leisure centres now and in the future, there is a need for leisure centres to continue to operate on

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source) a more commercial / market facing basis to ensure that revenue from facilities is maximised. However, this implies that sports hall use may move further away from supporting clubs and sports development and more towards commercially attractive and popular activities such as classes, gym, etc. (local authority officers)

There is therefore an implication for the role of schools in helping to foster community facilities which have a focus on a few particular sports but which also open halls to the community during peak, non-school time, periods. On shared use sites there is an implication for development of separate provision for the school / community and leisure centres.

General Multi It is understood that there are concerns about how much schools have to pay for hallspace on shared sites where the facility is not owned by the school.

General Multi There are concerns about how much daytime use is taken by schools, leaving little for community off-peak use. (Various consultee responses)

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

General Gymnastics There are no competition halls in Bournemouth or Poole that have seating and parking for large events consisting of tumbling, floor and vault. (NGB discussion)

General Netball There is a general lack of affordable indoor courts available in Bournemouth and Poole. (NGB discussion)

General Netball There are a few sports halls which are not fully suitable for netball play. Carter Community School, Parkstone Grammar and Ashdown have sport halls which are wide enough but do not have sufficient clearance at either end of the court to accommodate net posts off court. Poole High School has a hall which can accommodate netball (dimensions are acceptable) but the surface is not suitable for netball. (Poole Sports Council)

There is probably little that can be done about the dimensions of existing courts to fully accommodate play but it is noted that the supply of courts for competitive indoor matches will be affected by such courts not being able to accommodate league matches.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUALITY

Quality issues are identified mainly through discussion with local authority officers and Members, surveys received from key stakeholders such as clubs, leagues and schools and the audit. Where available and relevant, user surveys have also been utilised.

The key issues relating to the quality of facilities are summarised below. Only key issues identified through consultation are highlighted below. Site or facility specific issues which are not likely to have a strategic or major impact upon provision for the facility type or sport as a whole are not included. These more localised, specific issues have been passed on to officers at the Borough of Poole, Bournemouth Borough Council and Active Dorset, and to relevant National Sports Governing Bodies, as they are, nonetheless, important to sports development and to individual clubs in terms of their development.

Figure 19: Quality Issues

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Avonbourne College Multi Activity Hall surface is ‘poor’ and in need of refurbishment. (Audit)

Harewood College Multi Activity Hall surface is ‘adequate’ but in need of refurbishment. (Audit)

Badminton Dorset Badminton has suggested that while the quality of the courts is excellent, the changing rooms need improvement (there is only 1 shower area), the facility is cold and there are no refreshments available.

Sir David English Sports Badminton While the sports hall is good, Dorset Badminton has suggested that the lighting is poor. Centre The viewing balcony and refreshments area / café has been removed to the detriment of the facility for club use.

St Peter’s Catholic Multi Main sports hall surface is ‘adequate’ but in need of refurbishment. (Audit) School (Upper)

Talbot Heath School Multi Activity Hall surface is ‘poor’ and in need of refurbishment. (Audit)

Littledown Leisure Multi There is a need to maintain the quality of hall space at the centre which is a 1980s building. Centre (Interview with management)

Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Rossmore Leisure Multi Activity Hall surface is ‘adequate’ but in need of refurbishment. (Audit) Centre

Canford School Badminton Dorset Badminton has suggested that the quality of lighting is poor although the courts’ condition is good.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING SHORTFALLS FROM EXISTING GAPS

Quantity, quality and accessibility guidelines

In order to respond to the needs arising from issues identified about existing provision, it helps to summarise ‘rules of thumb’ or standards which should be applied to quantity, quality and accessibility to facilities. While they provide a guide for improving quantity, quality and accessibility, they must be viewed within the context of the other evidence in this strategy and the practicalities of achieving them and should therefore not be used on a ‘standalone’ basis.

Quantity

For quantity of facilities, using the catchment data as the basis, users should be able to access a 4 badminton court sports hall within a 15 minute drive- time of where they live. Where gaps in provision exist, a new sports hall should only be considered after options of increasing supply through other means (for example, increasing community access to dual / shared sites / facilities) have been exhausted, where a new facility is feasible and viable in terms of funding for its development and where a new facility is sustainable in the long-term in terms of running costs.

Quality

Provision of halls (and ancillary facilities) should be in at least ’adequate’ condition, where ‘adequate’ means adequately maintained, with no signs of neglect; sufficient changing accommodation for the facilities; well-lit for sport and recreation activities, as appropriate; at least adequate appearance; and, clean and adequately decorated.

Accessibility

For those without access to a vehicle, facilities should be on a public transport route, at least during peak times of use and be safely and easily accessible by

bicycle. All facilities should be Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant. Dedicated and secure car and bicycle parking should be available on or close to the facility site (a particular issue at shared facilities during the daytime). Sports halls should be accessible for ‘adequate daytime community use’, i.e. giving some availability for non-programmed use between 9am and 5pm. The minimum size acceptable for sports halls should be compliant with the latest Sport England and NGB standards for competition.

Identifying shortfalls in existing provision

As identified above, the Facilities Planning Model establishes that, in Bournemouth in 2012, there was a supply of 56.05 badminton courts when figures are scaled to account for the number of hours courts are available for community use. This compares to a demand for 53.76 courts, leaving a supply – demand balance of +2.29. In Poole, the supply in 2012 was 42.33 courts with a demand for 40.43 courts, leaving a supply – demand balance of +1.90 courts. The figures also take into account Sport England’s ‘comfort factor’5. This suggests that there is no shortfall in provision within Bournemouth and Poole at the current time.

However, the FPM takes these figures a step further by introducing other factors including location, nature and quality of facilities in relation to demand; accessibility by car and on foot; and, facilities in adjoining local authority areas.

The FPM suggests that in 2012, around 6.8% of total demand for sports halls from residents in Bournemouth was not being met (equating to 3 or 4 courts). In Poole, the picture is similar, with 6.4% of demand form Poole residents not being met in 2012, equating to 2 to 3 courts. For both Boroughs, this is due either to people living outside of catchment areas of halls or who do not have

5 This is a figure beyond which use of a facility can get uncomfortable. A figure of 80% of total capacity is applied for sports halls, after which making best and most effective use of the facility can become difficult, for example, the closer to 100% capacity a figure is, the greater the implied use during off-peak times, and in practical terms, the demand may simply not be there. Figures beyond 80% also imply that the maximum use is being made of a sports hall, for example 4 badminton courts hosting four doubles games, rather than four singles games, which can again be impractical for users. - 61 -

access to a car. This unmet demand is relatively evenly spread across each Borough.

Figure 20 shows the aggregated unmet demand in number of courts across the Boroughs in 2012. Each square shows unmet demand within that square and in adjacent squares on the grid (aggregated figures for squares cannot be added together as it would result in duplication). There is a noticeable pattern where there are demands for between 0.9 and 1.3 courts in clusters running from Poole into central Bournemouth.

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Figure 20: Sports Hall Aggregated Unmet Demand 2012

Source: Sport England, Facilities Planning Model Report 2013

As outlined above, the FPM also identifies how ‘comfortable’ existing supply is against demand. In Bournemouth, 80.5% of capacity is currently being used and in Poole capacity being used is 76.9%. In Bournemouth, therefore, demand is already just over the level associated with comfortable supply (80%). When looking at individual capacity of sports halls at peak times, 4 sports halls in Bournemouth and 2 in Poole are currently operating at 100% capacity with a further 2 in Bournemouth and 1 in Poole operating over 80%. These are identified below.

Figure 21: Sports Halls Currently Operating over (and near to) the ‘Comfortable’ Level in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

% Capacity % Capacity Sports Hall Sports Hall being Used being Used

Bournemouth Ashdown Leisure 100% 100% Collegiate School Centre

Rossmore Leisure Linwood School 100% 100% Centre

The Junction Littledown Centre 100% Sports and 96% Leisure Centre

Sir David English St Edwards 100% 75% Sports Centre School

Winton Arts and 98% Media College

LEAF Academy 84%

The Bourne 79% Academy

Source: Facilities Planning Model Run, 2012, Sport England

Outside of Bournemouth and Poole, Ferndown Leisure Centre in East Dorset is identified as operating at 100% capacity.

Despite the above figures, the overall conclusion from the FPM is that sports hall provision at the current time in Bournemouth and Poole is adequate for levels of demand.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Future Demand and Needs Identified by Key Stakeholders

Figure 22 shows the key issues identified by key stakeholders in relation to the future demands and needs of specific sports and / or facilities in Bournemouth and Poole. These tend to relate more to quantity (and therefore capacity) of provision and new or extended facilities, than they do to quality or accessibility. They also include aspirations identified by schools, colleges and Academies through discussion or surveys.

Figure 22: Future Demands and Needs Identified by Key Stakeholders

Bournemouth

Sport / Facility Source

Winton Arts and Media College has identified an Audit, Strategic aspiration for an extension to the existing main sports hall Literature to double its size with a handball court marked out. This Review and extension has been set out in the masterplan for Workshop with improvements to Slades Farm facilities. Schools, Colleges and Academies

While Badminton England currently has no facility Badminton priorities for Bournemouth and Poole for the next four years England (having recently invested in the Bournemouth Performance Centre at Harewood College), any improvement projects to facilities that may be required to offer better playing experiences at all levels would be considered for support.

Dorset Badminton has expressed a desire to see a 10 – Discussion with 12 badminton court facility in Bournemouth or Poole Dorset providing a single location focus for the sport with capacity Badminton for viewing and good refreshment and viewing facilities.

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Bournemouth

Sport / Facility Source The closure of the Poole Sports Centre (Dolphin) has meant that is no large facility now available.

Avonbourne Gym Club (which uses Harewood College Club survey as a venue) has expressed a desire to increase membership and telephone in the future and already has a waiting list for junior and interview with adult membership. It has recently expanded, starting new club sessions at another school and is looking to use other representative facilities in the future. It has highlighted a need for a specialist gymnastics facility in Bournemouth and is finding difficulty in finding suitable additional venues to expand into. They have a surplus of coaches ready to be used for increasing membership.

Littledown Gymnastics Club is operating at capacity and Discussion with has expressed a desire to grow. It has insufficient time club available to use at Littledown Centre which also highlights a representative demand for a specialist gymnastics facility in Bournemouth.

There is an aspiration by BH Live to do more outreach Interview with activity work as usage of sports facilities is lower in wards management with higher levels of deprivation.

There is a desire by BH Live to do more work with health Interview with bodies – they already work with health providers around management issues such as chronic pain management and preventing hip problems.

A desire for a sports hall has been expressed by Workshop with Bournemouth Girls Grammar School for their own Schools, sports hall as they cannot currently access facilities at Sir Colleges and David English Sports Centre due to cost and availability at Academies the times needed.

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Poole

Sport / Facility Source

Everyone Active (SLM) has identified a need for more Interview with ‘dry’ facilities at Dolphin to cope with demand for exercise management classes and gym space.

We are aware of a planned two-storey extension to the Interview with existing sports hall at The Junction Leisure Centre in management Poole, although this has not been factored in to the Facilities Planning Model run (as it was not a proposal at the time that the FPM was done) but will instead be considered when future requirements have been established below. It is understood that the ground floor would be an extension to the gym and include other activity facilities for things such as climbing, with the upper floor comprising of a five- a-side 3G indoor pitch. If these proposals are delivered there will be little impact on capacity of sports halls in general terms across the Borough given the likely dedicated nature of provision, although a dedicated space for five-a- side football would relieve some capacity in the main existing hall for sports like badminton and basketball at a local level in the Junction’s catchment.

There has been interest from St Aldhelms Academy to Interview with develop a sports hall for Academy use. The Academy Academy currently shares hall space at Rossmore Leisure Centre on the shared site. Developing a hall which is available for dedicated school use during term and school day time would free up some capacity for daytime community use at Rossmore Leisure Centre sports hall and a new school hall could provide additional capacity at evenings and weekends. A fabric hall (which is a cheaper alternative to a brick built hall) could be a solution (and for other schools too where shared use of facilities is a capacity issue). There is particular interest from the Academy for a

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Poole

Sport / Facility Source basketball sports development centre / centre of excellence.

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Additional Provision ‘In the Pipeline’

We are aware that there are some projects in the process of being delivered in Bournemouth and Poole.

 A new sports hall is planned for the Bishop of Winchester Academy in Bournemouth (due for completion in autumn 2014) which has been factored in to forecasts modelled by the Facilities Planning Model.  The LeAF Academy (former Oakmead School) has planning permission for a new 9 court sports hall which, we understand, is due to open by the end of 2013. It is not known how much, if any, capacity will be available for the community to use. The facility will be capable of hosting international events for a variety of different sports and hold a minimum of 1,000 spectators.

Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Bournemouth and Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 23 shows.

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Figure 23: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area6

Bournemouth Sub-area

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 Total

2011 30,130 33,610 29,560 43,240 18,620 28,300 183,460

2026 31,230 36,440 32,080 46,410 20,120 31,230 197,510

Poole Sub-area

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

These projections take into account allocated housing growth in the period to 2026. In addition to knowing how population might change during the plan period to help identify the implications for facilities, understanding where development is likely to happen and therefore where much of the population increase is likely to occur is important in order to understand where change might be needed. The adopted plans for the Boroughs identify around 10,000 dwellings to be provided in Poole between 2006 and 2026 and around 7,500 in Bournemouth between 2011 and 2026 in the following places.

6 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 71 -

Figure 24: Housing Allocations in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

5,500 in appropriate locations across the 1,850+ at the regeneration area sites rest of the Borough fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

2,000 on Town Centre Area Action Plan 350–700 in the Town Centre North area sites

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Adopted Bournemouth Borough Core Strategy October 2012 and Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

Implications of growth

The Facilities Planning Model identifies the future demands and needs for sports halls in Bournemouth and Poole. However, the figures used in order to estimate future population change were based on ONS figures available at the time that the ‘run’ was commissioned by Sport England. The ONS figures are significantly different to the bespoke projections done by Bournemouth Borough Council for this study and over-estimate growth projected by the local, more recent, projections substantially. Therefore, the projected needs identified by the FPM need to be considered in that context. However, as a first step, it is worth setting out the conclusion of the FPM modelling.

The Facilities Planning Model identifies that, in Bournemouth in 2026, there will be a supply of 57.78 badminton courts when figures are scaled to account

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for the number of hours courts are available for community use. This compares to a demand for 60.33 courts, leaving a supply – demand balance of (or deficit of) -2.55. In Poole, the supply in 2026 will be 42.33 courts with a demand for 45.08 courts, leaving a supply – demand balance of (or deficit of) -2.75 courts. The figures also take into account Sport England’s ‘comfort factor’7. This suggests that there will be a small shortfall in provision within Bournemouth and Poole by 2026.

The FPM report goes on to suggest that in 2026, around 6.3% of total demand for sports halls in Bournemouth from residents will not be met (equating to 3 or 4 courts)8. In Poole, the picture is similar, with 6.4% of demand form Poole residents not being met in 2026, equating to 2 to 3 courts. For both Boroughs, this is due either to people living outside of catchment areas of halls or who do not have access to a car. This unmet demand is relatively evenly spread across each Borough and represents little change from unmet demand identified for 2012, despite the significant increase in population projected by ONS figures.

Figure 25 shows the aggregated unmet demand in number of courts across the Boroughs in 2026. There is little difference between the 2012 and 2026 maps, although it shows an increase in aggregated unmet demand along the northern boundary between Bournemouth and Poole and around Rossmore Leisure Centre.

7 This is a figure beyond which use of a facility can get uncomfortable. A figure of 80% of total capacity is applied for sports halls, after which making best and most effective use of the facility can become difficult, for example, the closer to 100% capacity a figure is, the greater the implied use during off-peak times, and in practical terms, the demand may simply not be there. Figures beyond 80% also imply that the maximum use is being made of a sports hall, for example 4 badminton courts hosting four doubles games, rather than four singles games, which can again be impractical for users. 8 The figure is less than the 6.8% projected for 2012 because the additional new provision to be provide at Bishop of Winchester School is factored into the available supply for 2026. - 73 -

Figure 25: Sports Hall Aggregated Unmet Demand 2026

Source: Sport England, Facilities Planning Model Report 2013

As outlined above, the FPM also identifies how ‘comfortable’ existing supply is against demand. In Bournemouth, 86.8% of capacity is estimated to be used and in Poole capacity being used is projected to be 85.1%%. In both Bournemouth and Poole, therefore, demand is expected to exceed comfortable supply of 80% capacity being used. Therefore, more sports halls will become uncomfortably full in the period to 2026.

Given that the FPM used ONS projections as its basis which are higher than those locally derived for this Strategy, the conclusions of the FPM ‘run’ need to be set alongside this new context. The much lower projections produced for this Strategy does not mean that the FPM is “incorrect”. The population projected by the ONS figures may well occur at some point in the future, be that in 2026 or later and so therefore, the FPM’s conclusions remain relevant and should be used as the top end of a range of demand which might occur by 2026. This is illustrated by the graphs below which seek to estimate the level of unmet demand which might occur if the locally derived population projections prove more accurate than those based on the ONS projections used by the FPM.

Figure 26: Bournemouth Sports Halls Projected Unmet Demand (as number of courts)

Bournemouth Unmet Demand (courts) 3.90

3.85 B 3.80 Population at 2026 (local authority C estimate) Population at 2026 3.75 (ONS / FPM A estimate) Population 3.70 at 2012 Theoretical range of unmet demand at 2026 3.65

3.60 180000 185000 190000 195000 200000 205000 210000 215000 Population

Sources: Facilities Planning Model and (for local authority estimate of population in 2026) Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

Figure 27: Poole Sports Halls Projected Unmet Demand (as number of courts)

Poole Unmet Demand (courts) 3.00

2.90 B Population at 2026 (local authority C 2.80 estimate) A Population at 2026 2.70 Population at 2012 (ONS / FPM estimate) 2.60 Theoretical range of unmet demand 2.50 at 2026

2.40

2.30 145,000 150,000 155,000 160,000 165,000 170,000 175,000 Population

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The graphs suggest that a range of between 3.75 and 3.83 badminton courts of hall space (equivalent to accommodating between 608 and 619 vpwpp) will be needed by 2026 in Bournemouth and between 2.72 and 2.88 courts in Poole (equivalent to accommodating between 441 and 467 vpwpp). Therefore, while indications from the new projection data suggest that there will be an increase in unmet demand by 2026, it will not be as high a figure as that suggested by the FPM. In real terms though, the upper and lower end of the range of figures for Bournemouth and Poole point to a need for an additional sports hall provision of around 4 courts in each Borough (the smallest size recommended for a multi- functional sports hall).

As already suggested though, meeting this unmet demand does not have to come from provision of additional new hallspace if existing halls not currently available to the community can be opened for access or if halls which already open to the community can increase the hours that they are available. Although this looks positive in terms of supply largely meeting demand in the future, the issues raised by the conclusion of the FPM highlighted above for 2012 in relation to comfort levels of provision could remain.

Figure 28 summarises this position.

Figure 28: unmet demand and space / visit equivalents

Bournemouth Poole

2026 2026 2026 2026 (upper (upper 2012 (lower 2012 (lower end of end of (FPM) end of (FPM) end of range - range - range) range) FPM) FPM)

Courts 3.66 3.75 3.83 2.58 2.72 2.88

Visits per week in the 593 608 619 416 441 467 peak period (vpwpp)

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As noted above, since the FPM report was produced, the Poole High School now opens its 4 badminton courts to community use during weekday evenings which will have some impact on the levels of unmet demand.

In Poole, there will be implications for provision of hallspace near to the regeneration areas either side of the Twin Sails Bridge. With around 1,850+ dwellings proposed for the area and a further 1,800 – 2,500 in and around town centre sites, much of the additional demand for hallspace in Poole will come from these areas. Opportunities will therefore need to be considered to maximise community accessibility (particularly casual use) to existing hallspace provision, for example, at Carter School (which currently takes block bookings) and co- ordinating with provision at facilities such as that recently opened up for community use at Poole High School, close to the proposed development sites east of Upton lake at Sterte. Another option to help accommodate demand arising from development could be to discuss options with the commercial provider now operating the climbing centre at the Dolphin Sports Centre in the town. It is understood that while there are currently no plans to re-open badminton courts, they could provide additional access in a central location if commercially viable.

Identifying potential demand from international students

Analysis so far in this assessment has been based on the resident populations of Bournemouth and Poole. Data does not normally take into account the impact of non-residents on sports provision. However, the impact that international students potentially have on provision and understanding their needs is important, particularly in Bournemouth where the majority of international colleges are located.

International students9 account for some estimated 45,000 - 50,000 additional people10 in Bournemouth and Poole over the period of a year with the peak time

9 International students do not include students who attend Bournemouth University, although some foreign language schools and colleges utilise University facilities during the summer.

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of foreign student attendance at international language colleges usually being over the summer months when the proportion of this total figure is likely to be substantial. There is little data to quantify how many students are present at the peak time over the summer, but estimates put figures at up to 9,000, while the lowest number off-peak in November and December is likely to be around 4,800 – 5,00011.

More work has been done to quantify the economic benefit of international students with English UK suggesting a value of almost £190m comes from 195,254 student weeks equivalent in 201112.

Discussion with international college representatives and leisure centre managers suggests that because of the transient nature of international students and the short time the majority spend in Bournemouth and Poole, much of their sporting activity is based around playing sports informally rather than in varsity style or club based competitive sport. International colleges do not tend to have their own facilities (and have little equipment) and are reliant mainly on using existing provision at leisure centres, club owned facilities, schools and the University for any tournament or team-based play. Parks are also used for some football matches when not being used formally by local clubs or teams. Organisation of such events is largely down to staff at colleges. Informal play is likely to be popular therefore, particularly over the summer months, in parks and open access facilities such as MUGAs and tennis courts. Sports which seem to be the most popular are handball, volleyball, football and basketball. Anecdotally, there is not enough provision for handball and volleyball in particular. We understand that there would probably be appetite from

University students are included in population projections (as they tend to stay for more than one year) and therefore estimations of demand from the resident population. 10 In 2013, it is understood that the number of accredited language schools is 24 with an estimated number of students across the last year being between 45,000 and 50,000. In 2009, the number of students was estimated to be 42,300 from 27 language schools in Bournemouth. There are very few language schools in Poole by comparison. These figures exclude the “mushroom schools” i.e. those Europe-based operators who bring over mainly young people, and set up "classes" in various places such as church halls etc. For these groups there are no recorded figures. 11 Figures estimated through discussion with the Chair of the International Education Forum and are based upon 24 colleges having an average of 350 students enrolled at peak. Some colleges have as many as 900 – 1,000, while some smaller colleges have fewer than 150. 12 See http://www.englishuk.com/uploads/assets/english_uk/Estimate_of_the_value_of_ELT_to_the_UKs _Towns.pdf

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international colleges to provide their own facilities (potentially in partnership with others) to meet demand.

Alongside informal play and use of existing bookable space, discussion with leisure centre managers has identified that Stokewood Leisure Centre (BHLive) in Bournemouth is probably the most used leisure centre by international students. In August 2013, of the 1,400 members of the centre, 70 (5%) were international students. At other BHLive leisure centres, around 2% of their members were international students, equating to around an additional 170 students (equating therefore to around 240 student members in total). If membership is at this level across Bournemouth leisure centres for each month in the peak period of June to September, falls across the rest of the year and some allowance is made for students who stay for longer than one month, members in a 12 month period could be between 2,000 and 2,800 student members in a 12 month period. The most popular activities have been identified as being (in order) the gym, swimming and classes. Most students join and pay student discounted prices on a month by month basis. A key issue identified by leisure centre management is that many international students do not know where or how to access leisure centre facilities and therefore better promotion of facilities would probably increase use.

Discussion with the management at The Junction Leisure Centre in Poole has identified approximately 200 international students becoming members of the facility in a 12 month period with the most popular activity being the gym and June to August inclusive seeing the greatest demand from international students. The Junction indicated that there is capacity to accommodate more students at its facility. Everyone Active, which operates the Council’s leisure centres in Poole do not have figures relating to international students.

Estimating demand

Using the estimated figures for the number of students at the peak and trough of the year, the Sport England sports calculator can be used to estimate the amount of hall space required for the population. Figure 29 identifies a range of requirements arising from population of international students at any one time.

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Using the total number of students over the whole year to understand demand would substantially over-count needs, as facilities need to cater only for the total number of students in the peak period.

The resultant figures for requirements for international students assume that facilities are available to the students during the whole week (over 80 hours of use). If facilities were brought forward on a shared basis, the requirements in terms of space would increase.

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Figure29: Estimated range of demand arising from international students at any one time

Estimated requirement generated by population for provision of: Range of estimated international students sports halls+ numbers at any one time* courts halls vpwpp

4,000 1.57 0.39 254 Lower end of numbers 5,000 1.96 0.49 317

8,000 3.13 0.78 508 Upper end of numbers 9,000 3.52 0.88 571

10,000 3.92 0.98 634 Growth potential numbers 11,000 4.31 1.08 698

Notes: ^ source: Sports Facility Calculator, Sport England, October 2013. The estimates assume a 50%/50% split of male and female students and that the majority of students will be between 16 and 24 years old. Although the calculations are based on use in the peak period, the process also assumes that the additional facilities are open for community use throughout the whole week (over 80 hours per week), including both peak and off peak periods. Planning to meet the demands of the new population using facilities which are not open for the whole week will need to make allowance for the reduced hours. For example, if a new development generated the need for a 4 court sports hall, which it is planned to be met by a dual use facility on a school site, community use may only be in after school hours, say 30 hours per week. This would obviously be significantly short of the 40 hours in the peak period, never mind the 80 hours of total community access needed. Figures assume no increase in participation rates. + sports halls are 4 badminton court halls * based on estimated potential minimum and maximum number of students at lowest and highest months of the year. The range also allows for additional potential demand in the future should numbers increase over the strategy period.

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The figures suggest that up to 3.52 badminton courts should be provided to accommodate international students, although a 4 court sports hall would allow for this demand and provide some headroom should demand grow from an increasing number of students in the peak period during the strategy’s lifetime to 2026.

Where possible, hall provision should be made within existing capacity if capacity can be unlocked at existing facilities as a result of the recommendations in the assessment for resident based demand for hallspace. If this cannot be achieved, consideration of new additional hallspace should be made. International colleges should discuss opportunities to bring forward facilities with the relevant Borough Council and schools / colleges / Academies to utilise existing opportunities to bring forward facilities and ensure that proposals tie in with the Sports Strategy.

In addition, opportunities for international students to use existing facilities should be better signposted. For example, Borough Councils and international colleges could work more closely to ensure that students know how and where to access facilities. SPOGO (https://spogo.co.uk/) or social media could be better utilised to raise awareness of facilities.

from students when they arrive and again when they leave over a 1 month period initially and combining this with annual collation of data on the number of students coming to Bournemouth and Poole, where they stay and the duration of their stay.

The Role of Schools, Colleges and Academies in Future Provision

Schools, colleges and Academies will play an increasingly important role to overall provision in Bournemouth and Poole during the strategy period. We understand that Academies and colleges are likely to be open to explore opportunities to open facilities outside of school hours to community use, where it is safe, accessible and convenient to do so.

With regards to facilities’ provision and use, it will be important for the education sector to engage fully with the local authorities to ensure that any proposals they have for increasing the quantity of provision or reducing existing community access is planned in alignment with or to help accommodate demand arising from the Sports Strategy.

Discussion with schools has highlighted that access to facilities can be an issue of concern to some schools, particularly to the primary tier where there is not always sufficient access to facilities on their school site. With this in mind, further work should be undertaken to establish access to nearby facilities available at Academies and colleges within a short walking distance, where these relationships do not already exist.

In Poole, in particular, shared leisure centre sites take up the majority of daytime use for sports facilities such as halls. The strategy for sports halls therefore seeks to unlock daytime community use at leisure centres.

Given all of these important factors, it is recommended that the local authorities and Active Dorset continue existing and pursue improved networking and communication with the education sector to enable the strategy to be delivered and to adapt as necessary if education sector

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proposals come forward which help to deliver or accommodate future demand for community use.

Delivering existing plans and programmes

The Literature and Strategic Review of plans and programmes currently operational in Bournemouth and Poole has identified the following projects which will need to be considered alongside recent evidence gathered on sports hall provision to help determine the strategic approach to fill gaps in provision in the period to 2026.

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Figure 30: Projects which relate to future strategic provision of halls in Bournemouth and Poole

Progress Does it Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway remain a Document Complete Sports Halls started / ongoing priority? *

As noted above, the extension Support improvements to YMCA’s Poole Leisure to The Junction’s sports hall enhancement of The Junction Sport Strategy, 2011- Yes could have a positive impact on and Leisure Centre 2015 absorbing some local unmet demand in Broadstone.

Closure of the facility Since the 2008 Sports Strategy has led to was published, the Dolphin Bournemouth loss of Sports Centre hall has closed. and Poole Sport Closure of Poole Sports Centre indoor Implications are noted above in and Recreation would restrict day-time community daytime the analysis and as a Built Facilities access to a sports hall. hallspace consequence of its closure there Strategy and and is a shortage of daytime Action Plan, 2008 rectifying community use of sports halls in this is a Poole priority

Bournemouth is under-supplied by Bournemouth New sports This under-provision has largely sports hall provision. and Poole Sport halls built as been met as indicated by the

Progress Does it Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway remain a Document Complete Sports Halls started / ongoing priority? * and Recreation part of FPM report, although there Built Facilities Building remains some unmet demand Strategy and Schools for across Bournemouth. Action Plan, 2008 the Future programme.

This partnership working is now Leisure Services will work closely more important than when with schools to identify sites where Bournemouth Currently originally identified in 2007 facilities, management costs and Green Space working Yes given the reasons outlined in the maintenance can be shared to Strategy 2007- with Winton report above and must continue maximise the benefit of park and 2011 & Glenmoor to be a priority in Bournemouth school sites. (and Poole).

Identified priorities (programmed year of improvement and H/M/L Developments set out in the (Bournemouth) 250m cycle priority) relevant to Sports masterplan for Slades Farm Slades Farm track Strategy: Yes remain a priority and nothing in Masterplan completed Develop 250m cycle track (2011 - the sports hall assessment 2012-2021 2011 H); repair and improve skate park suggests otherwise. (2012-14 - M); improve school pitch

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Progress Does it Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway remain a Document Complete Sports Halls started / ongoing priority? * drainage (2013 - H); refurbish tennis / netball courts at Glenmoor School (2014 - H); fitness trail in school or park (2014 – M); full size artificial turf pitch for rugby / football (2016 – M); new sports hall (2020 - M); new girls’ changing rooms (2015 - H); outdoor climbing wall (2014 – M); and, 1km cycling / training circuit (2015 - M).

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Conclusion

In conclusion, whilst sports halls will continue to get busier, opening a greater number of existing sports halls up for increased community use and increasing community use at those which already open their doors to the public where there is the opportunity to do so will help to ameliorate the impact of decreasing levels of comfort within the existing stock of sports halls. This, together with development of planned new facilities and extensions to existing halls may fill the levels of unmet demand in Bournemouth and Poole.

If levels of increased availability cannot be secured in existing sports halls to sufficiently impact on comfort levels at halls which are approaching or are over the 80% comfort capacity, there may be a case for additional hall space in Bournemouth and Poole in the medium to long-term if additional provision in the pipeline does not fill unmet demand sufficiently. This is particularly the case in areas of expected population growth where demand is likely to grow and outside or on the edge of local catchments of existing hall facilities.

A key issue that needs to be dealt with is the changing nature of provision and the role of leisure centres and the opportunities this can give them and schools. Leisure centres are becoming more ‘market facing’ and have to respond to market forces and the demand of users, with popular ‘dry’ facilities being the gym and exercise / fitness classes. This raises an issue for the use of hallspace, where less money is generated from the space than for these other popular activities. With demand for facilities growing, this is an issue particularly in Poole where all sports hall provision apart from The Junction are on shared use school / leisure centre sites. At the same time, as more schools and colleges obtain Academy status, they too are having to look at the world through a ‘market facing lens’ and many see the opportunity to use hallspace to generate an income. This is coupled with a willingness in some Academies, schools and colleges to develop a sports development and learning specialism focusing one or more sports. The strategy period presents a good opportunity to better align this direction of travel for both leisure centres and the education sector, through a programme of ‘strategic 90

repositioning’ of sports hall provision. Tying in with this position are the needs of gymnastics, where a need for additional capacity has been identified from communication with clubs.

Bournemouth and Poole

For Bournemouth and Poole, the key issues for the strategy are:

 Local authorities should work together on the strategy issues identified where they have a cross-boundary and conurbation-wide impact on provision.  Where lack of secured daytime use is an issue for schools, colleges and Academies, they, together with local authorities and Active Dorset (if necessary), should work with other education establishments with sports hall provision and leisure centres within a 0.5 walking distance to determine whether the capacity required and identified needs (for example if sport specific) can be accommodated, prior to considering options for new additional hallspace on a school site.  Local authorities should work with Dorset Badminton and other key partners to help identify an improved system to provide updated information on the availability of badminton courts for casual users. This could include working with Sport England and Badminton England to ensure that the spogo site (www.spogo.co.uk) is best utilised as an existing platform providing information on access to facilities, and extend to seeking to improve the management of badminton courts overall as a facility type.  Local authorities and Dorset Badminton should work with schools, colleges and Academies to seek to increase participation of young people in the sport.  The important contribution that small halls can play to the overall supply should be acknowledged and taken into account when planning for future provision and any additional capacity.

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Bournemouth

For Bournemouth, the key issues for the strategy are:

 Monitor the impact of known additional hallspace being planned for delivery during the strategy period on unmet demand at: LeAF Academy (9 court equivalent - 2013); and, extension to / new sports hall at Slades Farm (Winton Arts and Media College) (2020).  Work with schools, colleges and Academies to open up additional capacity where possible, particularly in relation to the specific needs of some sports (for example, badminton), unmet demand in central parts of the Borough and within catchments of the following facilities where use is at or beyond ‘comfortable’ levels at peak periods (and where there is no direct proposal to add capacity identified above): Bournemouth Collegiate School; Linwood School; Littledown Leisure Centre; Sir David English Leisure Centre; and, The Bourne Academy.  Respond to demand for gymnastics by either: working with clubs and schools, colleges and Academies to extend the clubs’ capacity by using other venues; and / or, developing a specialist gymnastics centre at an existing building (or buildings) flexible enough to convert for use (e.g. warehouse or other industrial unit if a unit with adequate parking can be found) for all clubs to use as a base; or, developing a new specialist gymnastics facility in conjunction with a school, college or Academy if there is interest, which Bournemouth clubs could use as a base. The latter two options would have the benefit of freeing up existing sports hall capacity for multi-sports community use at Harewood College (which already has a badminton centre) and at Littledown Leisure Centre (which is currently operating at 100% capacity). Freeing up capacity at Littledown would have the additional benefit for badminton providing more suitable capacity for the sport as a preferred location.  Discuss options for provision of 4 courts capacity with International Colleges so that the additional demand created by international students in Bournemouth can be accommodated. This could be formed from existing supply, for example, at schools, although any knock-on impact of

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removing capacity already secured for community (resident) use would need to be considered.

Poole

For Poole, the key issues for the strategy are:

 Monitor the impact of known additional hallspace being planned for delivery during the strategy period on unmet demand at the extension to The Junction Leisure Centre hall (2014/15) and of the impact of the 4 court hall recently opened up to community access at Poole High School;  Work with schools, colleges and Academies to open up additional capacity where possible, within catchments of the following facilities where use is at or beyond ‘comfortable’ levels (and where there is no direct proposal to add capacity identified above): Ashdown Leisure Centre; Rossmore Leisure Centre; and, St Edward’s School; and with Carter School to explore use for casual users (not solely block bookings) given the focus of allocated development in and around the Hamworthy area.  Add capacity for the daytime sports hall use at Rossmore Leisure Centre by developing a new sports hall at St Aldhelms Academy which can: be dedicated to Academy use during school times; supplement additional peak time capacity if necessary for clubs (thus allowing a more commercially driven focus in the Rossmore sports hall at peak times) should demand require it; and, allowing the Rossmore sports hall to be used solely for dedicated community use.  Continue to monitor the situation at the Dolphin Sports Centre following the re-opening of the facility, should the possibility of re-opening some badminton courts be an option, even though it would be on a commercial basis.  Respond to demand for gymnastics by either: extending OLGA further to satellite facilities at schools; or, expand existing facility (at Rossmore) if there is capacity on site, if physical impact on other existing facilities can be mitigated against and the funding can be secured to do so. Expansion would need to be considered alongside plans for a new sports hall for the Academy if both proceed. One could help to make the other viable.

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Swimming Pools

Defining Swimming Pools

The swimming pools which are featured in this assessment are those which feature in the Sport England Facilities Planning Model (FPM) which analyses existing and future provision and demand. The FPM:

 Includes all Operational Indoor Pools available for community use i.e. pay and play, membership, Sports Club/Community Association;  Excludes all pools not available for community use i.e. private use;  Excludes all outdoor pools i.e. Lidos;  Excludes all pools where the main pool is less than 20 meters or is less than 160 sqm; and,  Includes all ‘planned’, ‘under construction, and ‘temporarily closed’ facilities where identified.

For a facility to be considered as part of the assessment, it should also be generally available to the public (for ‘community use’), including those where membership of a club or organisation is a pre-requisite for access, provided that membership criteria are unrestrictive and the membership fees are not exorbitant. Facilities are considered where they are available to the community for all or part of the peak period of use.

Applying these criteria means that the assessment includes only those pools which have good community access and flexibility of use and provision for a range of swimming sporting / exercise use.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUANTITY AND CAPACITY

Quantity, Location and Size

Following the criteria identified above, there are 7 swimming pools in Bournemouth on 5 sites and 9 pools on 6 sites in Poole. Swimming pools not included in the list below which do not meet the criteria specified above are identified in the FPM Report on Swimming Pools (appended as a separate file). Figures 31 and 32 therefore show the location and size of swimming pools which fit this criteria and are therefore included in this analysis. The list includes school pools which fit the criteria. Analysis about accessibility later in this section considers the degree to which school pools are accessible to the community outside of dedicated use required for pupils and students.

Figure 31: Location and Size of Swimming Pools

Bournemouth Poole

Swimming Pool Size* Swimming Pool Size*

Bournemouth Canford School 25m x 8m (4) 25m x 13m (6) Collegiate School Sports Centre

Littledown Centre 25m x 17m (8) Dolphin Pool 25m x 13m (6)

Littledown Centre 17m x 7m (0) Dolphin Pool 13m x 6m (0)

Pelhams Park Leisure 20m x 8m (4) Dolphin Pool 12m x 6m (0) Centre

Pelhams Park Leisure Dolphin Pool (diving 8m x 6m (0) 12m x 12m (0) Centre pool)

Dorset Health and Stokewood Leisure 23m x 11m (6) Racquets Club 25m x 10m (2) Centre (Virgin Active)

Village Leisure Club 25m x 13m (0) DW Sports Fitness 20m x 9m (0)

Rossmore Leisure 25m x 14m (6) Centre

The Junction Sports 20m x 8m (4) and Leisure Centre

* Size of pool is given in metres and (lanes). Smaller pools tend to be teaching or learner pools.

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Figure 32: Mapped Location of Swimming Pools

Source: Borough of Poole

N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

Management and Ownership

Publicly accessible swimming pools in Bournemouth and Poole tend to be run either by a sports management organisation / company or by schools and colleges as highlighted below. Ownership of the main leisure centres remains with the Borough Councils.

Figure 32a: Management and Ownership

Bournemouth Poole

Ownership & Ownership & Swimming Pools Management Swimming Pools Management (where different) (where different)

Bournemouth Canford School School School Collegiate School Sports Centre

Borough of Poole & Bournemouth Sport & Leisure Littledown Centre Borough Council & Dolphin Pool Management Ltd. BH Live (Everyone Active)

Bournemouth Dorset Health and Pelhams Park Borough Council & Racquets Club Commercial Leisure Centre BH Live (Virgin Active)

Bournemouth Stokewood Leisure Borough Council & DW Sports Fitness Commercial Centre BH Live

Borough of Poole & Village Leisure Rossmore Leisure Sport & Leisure Commercial Club Centre Management Ltd. (Everyone Active)

The Junction Borough of Poole & Sports and Leisure YMCA Centre

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Supply – Demand Balance

A good starting point is the Sport England Sports Calculator, a useful online tool which provides a basic estimate of provision by applying the demographic make-up and size of a given population to facility types. It can do this for sports halls, swimming pools, artificial grass pitches and indoor bowls facilities. For Bournemouth and Poole, the calculator suggests the following swimming pools provision is appropriate for the resident population.

Figure 33: Sports Facilities Calculator Estimate of Demand for Space

Bournemouth Poole

Population in 2011 183,460 148,080

Space equivalent:

water space area (sqm) 1,910.9 1,522.39

25m lanes 35.97 28.66

or 4 lane pools 8.99 7.16

or visits per week in the 11,593 9,236 peak period (VPWPP)

Source: Sport Facilities Calculator, Sport England Notes: Population figures taken from 2011 census, ONS

Comparatively, the Sport England Facilities Planning Model also identifies the supply – demand balance of pools, producing the following figures.

In Bournemouth in 2012, there was a total of 1,534 sqm supply of water space, reducing to 1,133 sqm when examining availability during the peak period. In Poole, the figures are a total supply of 1,866 sqm of water space, adjusted to 1,331 sqm during the peak period only. The figures also take into

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account Sport England’s ‘comfort factor’13. Broadly speaking, this suggests that there is insufficient provision in Bournemouth during peak and non-peak times and insufficient provision in peak times in Poole.

Quantity, Demand and Capacity Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

Key issues about the quantity of pools and their capacity to accommodate swimmers, some relating to specific facilities, were raised through the audit and surveys, workshops and consultation meetings. Where available and relevant, user surveys have also been utilised. The main issues raised are summarised below, grouped by facility or issue.

Only key issues identified through consultation and the audit are highlighted below. Site or facility specific issues which are not likely to have a strategic or major impact upon provision for the facility type or sport as a whole are not included. These more localised, specific issues have been passed on to officers at the Borough of Poole, Bournemouth Borough Council and Active Dorset, and to relevant National Sports Governing Bodies, as they are, nonetheless, important to sports development and to individual clubs in terms of their development.

13 This is a figure beyond which use of a facility can get uncomfortable. A figure of 70% of total capacity is applied for pools, after which making best and most effective use of the facility can become difficult, for example, the closer to 100% capacity a figure is, the greater the implied use during off-peak times, and in practical terms, the demand may simply not be there. Figures beyond 70% also imply that the maximum use is being made of a pool. - 100 -

Figure 34: Quantity, Demand and Capacity Issues: Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Littledown Leisure Swimming As a club, Swim Bournemouth’s membership has grown to the point where it now has a Centre pool waiting list. Given capacity constraints at the pool it is unlikely that the club will be able to get more pool time at Littledown which is its ‘home’ facility. The club also utilises other pools - Canford Sports Centre, Ferndown Leisure Centre, Stokewood and Rossmore.

The number of facilities and access to pool time (capacity) have been identified as things which limit capacity of the club.

(Club survey)

Seeking additional pool time for a growing club which has a waiting list will be difficult given the current capacity issues identified (later in this section) at other pools.

Littledown Leisure Swimming Demand is such that it remains a challenge to balance members – classes – public – club use. Centre pool, (Interview with management) Stokewood Leisure Centre pool and Pelhams Park Leisure Centre

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Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

General Swimming The number of coaches and volunteers has been identified as a factor which limits capacity of Swim Bournemouth Swimming Club.

(Club survey)

General Swimming Membership of juniors and adults has increased at Swim Bournemouth in the last 2 years and there is a waiting list for junior members.

(Club survey)

General Swimming The number of teams competing in the Dorset league has increased in the last few years and there is capacity to have more teams in the league, although there are capacity issues at the pools, particularly when competition is competing against public use.

(League survey)

BH Live Leisure Multi Across Leisure Centre membership, there has been an increase in the last few years. Centres

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Figure 35: Quantity, Demand and Capacity Issues: Poole

Poole

Location / Sport Issue (and Source) Facility

Rossmore Leisure Swimming The number of facilities and access to pool time (capacity) have been identified as things which Centre limit capacity of the Poole Swimming Club.

(Club survey)

The position supports the findings of the Facilities Planning Model Pools Report about the lack of capacity in Bournemouth and Poole to accommodate demand.

SLM (Everyone Swimming Across Leisure Centre membership, there has been an increase in the last few years with an Active) Leisure increase of 300 additional swimming members in 2012/13 since previous 12 month period. Centres (Interview with management)

Dolphin Swimming Swimming There are concerns about the age and structural condition of the Dolphin Centre and therefore Pool potential cost in refurbishing and keeping open in the long term.

(Interview with management and position also raised by local authority officers)

Dolphin Swimming Swimming Comments made that the need to pay for parking has an impact on use of the Dolphin facilities. Pool (Interview with management)

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Poole

Location / Sport Issue (and Source) Facility

General Swimming The number of coaches and volunteers has been identified as a factor which limits capacity of Poole Swimming Club.

(Club survey)

General Swimming Membership of juniors has increased at Poole Swimming Club in the last 2 years and there is a waiting list for junior members.

(Club survey)

(League survey)

General Swimming Concerns raised about the impact of the change in the schooling system from First and Middle to Infant and Primary in Poole with fewer classes now being booked and a focus on Primary and not Infant classes. This also has an impact on the number of swimming teachers contracted by operators. (discussion with Leisure Centre managers)

While there may be concerns about the financial impact on pools, the FPM report on pools

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Poole

Location / Sport Issue (and Source) Facility suggests that demand will increase in the coming years and that there is already an unmet demand for poolspace. However, the FPM focuses on demand in the peak period and it is possible that daytime periods may see an increase in capacity being available if school classes continue to fall. Despite this, there may be opportunities for pool operators to fill poolspace in off-peak periods with other classes or pool activities to avoid financial concerns, particularly outside of school terms, although the challenge of filling facility space during off-peak periods is recognised.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: ACCESSIBILITY

Community Accessibility and Shared Sites

There are two school pools which fit into the criteria for the assessment where community use is available outside of school hours, Bournemouth Collegiate School and Canford School Sports Centre. The FPM report identifies that these two school pools are already operating at 100% capacity in peak period and so there is no opportunity to extend their use to the community.

Cross-boundary relationships

In reality, the use of sports facilities does not, of course, restrict itself to boundaries of local authorities, or even of built-up areas. The following maps reproduced from the FPM Report show the number of swimming pools within a 20 walk and 20 minute drive-time (at 30 mph) of pools in and near to Bournemouth and Poole.

What the maps show is that while residents in Bournemouth and Poole all have access to two pools within a 20 minute drive-time, if there is no access to a car, or to public transport, access is restricted across much of both Boroughs. This is a factor reflected on further in this report, where unmet demand and its causes are examined.

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Figure 36: Swimming Pools’ within a 20 minute drive-time of Residents (at 30 mph)

Source: Facilities Planning Model Swimming Pools Report, Sport England, 2013

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Figure 37: Swimming Pools’ within a 20 minute (1 mile) Walk of Residents

Source: Facilities Planning Model Swimming Pools Report, Sport England, 2013

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The neighbouring authority pools which are closest to the boundaries of the Bournemouth and Poole Boroughs and are therefore likely to have the most ‘pull’ for residents in the Boroughs seeking a pool which is easier to access from where they live are:

 In Poole – Virgin Active (East Dorset District), Stokewood Leisure Centre (Bournemouth) and Pelhams Park Leisure Centre (Bournemouth); and,  In Bournemouth – Two Riversmeet Leisure Centre (Christchurch Borough), Rossmore Leisure Centre (Poole) and DW Sports Fitness (Poole).

Figures from the FPM Report, reproduced in Figure 38 below, set out the levels of imported demand into Bournemouth and Poole from neighbouring local authority areas.

Figure 38: Imported Demand to Bournemouth and Poole in 2012 and 2026

Source: Facilities Planning Model Swimming Pools Report, Sport England, 2013

The most noticeable data is the level of imported demand into Poole from Bournemouth. In 2012 Poole absorbs 1,545 visits per week in the peak period (vpwpp) from users from Bournemouth, representing almost 15% of the total demand of 10,388 vpwpp experienced in Poole, rising to almost 16% by 2026. Demand from Poole residents using facilities in Poole represents around 72% of the total demand in 2012, remaining the same level by 2026. Comparatively, around 6% of Bournemouth’s imported demand for pool use is from residents of Poole in 2012, with a similar level by 2026. This therefore

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suggests that additional provision in the appropriate location in Bournemouth could relieve some pressure on use of pool space in Poole by Bournemouth retaining a greater number of its residents using pools.

Leaving Borough boundaries to one side, spatially, these figures reflect the geographic location, capacity and size of existing pools in both Boroughs and the proximity of varying densities of population to pools within walking and a 20 minute drive-time catchment (therefore good transport connections).

Local catchment areas of Swimming Pools in Bournemouth and Poole

14 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Bournemouth and Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion-on-local-authority- managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. - 110 -

The Facilities Planning Model uses national data to identify average broad catchments within which a facility could, theoretically, provide coverage or supply for a local population. This is typically a 20 minute drive-time catchment at 30 mph and, in our view, represents a maximum distance and time threshold. For the purposes of this analysis, the locally derived catchments provide a more likely scenario for most users of facilities and represent a more useful tool when seeking to identify spatial gaps in provision.

The catchment for pools in Bournemouth and Poole has been identified, from these sources, as being a 20 minute drive-time at 23 mph or a 20 minute walk if on foot. Whilst, in an ideal world scenario, a facility would be available within a short walking distance for all residents, this is not practically possible in viability terms. Figure 39 maps the impact of the locally derived drive- time catchment. The walking catchment is the same as that produced by the FPM model and reproduced above.

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Figure 39: Locally Derived Drive-time Catchment Areas for Swimming Pools

Source: Borough of Poole

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Cost of Using Facilities

Accessibility Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

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Figure 40: Accessibility Issues

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Littledown Leisure Swimming The cost of using the pool has been identified as ‘poor’. (Club survey) Centre Cost will often be identified as a potential barrier by users of facilities, although it can also be an indication of a restricted supply or capacity if the cost is consistently high across other facilities of the same type.

General Swimming As a ASA Swim 21 competitive development club, Swim Bournemouth is the performance hub for swimming in Dorset. It plans to improve links with the local community to increase participation to create a better sports development performance pathway for swimmers in the area. (Club survey)

This will be challenging with the existing levels of and limits to capacity at pools.

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Rossmore Leisure Swimming The cost of using the pool has been identified as ‘very poor’. (Club survey) Centre Cost will often be identified as a potential barrier by users of facilities, although it can also be an indication of a restricted supply or capacity if the cost is consistently high across other facilities of the same type.

Dolphin Leisure Centre Car parking is not free and can put people off from ‘pay and play’ use over other pools with free parking.

Rossmore Leisure Swimming Use of pools for competition can be restricted by the facilities they have to support Centre and Dolphin competition. For example, Rossmore has very limited seating which makes it impossible to Leisure Centre hold certain swimming events there (although management is very good). The Dolphin is good for weekend meets in terms of the pool but has no catering facilities or electronic timing (unlike Littledown in Bournemouth).

(League survey)

General Swimming Sports development pathways. A more appropriate pathway (transition) from SLM (Everyone Active) swimming lessons to Poole Swimming Club training could be developed to the benefit of swimming in the town. (Club survey)

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Creating an effective pathway could improve participation and be beneficial to both the club and operator. Having sufficient capacity at SLM (Everyone Active) pools could be a constraint on this happening.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUALITY

The key issues relating to the quality of facilities are summarised below.

The audit of facilities focused on non-commercial pools, as commercially operated pools are likely to ensure that their pool is in at least ‘adequate’ condition and more likely to maintain a pool’s quality as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ given that quality of the facility will be a key factor in ensuring that business is captured and members retained.

The audit did not raise any concerns regarding the quality of any of the pools inspected, a factor borne out by other data such as club survey responses.

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Figure 41: Quality Issues

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Littledown Leisure Swimming Littledown and Stokewood Leisure Centres are older buildings and so a focus in the coming Centre pool and years will be to maintain quality in that context. Stokewood Leisure (Interview with management) Centre pool

Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Rossmore Leisure Swimming The quality of the changing rooms has been identified as being ‘poor’. (Interview with Centre management)

Comparatively, the changing rooms have been identified in the audit as ‘good’.

Dolphin Pool Swimming There is a lack of cleanliness at the pool. (Youth club survey)

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING SHORTFALLS FROM EXISTING GAPS

Quantity, quality and accessibility standards of provision

Quantity

For quantity of facilities, using the catchment data as the basis, users should be able to access a swimming pool within a 20 minute driev-time of where they live. Sufficient provision should be made to ensure that pools operate at 70% capacity, meeting Sport England’s ‘comfort’ level. Where gaps in provision exist, a new pool should only be considered after options of increasing supply through other means (for example, increasing community access to dual / shared sites / facilities) have been exhausted, where a new facility is feasible and viable in terms of funding for its development and where a new facility is sustainable in the long-term in terms of running costs.

Accessibility

For those without access to a vehicle, facilities should be on a public transport route, at least during peak times of use and be safely and easily accessible by bicycle. All facilities should be Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant. Dedicated and secure car and bicycle parking should be available on or close to the facility site (a particular issue at shared facilities during the daytime). Sports halls should be accessible for ‘adequate daytime community use’, i.e. giving some availability for non-programmed use between 9am and 5pm. The minimum size acceptable for new pool provision should be based on pool size of at least 4x25m lanes, have adequate accommodation for competitors and

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spectators to stage local galas and events and be in line with the latest Sport England and NGB standards.

Quality

Provision of pools should be in at least ’adequate’ condition, where ‘adequate’ means adequately maintained, with no signs of neglect; sufficient changing accommodation for the facilities; well-lit for sport and recreation activities, as appropriate; at least adequate appearance; and, clean and adequately decorated.

Identifying shortfalls in existing provision

As identified above, there was a total of 1,534 sqm supply of water space, reducing to 1,133 sqm when examining availability during the peak period. In Poole, the figures are a total supply of 1,866 sqm of water space, adjusted to 1,331 sqm during the peak period only. The figures also take into account Sport England’s ‘comfort factor’15. Broadly speaking, this suggests that there is insufficient provision in Bournemouth during peak and non-peak times and insufficient provision in peak times in Poole.

The FPM suggests that in 2012, around 9.9% of total demand for pools from residents in Bournemouth was not being met, equating 1,181 visits per week in the peak period (vpwpp). This level of unmet demand equates to 194.7sqm of pool space, the equivalent of a single 4 lane x 25m pool. This represents a significant undersupply.

15 This is a figure beyond which use of a facility can get uncomfortable. A figure of 70% of total capacity is applied for pools, after which making best and most effective use of the facility can become difficult, for example, the closer to 100% capacity a figure is, the greater the implied use during off-peak times, and in practical terms, the demand may simply not be there. Figures beyond 70% also imply that the maximum use is being made of a pool. - 120 -

In Poole, 6.5% of demand from Poole residents was not being met in 2012, equating to 607 vpwpp. This level of unmet demand equates to 100.04sqm of pool space, the equivalent of just under 2 x 25m lanes.

In Bournemouth, 62.4% of the unmet demand is because people live outside of pool catchments and do not have access to a car, while 33.1% is due to lack of capacity at pools (the remaining proportion being those people who live outside of pool catchments but do have access to a car). Comparatively, in Poole, 75.5% of its unmet demand was due to people live outside of pool catchments and do not have access to a car, while 13.4% is due to lack of capacity at pools (again, with the remaining proportion being those people who live outside of pool catchments but do have access to a car).

Spatially, Figure 42 shows how unmet demand is focused in Bournemouth and Poole. The highest levels are in central Bournemouth (shown on the map as red shaded areas). By comparison, the levels of unmet demand in Poole are much lower. However, given the proximity of two of the facilities in Poole to the Bournemouth Borough boundary, it is likely that the undersupply of pool facilities and capacity in Bournemouth drives residents to use facilities in Poole. The impact of this is to increase pressure on pools in Poole, contributing significantly to facilities in Poole reaching capacity.

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Figure 42: Swimming Pools Unmet Demand in 2012

Source: Sport England, Facilities Planning Model Report 2013

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Figure 43 shows the aggregated unmet demand in number of pools across the Boroughs in 2012. Each square shows unmet demand within that square and in adjacent squares on the grid (aggregated figures for squares cannot be added together as it would result in duplication). The red shaded areas on the map are the locations where an additional facility would ‘pull’ the greatest level of demand. This suggests that central Bournemouth would be the most effective location in satisfying unmet demand.

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Figure 43: Swimming Pools Aggregated Unmet Demand 2012

Source: Sport England, Facilities Planning Model Report 2013

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Application of the locally derived catchment areas for swimming pools verify the findings of the FPM Report.

As outlined above, the FPM also identifies how ‘comfortable’ existing supply is against demand. In Bournemouth and Poole, all pools are operating at 100% capacity. Operation at 70% capacity is considered as a ‘comfortable’ level by Sport England. This confirms the existing need for additional poolspace in Bournemouth and Poole.

Outside of Bournemouth and Poole, the pool at Ferndown Leisure Centre in East Dorset is identified as operating at 73% capacity and the pool at the Virgin Active Club in East Dorset at 93%, both over ‘comfortable’ levels. Two Riversmeet in Christchurch Borough is operating at 100%.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Future Demand and Needs Identified by Key Stakeholders

Figure 44 shows the key issues identified by key stakeholders in relation to the future demands and needs of specific sports and / or facilities in Bournemouth and Poole. These tend to relate more to quantity (and therefore capacity) of provision and new or extended facilities, than they do to quality or accessibility.

Figure 44: Future Demands and Needs Identified by Key Stakeholders

Sport / Facility Bournemouth Poole Source

Swimming Membership of Membership of Club surveys the Swim the Poole Bournemouth Swimming Club is Swimming Club is expected to expected to increase in the increase in the future. future.

Potential additional supply for community use from Schools, Colleges and Academies in Future Provision

Of the schools, colleges and Academies sent a survey about their facilities, one school, Hamworthy Park Junior School in Poole, raised interest in opening up its pool to the community outside of dedicated times that the pool is used for its pupils. While the pool is small (approximately 10m x 4 lanes), it could help to absorb a little local unmet demand in the Hamworthy area.

Additional Provision ‘in the Pipeline’

At the time of drafting this report, we understand that an outline planning application for a 10m high swimming pool building (which it is understood - 126 -

could accommodate a 50m x 10 lane pool) at the LeAF Academy (former Oakmead College of Technology) in Duck Lane, Bournemouth has been given planning permission (planning application number 7-2013-2107-DR). Permission has been given in outline, which means that the principle of the proposal has been agreed, with details to be dealt with through ‘reserved matters’. The permission is valid for 3 years from the date of decision (18th September 2013) within which time the applicant must submit detailed ‘reserved matters’ for approval which need then to be implemented within a further 2 years.

While permission has been granted, at the time of drafting this report, it is not clear whether there is sufficient funding in place for it to be delivered and run, which remains a matter for the Academy to resolve. We acknowledge the possibility of the pool being developed at the site, but with no certainty as to if and when it will be delivered, nor to what degree it would be available for community use, it is not considered further. At the point when these issues are resolved, the picture of provision across Bournemouth and Poole should be revisited to ensure that the new pool and its impact on surrounding facilities is understood and a strategic plan to respond to necessary change is put in place.

Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Bournemouth and Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 45 shows.

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Figure 45: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area16

Bournemouth Sub-area

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 Total

2011 30,130 33,610 29,560 43,240 18,620 28,300 183,460

2026 31,230 36,440 32,080 46,410 20,120 31,230 197,510

Poole Sub-area

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

16 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 128 -

Figure 46: Housing Allocations in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

5,500 in appropriate locations across the 1,850+ at the regeneration area sites rest of the Borough fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

2,000 on Town Centre Area Action Plan 350–700 in the Town Centre North area sites

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Adopted Bournemouth Borough Core Strategy October 2012 and Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

Implications of growth

The Facilities Planning Model identifies the future demands and needs for swimming pools in Bournemouth and Poole. However, the figures used in order to estimate future population change were based on ONS figures available at the time that the ‘run’ was commissioned by Sport England. The ONS figures are significantly different to the bespoke projections done by Bournemouth Borough Council for this study and over-estimate growth projected by the local, more recent, projections substantially. Therefore, the projected needs identified by the FPM need to be considered in that context. However, as a first step, it is worth setting out the conclusion of the FPM modelling.

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The Facilities Planning Model identifies that, in Bournemouth in 2026, there will be a supply of 1,133.2 sqm pool space when figures are scaled to account for the number of hours courts are available for community use. This compares to a demand for 2,226.7 sqm (taking into account a ‘comfort’ factor of use of pools at 70% capacity), leaving a supply–demand balance of (or deficit of) -1,093.6 sqm. In Poole, the supply in 2026 will be 1,331 sqm of pool space with a demand for 1,749.6 sqm, leaving a supply – demand balance of (or deficit of) -418.6 sqm. These figures represent purely supply – demand balance without factoring other indicators.

Therefore when demand is factored in to calculations, the FPM report goes on to suggest that in 2026, around 11.4% of total demand for pools in Bournemouth from residents will not be met (equating to 252.97 sqm)17. In Poole, the figure is 7.6%, equating to 132.93 sqm of unmet demand by 2026. For both Boroughs, this is due either to people living outside of catchment areas of halls or who do not have access to a car. Lack of capacity accounts for 42% this unmet demand in Bournemouth and almost 25% in Poole, the remaining proportions in each Borough being attributed to the people living outside a catchment of a pool. As Figure 47 shows, this unmet demand is focused in a number of ‘hotspots’ with central Bournemouth being the area of greatest unmet demand and significant levels registering in Kinson in Bournemouth, a cross-boundary area covering Branksome Park and Westbourne and in the Hamworthy / Turlin Moor area of Poole.

17 The figure is less than the 6.8% projected for 2012 because the additional new provision to be provide at Bishop of Winchester School is factored into the available supply for 2026. - 130 -

Figure 47: Swimming Pools Unmet Demand in 2026

Source: Sport England, Facilities Planning Model Report 2013

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Figure 48 shows unmet demand when levels within each km square in the map above is aggregated with the levels in adjacent km squares. This picture of aggregated unmet demand suggests that the greatest area of unmet demand is in central Bournemouth, although there are still significant areas of unmet demand, highlighted by orange squares, across much of the rest of Bournemouth and eastern parts of Poole.

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Figure 48: Swimming Pools Aggregated Unmet Demand 2026

Source: Sport England, Facilities Planning Model Report 2013

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The FPM Report suggests that the increases in population and where that will be likely to take place will mean additional annual throughput in Bournemouth most likely being felt at the Village Leisure Club pool rather than other pools and in Poole, the focus of additional throughput will be at the Dolphin pool, Dorset Health and Racquets Club (Virgin Active) and DW Sports Fitness.

As outlined above, the FPM also identifies how ‘comfortable’ existing supply is against demand. In Bournemouth and Poole, with ‘comfort’ levels already being breached at existing pools (all pools are operating at 100% capacity, with 70% capacity being the recommended ‘comfort’ level), this will continue to be the case into the future if additional provision is not made.

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Figure 49: Bournemouth Swimming Pools Projected Unmet Demand

Bournemouth Unmet Demand (sqm of pool space) 300 B Population at 2026 A (local authority 250 Population estimate) at 2012 C 200 Population at 2026 (ONS / FPM estimate) 150

100

0 180000 185000 190000 195000 200000 205000 210000 215000 Population

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Figure 50: Poole Swimming Pools Projected Unmet Demand

Poole Unmet Demand (sqm of pool space) 160 B Population at 2026 140 A (local authority Population estimate) 120 at 2012 C Population 100 at 2026 (ONS / FPM 80 estimate) Theoretical range of unmet demand 60 at 2026

0 145,000 150000 155000 160000 165000 170000 175000 Population

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The graphs suggest that a range of between 220 sqm and 252.97 sqm of pool space will be needed by 2026 in Bournemouth (equating to between 5 and 6 x 25m lanes) and between 115 sqm and 132.9 sqm in Poole (equating to around 3 x 25m lanes). In practice, this means that additional provision of a 6 – 8 lane pool in Bournemouth (6 lanes would meet the unmet demand and 8 would provide some surplus capacity for the period beyond 2026) and a 4 lane pool in Poole by 2026.

Identifying potential demand from international students

International students18 account for some estimated 45,000 - 50,000 additional people19 in Bournemouth and Poole over the period of a year with the peak time of foreign student attendance at international language colleges usually being over the summer months when the proportion of this total figure is likely to be substantial. There is little data to quantify how many students are present at the peak time over the summer, but estimates put figures at up to 9,000, while the lowest number off-peak in November and December is likely to be around 4,800 – 5,00020.

18 International students do not include students who attend Bournemouth University, although some foreign language schools and colleges utilise University facilities during the summer. University students are included in population projections (as they tend to stay for more than one year) and therefore estimations of demand from the resident population. 19 In 2013, it is understood that the number of accredited language schools is 24 with an estimated number of students across the last year being between 45,000 and 50,000. In 2009, the number of students was estimated to be 42,300 from 27 language schools in Bournemouth. There are very few language schools in Poole by comparison. These figures exclude the “mushroom schools” i.e. those Europe-based operators who bring over mainly young people, and set up "classes" in various places such as church halls etc. For these groups there are no recorded figures. 20 Figures estimated through discussion with the Chair of the International Education Forum and are based upon 24 colleges having an average of 350 students enrolled at peak. Some colleges have as many as 900 – 1,000, while some smaller colleges have fewer than 150.

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More work has been done to quantify the economic benefit of international students with English UK suggesting a value of almost £190m comes from 195,254 student weeks equivalent in 201121.

21 See http://www.englishuk.com/uploads/assets/english_uk/Estimate_of_the_value_of_ELT_to_the_UKs_Towns.pdf

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members in a 12 month period. The most popular activities have been identified as being (in order) the gym, swimming and classes. Most students join and pay student discounted prices on a month by month basis. A key issue identified by leisure centre management is that many international students do not know where or how to access leisure centre facilities and therefore better promotion of facilities would probably increase use.

Estimating demand

Using the estimated figures for the number of students at the peak and trough of the year, the Sport England sports calculator can be used to estimate the amount of pool space required for the population. Figure 51 identifies a range of requirements arising from population of international students at any one time. Using the total number of students over the whole year to understand demand would substantially over-count needs, as facilities need to cater only for the total number of students in the peak period.

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Figure 51: Estimated range of demand arising from international students at any one time

Estimated requirement generated by population for provision Range of estimated international students numbers at of swimming pools# any one time* sqm lanes pools

4,000 48.62 0.92 0.23 Lower end of numbers 5,000 60.77 1.14 0.29

8,000 97.23 1.83 0.46 Upper end of numbers 9,000 109.38 2.06 0.51

10,000 121.54 2.29 0.57 Growth potential numbers 11,000 133.69 2.52 0.63

Notes: ^ source: Sports Facility Calculator, Sport England, October 2013. The estimates assume a 50%/50% split of male and female students and that the majority of students will be between 16 and 24 years old. Although the calculations are based on use in the peak period, the process also assumes that the additional facilities are open for community use throughout the whole week (over 80 hours per week), including both peak and off peak periods. Planning to meet the demands of the new population using facilities which are not open for the whole week will need to make allowance for the reduced hours. For example, if a new development generated the need for a 4 court sports hall, which it is planned to be met by a dual use facility on a school site, community use may only be in after school hours, say 30 hours per week. This would obviously be significantly short of the 40 hours in the peak period, never mind the 80 hours of total community access needed. Figures assume no increase in participation rates. # pools are 25m x 4 lane pools * based on estimated potential minimum and maximum number of students at lowest and highest months of the year. The range also allows for additional potential demand in the future should numbers increase over the strategy period.

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The figures suggest that demand will create an additional need for up to 2.06 lanes or half a 25m x 4 lane pool, with a potential further 0.46 of a lane should numbers in the peak grow to 11,000 in the peak period during the lifetime of the strategy.

The majority of demand for these facilities is most likely to arise in Bournemouth, particularly near to the larger colleges, but there could be some impact on facility provision and needs in eastern parts of the Borough of Poole. Facility provision should be considered within a one mile or 20 minute walk catchment of the largest 5 colleges: which are ETC International College, Kings, Anglo Continental, Southbourne School of English and Kaplan International College. However, given the requirement is for part of a four lane pool, it is logical and practical to consider the addition of lanes to the existing identified requirement for pools space in Bournemouth, should funding from partners be secured. Alternatively, provision could be discussed with other partners, for example schools, colleges and Academies and could be provided from existing supply (as long as this does not compromise existing community access).

Opportunities for international students to use existing facilities should be better signposted. For example, Borough Councils and international colleges could work more closely to ensure that students know how and where to access facilities. SPOGO (https://spogo.co.uk/) or social media could be better utilised to raise awareness of facilities.

In order to get an accurate picture of demand, monitoring should be introduced with the international colleges and Borough Councils working together to understand the levels of use of facilities and latent demand generated by students. This would involve getting a sample of responses from students when they arrive and again when they leave over a 1 month period initially and combining this with annual collation of data on the number of students coming to Bournemouth and Poole, where they stay and the duration of their stay.

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Delivering existing plans and programmes

The Literature and Strategic Review of plans and programmes currently operational in Bournemouth and Poole has identified the following projects which will need to be considered alongside recent evidence gathered on pool provision to help determine the strategic approach to fill gaps in provision in the period to 2026.

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Figure 52: Projects which relate to future strategic provision of pools in Bournemouth and Poole

Progress Does it Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway remain a Document Complete Swimming Pools started / ongoing priority? *

Bournemouth The analysis supports provision of Infrastructure a new pool in a central location in Town centre swimming pool Delivery and Bournemouth, if a viable site can Implementation, be identified (see next row). 2011

Redevelopment of Bath Road South Temp. The location of the site makes it Bournemouth (timescale 2017-2021) for leisure, events suitable to help address shortfalls Town Centre culture and entertainment. Imax space Yes in pool provision in central Area Action Plan, cinema demolished and temporary built and Bournemouth in the period to 2013 events space being built. in use. 2026.

Support improvements to YMCA’s Poole Leisure The enhancements will ensure enhancement of The Junction Sport Strategy, 2011- Yes that the facility is maintained as a and Leisure Centre 2015 good quality pool.

While not featuring as part of the Poole Leisure Support improvements to Lodge Hill assessment of future pool Strategy, 2011- Yes Swimming Pool provision due to its small size 2015 (12m x 8m), the pool should

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Progress Does it Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway remain a Document Complete Swimming Pools started / ongoing priority? * remain a priority for Poole as it is a highly accessible learner facility for children with disabilities.

Note: * determined through discussion with officers from Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole in June and July 2013.

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Conclusion

A range of between 220 sqm and 252.97 sqm of pool space will be needed by 2026 in Bournemouth (equating to between 5 and 6 x 25m lanes) and between 115 sqm and 132.9 sqm in Poole (equating to around 3 x 25m lanes). In practice, this means that additional provision of a 6 – 8 lane pool in Bournemouth (6 lanes would meet the unmet demand and 8 would provide some surplus capacity for the period beyond 2026) and a 4 lane pool in Poole by 2026.

In addition, international colleges may wish to discuss the demand arising from international students, which would need to be provided as additional capacity to the amount of poolspace generated by residents. International students’ demand for poolspace is the equivalent of 2 x 25m lanes, most of which will arise in Bournemouth.

There are already considerable existing pressures on swimming pools in both Bournemouth and Poole with all pools operating above ‘comfortable’ capacity. While unmet demand is lower in Poole than Bournemouth, there remains a need for additional provision in Poole into the future given population growth, particularly with a focus on 40% of housing allocations being delivered on the regeneration sites and in and around the town centre. Bournemouth’s need is greater than that of Poole’s, reflected in the balance of trade or import of users into Poole from Bournemouth.

Addressing the higher levels of unmet demand in Bournemouth will serve to relieve some of the demand pressure on pools in Poole if a new facility is located in the right location to serve central and western areas of the Borough. Moving forward, a phased approach during the strategy period to additional provision, seeking to deliver solutions as a priority in Bournemouth would allow the impact of this additional provision on unmet demand in Poole to be measured prior to delivering additional provision in Poole.

If new additional pools are developed, consideration should be given to delivering leisure pool provision alongside if commercially viable to do so.

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While this assessment does not include consideration of smaller pools in the overall supply, they play an important role in provision (particularly for younger swimmers and teaching) which should continue to be supported.

Bournemouth

For Bournemouth, the key issue for the strategy to respond to is:

 Additional new provision, preferably in a central part of the town, to alleviate existing pressure on pools and provide capacity for community and club use for both the existing and future population of the Borough.

Poole

For Poole, the key issues that the strategy needs to respond to are:

 Continuing to support the important role of The Junction pool in provision in the Borough;  Additional new provision to meet the identified existing and future unmet demand in the Borough;  Structural issues with the building at the Dolphin Pool. Closure of the pool would leave Poole with a very significant shortfall in provision and have a detrimental impact on capacity for both Boroughs. A redeveloped pool with additional capacity could be a solution to existing structural concerns and the need for additional waterspace. The following options present themselves for consideration:

i) maintaining the pool in the short to medium-term with eventual closure during the strategy period with replacement either on the existing site or on a new site (linked to or on a regeneration site either side of the twin sails bridge). Funds from redevelopment of the existing site could be used to deliver a new facility. The re-positioning of the pool to a new site could also help to achieve additional ‘dry’ facilities such as a fitness studio / exercise hall and gym identified by Everyone Active

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management as a demand in central Poole and an AGP (see pitches assessment).

ii) retaining the existing Dolphin pool if funding for improvements can be found. However, retaining the existing capacity on the site would still leave a need for additional provision elsewhere in the Borough during the strategy period to 2026 should the additional provision necessary in Bournemouth be delivered in a central location but not alleviate unmet demand in Poole to the degree required to meet shortfalls in existing and future demand.

Bournemouth and Poole

For Bournemouth and Poole, the key issues are:

 To ensure that the quantity, quality and accessibility standards are maintained at existing and additional new facilities;  To ensure that provision of additional pool space is well-co-ordinated across Bournemouth and Poole, is delivered in a managed, phased way to monitor the impact of new provision in Bournemouth on Poole’s levels of unmet demand and is financially viable in the long-term; and,  To ensure that supply does not outstrip demand and that new planned provision takes full account of private operator and Academy proposals for new pool space where those proposals have been demonstrated as being viable (and therefore deliverable) and their impact on community and club provision has been quantified.

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Indoor and Outdoor Bowls

Defining Indoor and Outdoor Bowls

The assessment for indoor and outdoor bowls has only been undertaken for the Borough of Poole. Bournemouth Borough Council has an up-to-date understanding of the picture of supply and demand and needs of indoor and outdoor bowls and have asked the consultant team not to do any analysis of the position. However, surveys were sent to bowls clubs in Bournemouth and the responses have been passed to officers at Bournemouth Borough Council to help verify the information they have about quality, quantity and accessibility of facilities.

For a bowls facility to be considered as part of the assessment, it should be generally available to the public (for ‘community use’), including those where membership of a club or organisation is a pre-requisite for access, provided that membership criteria are unrestrictive and the membership fees are not exorbitant.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUANTITY AND CAPACITY

Quantity, Location and Size

Following the criteria identified above, there is 1 indoor facility with 11 rinks and 5 outdoor bowling greens with 30 rinks in Poole. Figures 53 and 54 show the location and number of rinks at bowls facilities in Poole.

Figure 53: Location and Size of Bowling Facilities

Poole

Indoor No. of Outdoor No. of No. of Facility / Club facilities rinks sites greens rinks

Dolphin Indoor Bowls  11 Centre

Branksome Bowls Club  1 6

Alexandra Park Bowls  1 6 Club

Poole Park Bowls Club  2 12

Broadstone Wessex  1 6 Bowls Club

Total 1 11 4 5 30

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Figure 54: Mapped Location of Indoor and Outdoor Bowls Facilities in Borough of Poole

Source: Borough of Poole

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N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

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Management and Ownership

The Dolphin Indoor Bowling Centre has a lease for the ground it is situated on and the building is owned and run by the Centre / club. Outdoor bowling greens are leased to clubs by the local authority with external repairs to the pavilions being undertaken by the Borough of Poole, apart from at Poole Park. Outdoor clubs receive grants for grounds maintenance which are currently subject to reduction in a three year step (5%, 7% and 10%).

The assessment which follows is set out, in some sections for indoor and outdoor bowls separately. This is because there are slightly different sources of data and information which can be brought together to understand the picture of supply and demand for each.

Indoor Bowls Supply – Demand Balance

Understanding the current balance between supply and demand will help to establish whether there is an existing surplus or deficit of provision in Poole for the size of its population.

For indoor bowls facilities, a good starting point is the Sport England Sports Calculator, a useful online tool which provides a basic estimate of provision by applying the demographic make-up and size of a given population to facility types. It can do this for sports halls, swimming pools, artificial grass pitches and indoor bowls facilities, although it only provides part of the picture of demand for an area, taking into account only the physical requirements of a given population within the area in question (albeit in alignment with the area’s population age profile) and not taking into account catchments, spatial distribution, participation rates and other factors which influence demand. For Poole, the calculator suggests the following indoor bowling provision is appropriate for the resident population.

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Figure 55: Sports Facilities Calculator Estimate of Demand for Space

Poole

Population in 2011 148,080

Space equivalent:

rinks 11.06

centres 1.84

visits per week in the peak period 1,726

Source: Sport Facilities Calculator, Sport England, 2013 Notes: Population figures taken from 2011 census, ONS

The number of indoor rinks generated by the population within the Borough (11) fits with the current supply. The England Indoor Bowling Association has commented that there is sufficient supply for the demand in Poole.

From discussion with the managers of the indoor centre, it is understood that the current supply meets demand from the facility’s catchment (which extends beyond the boundaries of Poole Borough – see below).

Indoor Bowls Demand, Capacity and Membership Profile

Indoor bowls is typically played by greater numbers of people in older age groups than younger age groups, although the split between younger and older age groups is less pronounced that that for outdoor bowls, with approximately 60% of members at the indoor facility being 60+ and 40% being younger than 60. The club has around 1,000 members, 95% of which are playing, with the remainder joining for social reasons.

Discussion has also suggested that there is a little spare capacity at the club with a threshold assumed of 100 – 120 members per rink, giving a capacity of 1,100 - 1,320 members.

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The club has a range of age groups playing including around 20 junior members with sessions on a Saturday morning and Friday afternoon.

In terms of trends in membership, the indoor facility has recently seen an increase in members joining during the summer months, some of whom have moved from outdoor bowls to indoor bowls due to the flexibility it gives in wet and very hot conditions (each rink is air-conditioned and guarantees play whatever the weather). 5 years ago the facility rarely opened during the summer months, whereas now it opens every day for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. It is also understood that older members, on the whole, can find bowling on the artificial surface indoors easier as the surface s consistent and does not change with weather conditions.

Outdoor Bowls Supply – Demand Balance

There is no facility calculator or other readily available data for comparing supply and demand for outdoor bowls provision in Poole to help determine appropriate levels of provision. This is partially because of the seasonal nature of outdoor bowls. Therefore, a picture needs to be built up from survey responses received from clubs (all clubs in Poole returned a survey), from other evidence and from information provided by local authority officers and the NGB, in this case the England Bowls Association.

Outdoor Bowls Demand, Capacity and Membership Profile

Responses from club surveys indicate varying levels of membership at the clubs as shown in Figure 56 below. All clubs have very few junior member, Broadstone Wessex indicating the highest number (3) and most clubs identifying the most members are in older age groups with only Alexandra Park club highlighting just over a fifth of their membership being between the ages of 25 and 50, although that only amounts to 7 in number. All clubs have recorded decreasing numbers of members in recent years and currently have no waiting list, suggesting that they are not operating at maximum capacity. Only Branksome Park Bowling Club suggests that the quantity of facilities limits their capacity, although this is in relation to the pavilion rather than

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number of greens. It is understood, however, that additional green space would make play more comfortable and easier to manage.

Figure 56: Number of members per Green at Outdoor Bowls Clubs

Poole

Members Bowling Facility / Club Green Rinks Members per Green

Branksome Bowls Club 1 6 149 149

Alexandra Park Bowls Club 1 6 31 31

Poole Park Bowls Club 2 12 100 50

Broadstone Wessex Bowls 1 6 135 135 Club

There is no formal ratio of the number of club members required to make an outdoor green or number of rinks viable, or operate within a comfort zone of adequate levels of provision. However, numbers from other clubs outside of Poole seem to suggest that a figure of 150 – 180 is the point at which two greens need to be utilised to ensure comfortable provision, although it largely depends on the number of teams competing and quality of the green itself (and how many matches it can accommodate without the surface deteriorating). It is noticeable that the Alexandra Bowls Club only has 31 members and uses a single green and that Branksome Park Bowls Club which is only has 149 members and a single green. As can be seen from the catchment map later in this section, the clubs are only 1 mile away from each other by road and share a walking distance catchment.

To get a good understanding of levels of demand for outdoor bowls in Poole, Applying membership levels indicated in surveys against known population within the 50+ age groups gives the following estimation of demand. The figures presented below can then be projected forward when looking at future likely needs for changes in provision. While many clubs would like to encourage younger age groups to play bowls and some across the country

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successfully do this, it is widely acknowledged that for most clubs, the majority of their membership will continue to come from older age groups (and in particular 60 – 75 age group). The number of members from younger age groups will be negligible as a percentage of total population and so are not factored in to the calculation.

Figure 57: Estimated demand for outdoor bowls

2011 Poole

Estimated number of Estimated proportion of Age Population members at outdoor members of total Group bowls clubs population (%)

50+ 58,488 372 0.67%

Notes: for those outdoor clubs which did not return a survey, numbers of members of the club have been estimated based on an average of other clubs’ capacity in terms of numbers of members per rinks

Bowls (Combined Indoor and Outdoor) Data

Market segmentation data can be used to help map participation rates and therefore give an idea about demand. Although the data shows levels of participation in bowls as a whole and not for individual indoor or outdoor participation, it is useful to understand where people playing bowls live in Poole. It is noticeable that the ‘hotspot’ (shaded dark blue) for bowls participation of residents is directly to the east of and neighbouring Branksome Park.

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Figure 58: Percentage of Population Participating in Bowls

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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The market segmentation data also suggests that there is some demand from people wanting to play bowls but who cannot.

Figure 59: Combined Indoor and Outdoor Bowls: People who want to participate in bowls

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Frank Twilight Year Gents:

Retired men with some pension provision and 65 22 limited sporting opportunities

Elsie & Retirement Home Singles: Arnold Retired singles or widowers, predominantly female, 57 19.3 living in sheltered accommodation

Roger & Early Retirement Couples: 54 18.3 Joy Free-time couples nearing the end of their careers

Ralph & Comfortable Retired Couples: Phyllis Retired couples, enjoying active and comfortable 50 16.9 lifestyles

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males:

Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 18 6.1 children and more time for themselves

Terry Local ‘Old Boys’:

Generally inactive older men, low income and little 12 4.1 provision for retirement

Elaine Empty Nest Career Ladies:

Mid-life professionals who have more time for 10 3.4 themselves since their children left home

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites:

Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, play- 6 2 hard’ attitude

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Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Kev Pub League Team Mates:

Blokes who enjoy pub league games and watching 6 2 live sport

Brenda Older Working Women: 5 1.7 Middle aged ladies, working to make ends meet

Tim Settling Down Males:

Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 4 1.4 settling down with partner

Norma Later Life Ladies:

Older ladies, recently retired, with a basic income 4 1.4 to enjoy their lifestyles

Jackie Middle England Mums: 2 0.7 Mums juggling work, family and finance

Helena Career-Focussed Females:

Single professional women, enjoying life in the fast 2 0.7 lane

Total 295 100

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

However, the tool does not give explanations as to why there is this latent demand. It is likely to do with the ability to get to a bowls club, affordability of membership or competing interests and activities meaning that paying a membership fee does not make the number of times the facility would be used a viable option. The latent demand will certainly not be due to lack of capacity at clubs, given the position at the indoor bowls facility, the downward trend in membership at outdoor clubs as a whole and evidence which suggests that no clubs have a waiting list. What it does suggest, however, is that there may be opportunities to grow membership of clubs if the factors which contribute to inability to use a club can be overcome.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: ACCESSIBILITY

Indoor and Outdoor Bowls Catchment Areas

 Club and league surveys;  Population density;  Proximity of one facility to another, similar, facility;  Discussion with officers from local authorities;  Experience from undertaking similar work elsewhere in the country; and,  Travel times by car established through Department for Transport and the South East Dorset Multi-Modal Transport Study data on average speeds22.

The catchment provides an average or likely distance travelled by most members of bowls clubs. The catchments do not suggest the distance travelled by teams visiting for matches, where the distance travelled will depend on the area that the league covers and the location of the visiting team within that area.

From work done on previous sports strategies, experience suggests that the catchment area of an indoor facility is wider than that of outdoor greens. This is due to the seasonal nature of bowling, with outdoor bowls played in lighter months (generally April to September) by largely local members and indoor

22 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion- on-local-authority-managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. - 160 -

bowling facilities often attracting users from areas outside of a natural local catchment where there is no indoor facility. An indoor facility provides flexibility, being accessible during all types of weather and is often supported by a greater range of social and ancillary facilities such as bars and restaurants / cafes. There are also usually fewer indoor facilities than outdoor facilities leading to a wider catchment.

Taking this and the above sources on-board, the catchment for indoor bowls facilities has been identified, from these sources, as being a 20 minute drive- time at between 23 mph and 30 mph (peak and off-peak average journey times) or a 1 mile / 20-25 minute walk if on foot. Figure 60 maps the impact of these catchments on accessibility to a bowling facility.

There are only a few other indoor bowls facilities in south east Dorset, with a facility at Bournemouth, Dorchester and at the Dorset Bowling Resort in Bere Regis.

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Figure 60: Indoor Bowls Facilities Catchments

Source: Borough of Poole

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Figure 61: Outdoor Bowls Facilities Catchments

Source: Borough of Poole

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N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

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Cost of Indoor Facilities

During discussion, the cost of using facilities has not been raised as an issue and demand suggests that it is not prohibitive to most people currently using facilities. However, cost can be an issue for those not currently accessing facilities and may be a prohibitive factor in increasing use in areas of Poole where there are socio-economic issues illustrated through the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Cost of Outdoor Facilities

The costs of running outdoor facilities are closely linked to the subsidy that the local authority is able to provide. In recent years, with local government cutbacks, this has meant a scaling back of grant support for outdoor bowls clubs which has put clubs under varying degrees of pressure, depending on their membership number.

With increasing pressure on local authorities to cut budgets further, it seems likely that grant funding to organisations and clubs such as outdoor bowls clubs will be put under further pressure and clubs will need to continue to look to new ways of resourcing and funding management and maintenance of facilities and greens. Viability of clubs could therefore be an issue now and in the future, particularly if membership levels continue to fall as has been the case in recent years.

More and more sports clubs are having to consider options where reliance upon grant funding and other subsidy is reduced, making clubs more community business focused and maximising the assets they have to a wider group of people to bring in additional income. This is also likely to be the case in the coming years for outdoor bowls clubs. This issue is also going to make the need to generate increased membership, which all outdoor clubs have expressed a desire to achieve, all the more important at a time when, despite an ageing population, numbers have been falling as older people stay more active for longer across a wider range of outdoor activities and sports. Falling

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numbers of members will put pressure on the value for money achieved from local authority grants per head.

While there is no formal level of membership identified at which a club ceases to become viable, it is worth identifying a ‘number of members per green’ which signals a need for discussion to take place about ways in which a club’s future can be secured. Anecdotal, benchmarking and club survey information would suggest that a level of around 30 – 70 members per green could trigger discussion with a club (and perhaps with the wider bowling community in the area as a whole) about securing the future of a club. Conversely, numbers of 150+ per green may indicate that levels are reaching the maximum ‘comfortable’ level of players per green.

Potential options of how to deal with this position are outlined later in the assessment.

Indoor Bowls Accessibility Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

No concerns were raised during discussion or through the audit about accessibility to the indoor facility in Poole.

Outdoor Bowls Accessibility Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

The key issues relating to accessibility identified through discussion with key stakeholders and are not identified above are:

 Alexandra Park Bowls Club has identified that parking is a concern with on- road parking causing difficulties for members and residents when games are played. The club has also identified steep paths causing difficulties for some members accessing the green. The club has also identified a need for overhanging trees to be removed.  Branksome Park Bowls Club has identified that the approach road and parking facility need to be tarmacked to improve accessibility.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUALITY

Indoor Bowling Quality Issues

The overall quality of the indoor Dolphin facility has been identified by managers and the audit as very good, although both identified a need for the changing rooms to be refurbished given that they are almost 30 years old.

Outdoor Bowling Quality Issues

The key issues relating to quality identified through discussion with key stakeholders and are not identified above are:

 The audit has identified that there were signs of vandalism at the Alexandra Park Bowls Club.  The club survey has identified that the quality of the clubhouse at Branksome Park Bowls Club and its facilities are ‘very poor’.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING SHORTFALLS FROM EXISTING GAPS

Quantity, quality and accessibility guidelines

Indoor Bowling

Quantity

11 indoor bowls rinks should be provided to serve the population in Poole. Most Borough of Poole residents should be able to access indoor bowls provision within a 20 minute journey by road. Provision should be compliant with the minimum sizes for rinks set out by Sport England.

Accessibility

Indoor bowls facilities should be in at least ’good’ condition23.

Quality

Indoor bowls facilities should have good access, DDA compliance and ‘adequate daytime community use’ during winter months24.

23.‘Good condition’ is defined as: well decorated; well maintained, with no signs of neglect; reasonable number of changing accommodation for available facilities; well lit for sport and recreation activities, as appropriate; well equipped, as appropriate; effective storage space; segregated changing and shower areas, as appropriate; and, segregated, lockable changing areas, as appropriate. 24 ‘Adequate day-time community use is defined as, “some availability for non- programmed use between 9am and 5pm, plus dedicated parking for day-time users”. 168

Outdoor Bowling

Quantity

Based upon the number of members likely to be needed to ensure that greens (and therefore clubs) are viable, around 4 to 5 (6 rink) outdoor greens should be provided to serve the population in Poole. Most Borough of Poole residents should be able to access outdoor bowls provision within a 10 minute journey by road. Provision should be compliant with the minimum sizes for rinks and greens set out by Sport England.

Accessibility

Outdoor bowls facilities should have good access, DDA compliance and ‘adequate daytime community use’ during summer months25.

Quality

Outdoor bowls facilities should be in at least ’good’ condition26.

Identifying shortfalls in existing provision for indoor bowls

Comparing existing provision to the standards set out above, there are no shortfalls in existing provision for indoor bowls in terms of quantity, quality or accessibility.

Identifying shortfalls in existing provision for outdoor bowls

There are no quantitative shortfalls in provision in Poole. Most residents are within the drive-time catchment of an outdoor green and club and there is

25 ‘Adequate day-time community use’ is defined as, “some availability for non- programmed use between 9am and 5pm, plus dedicated parking for day-time users”. 26.‘Good condition’ is defined as: well decorated; well maintained, with no signs of neglect; reasonable number of changing accommodation for available facilities; well lit for sport and recreation activities, as appropriate; well equipped, as appropriate; effective storage space; segregated changing and shower areas, as appropriate; and, segregated, lockable changing areas, as appropriate. - 169 -

currently insufficient demand to generate the need for additional rinks or greens.

In terms of accessibility, some improvements are needed to meet suggested standards at Alexandra Park Bowls Club where club surveys have suggested that access is ‘very poor’ with steep paths being an issue and parking is ‘very poor’ with reliance on on-street parking.

In terms of quality of provision, the clubhouse at Branksome Park Bowls Club has been identified by the club survey as being ‘very poor’ and would need attention to meet a ‘good’ standard. The audit has identified signs of vandalism at Alexandra Park Bowls Club facilities which would need addressing to improve quality of provision.

Where shortfalls are identified, possible solutions to meeting those shortfalls will need to be considered as part of the ‘bigger picture’ of overall provision for outdoor bowls in Poole, outlined later in the assessment.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Indoor Bowling Future Demand and Needs Identified by Key Stakeholders

With future demand identified by management of the indoor centre as likely to be remaining steady into the future, and not likely to grow, no additional capacity was identified by those providing facilities. However, there is capacity on the site of the indoor centre should there be a business case to expand during the strategy period.

Outdoor Bowling Future Demand and Needs Identified by Key Stakeholders

The key issues identified by key stakeholders in relation to the future demands and needs of outdoor bowls in Poole are identified below (together with their source). These tend to relate more to quantity (and therefore capacity) of provision and new or extended facilities, than they do to quality or accessibility.

 Branksome Park Bowls Club has identified a need to extend the pavilion to improve facilities to help retain and attract new (particularly younger) members. (Club survey)  The Dolphin Indoor Centre has in the past considered developing outdoor greens at its site but currently has no plans to provide outdoor greens at the moment. (Discussion with management)

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Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 63 shows.

Figure 63: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area27

Sub-area Poole P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

These projections take into account allocated housing growth in the period to 2026. In addition to knowing how population might change during the plan period to help identify the implications for facilities, understanding where development is likely to happen and therefore where much of the population increase is likely to occur is important in order to understand where change might be needed. The adopted plans for the Borough identifies around 10,000 dwellings to be provided in Poole between 2006 and 2026 in the following places.

Figure 64: Housing Allocations in Poole

Poole

1,850+ at the regeneration area sites fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

350–700 in the Town Centre North area

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

27 Sub-areas contain the following wards: P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 172 -

Of particular importance to drawing the strategy together for facilities will be the area specific quanta of development identified above. Knowing that there will be a focus for development on the regeneration sites and in the town centre north area in Poole will help to identify where the impact of growth is most likely to be felt. However, while we know the distribution of the scale of development in broad terms we cannot anticipate with any accuracy (at this stage) which age groups are likely to fill which sites as development type, price range and target market are not known.

Analysing the population projections for Poole, it is clear that the national trend of an ageing population is also true for Poole. Figure 65 sets out the degree of increase in each age group over 50 for the years 2011 to 2026.

Figure 65: Growth in Population in 50+ age groups in Poole to 2026

80,000

70,000 90+ 60,000 85-89

50,000 80-84 75-79 40,000 70-74 30,000 65-69 60-64 20,000 55-59 10,000 50-54

0 2011 2016 2021 2026

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

There should, therefore, on first glance be plenty of demand for bowls (indoor and outdoor) in the future. Clearly, an increasing ageing population across the Borough could have an impact on demand in the future and should be monitored over time to assess the degree to which the figures outlined above

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change and to what degree they fit with the situation “on the ground”. However, there is anecdotal evidence and data from the Sport England market segmentation model which suggests that future growth is not assured on the basis that people in older age groups are staying more fit and active for longer, meaning that past trends of retirees getting involved in bowling is changing with people leaving it later, until they are approaching or in their 70s before getting involved, if at all. There is also a greater influence now than in the past from other accessible leisure activities.

Implications of growth for outdoor bowls

Despite the analysis above, a basic assessment of the potential growth for outdoor bowls is possible by projecting forward current levels of membership at outdoor bowls clubs in Poole compared to the population. Figure 66 below shows this potential growth based on 0% growth in participation levels.

Figure 66: Estimated change in membership levels for outdoor bowls in Poole 2011-2026

2011

Estimated Estimated Anticipated number of proportion of change in Age Population members at members of numbers at 0% Group outdoor bowls total population growth in clubs (%) participation rate

50+ 58,488 372 0.67% -

2026

50+ 75,440 - 0.67% 480

Source: 2011 population figures taken from 2011 census, ONS. 2026 population figures – projections taken from Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

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These figures suggest potential growth of 108 members in the period to 2026. Given the analysis above, this is perhaps an optimistic level. However, should 108 additional members get involved in outdoor bowls in Poole, it is suggested that there is sufficient headroom in capacity at existing clubs to accommodate this level of demand, particularly at clubs where the use of greens is below 70 members per green (Alexandra Park and Poole Park Bowls Clubs). They do not suggest a need for additional greens or rinks.

Implications of growth for indoor bowls

The implications of growth on indoor bowls can be crudely estimated using the Sport England Sports Facilities Calculator. Figure 67 shows the implications of population growth on provision of indoor bowls facilities within Poole (not taking into account demand imported from outside of the Borough boundary).

Figure 67: Sports Facilities Calculator Estimate of Demand for Space

Poole

2011 2026

Population 148,080 158,870

Space equivalent:

rinks 11.06 11.87

centres 1.84 1.98

visits per week in the peak 1,726 1,852 period

Source: Sport Facilities Calculator, Sport England, 2013 – for space equivalent figures. 2011 Population figures - 2011 census, ONS. Projections - Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

Comparatively, Sport England design guidance for indoor bowling facilities (published in 2005) suggests the following average ratios of members per facility. The number fits reasonably well with that suggested by the indoor bowls facility management, of 100 – 120 members per rink.

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Figure 68: Sport England Design Guidance recommended number of members for indoor bowls facilities

Source: Sport England Indoor Bowls Design Guidance (2005), p.3, http://www.sportengland.org/media/32384/Indoor-bowls.pdf

This would suggest a demand for between 9.3 and 11.3 rinks for the estimated total population in 2026, the upper end of which fits with the calculations emerging from the Sports Calculator.

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Conclusion

From assessment of existing provision and future likely demand, there are no additional requirements proposed for indoor or outdoor bowls in Poole.

Demand for outdoor bowls seems likely to continue at current levels or decrease, while demand for indoor bowls seems likely to remain steady or grow slightly, but without a need for additional rinks. However, the position of outdoor bowls will need to be monitored to ensure that provision fits demand suitably and clubs remain viable against a back-drop of likely continuing reductions to grant from the local authority to support them. Rationalisation is an option which needs to be considered.

An additional indoor rink may need to be provided in the future (probably through extending provision at the existing indoor bowls centre) but this should only happen if there is a business case to do so. There will certainly not be enough demand to support a new standalone indoor facility, where 4 or more rinks are likely to be needed to ensure viability.

Across indoor and outdoor bowls (although particularly for outdoor bowls) there is a need to better understand why people who would like to access a club or facility cannot do so to help identify measures which could be introduced to enable these people to access bowls and therefore increase membership.

Poole

The key issues that the strategy needs to respond to are for outdoor bowls and are as follows:

 Clubs which have 30-70 members per 6 rink bowling green should be closely monitored and discussion should take place between the Borough of Poole and the club to ensure that the viability of the club into the future can be secured or that the members can continue to access a green to play, should the club become unviable to run. Clubs which fall into this

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category may need to consider, with the local authority, one or more of the following options in order to remain viable into the future:  Positive promotion of a club to generate additional members and help fill spare capacity (for example, diversifying the game to open up use of facilities and the green by families – e.g. through ‘target’ bowls);  Using community asset transfer or community trust models to ensure the viability of a green and therefore club if willing members of the club can commit time to making it happen;  Securing sponsorship or other support from local business;  ‘buddying up’ with bowls clubs elsewhere in the country which have faced similar problems and have overcome them;  Merging or partnering with another club;  Using the pavilion for other activities. If space allows, the pavilion could be sub-let or hired out for other events and activities (if clauses within a lease allow or the lease can be amended to allow alternative uses);  Using the green as a space for alternative activities. Greens not used fully during the season have been hired out as a space for wedding marquees for example. Concerns about the impact of a marquee on a green can now be overcome.  A strategic solution may need to be explored to tackle issues around viability of the clubs which fall into the above category. This would need to involve consideration of options by the outdoor bowls clubs as a whole across Poole, with the local authority, and could include one or more options such as:  All or a proportion of grants to individual bowls clubs being pooled to help achieve economies of scale around maintenance costs and other common issues;  Clubs with a more buoyant membership supporting a club with a lower number of members (for example, in kind, funding / resource, fundraising, etc.);  Sharing equipment and maintenance costs between clubs / greens;  If upfront capital investment can be found, develop an artificial bowling green on one of the existing greens to enable guaranteed playing during the season (for example to overcome potential waterlogged

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greens) and to achieve long-term maintenance savings. If this option is developed, a sinking fund would need to be established to ensure that replacement of the surface at the end of its life is secured. An all- weather green may also help to prevent loss of members during and after wet seasons to other activities or indoor facilities (if this is deemed as unacceptable by the bowling community).  For clubs with membership of 150 or more per green, consideration may need to be given to utilising under-used greens to avoid usage levels becoming unmanageable or ‘uncomfortable’ levels. Provision of additional new greens are unlikely to be viable when at least one green is currently underused and there is minimal projected growth in the sport.

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Netball

Defining Netball

The assessment for netball courts has focused on outdoor courts used for competitive play by leagues. More limited analysis has been done on outdoor courts used for club practice and training; and, outdoor courts used informally / socially by teams and casual users.

Analysis is complicated by netball often being played on shared or multi-sport courts (for example, multi-use games areas and courts marked out for tennis) as well as on indoor multi-sport courts in sports halls. However, as a ‘rule of thumb’ courts identified in this assessment are those with dedicated markings for netball only or courts with markings for netball and one other sport. Courts marked with netball and two other sports tend to have been considered and assessed as multi-use games areas.

Indoor provision is particularly important in the winter months for practice and training. However, these are included within the assessment of sports halls and not within this section.

For an outdoor netball court to be considered as part of the assessment, it should be generally available to the public (for ‘community use’), including those where membership of a club or organisation is a pre-requisite for access, provided that membership criteria are unrestrictive and the membership fees are not exorbitant.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUANTITY AND CAPACITY

Quantity and Location

Following the criteria identified above, there are 14 outdoor netball courts in Bournemouth and 30 courts in Poole. Figures 69 and 70 show the location and number of courts and whether or not they have floodlighting.

All of these venues have at least 1 indoor court, which if available during adverse weather conditions, can provide a suitable alternative for teams to use, if it is accessible. Halls are considered as part of the assessment on sports halls and any comments regarding the condition or size of halls in relation to netball requirements are contained within the sports hall assessment.

Not all outdoor courts have the recommended ‘run-off’ for competitive play.

Figure 69: Location and number of outdoor netball courts with community access

Poole

Location No. of courts Floodlit

Corfe Hills School 3 No

Canford School 6 Yes

Parkstone Grammar School 5 No

Ashdown Leisure Centre 3 Yes

Rossmore Leisure Centre 4 Yes

Poole High School 7 No

Carter School 4 No

Canford School Sports Centre 4 No

Total 36 13

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Bournemouth

Location No. of courts Floodlit

Bournemouth Collegiate Preparatory School 2 No

Bournemouth Collegiate Senior School 3 No

Talbot Heath School 5 No

Sir David English Leisure Centre* 8 Yes

Avonbourne / Harewood College 9 No

LeAF Academy 2 No

Winton Arts and Media College 2 No

Total 31 8

Notes: * used by the Bournemouth Netball League as its venue to host all league matches. The Poole League uses the Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre in Wimborne, which is outside of the Borough of Poole.

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Figure 70: Mapped Location of Outdoor Netball Courts with Community Access

N.B. Map and key to be added by Borough of Poole / Bournemouth Borough Council. At the time of issue of this report, no map was made available to the consultants.

Source: Borough of Poole

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184

Management and Ownership

Outdoor netball courts are all hired by clubs or leagues from facility operators or owners which are either schools, colleges and Academies or Leisure Centres.

Supply – Demand Balance

Understanding the current balance between supply and demand will help to establish whether there is an existing surplus or deficit of provision in Bournemouth and Poole for the size of its population. There is no readily available method or calculator to provide an estimate of appropriate supply to meet demand of a given population for outdoor netball courts. Therefore, a combination of the understanding of indoor provision which serves a number of sports (assessed in the sports hall section of this report) and drawing on information gathered direct from key stakeholders such as clubs and England Netball for use of outdoor courts is key to estimating whether or not provision is appropriate for Bournemouth and Poole at the current time.

The key position to get to will be to have a good idea of the direction of travel in which netball is moving in the area – i.e. is it growing in participation, falling or remaining steady and are current facilities sufficient for the indicative demand? From this position, a strategy can be developed to respond to potential changes to demand in the future.

Competitive play and courts

Competitive league play is focused on two sites. The Bournemouth League uses the Sir David English Leisure Centre in Bournemouth as its base, playing all league games there. The Poole League currently uses the Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre in Wimborne outside of the Borough of Poole in the same way. The last Sports Strategy identified a desire expressed by England Netball (NGB) for a netball centre to be provided for the Poole League at a location within Poole. We are also aware that the Borough of Poole has been approached about development of a 4 court netball centre.

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As noted above, there is a plentiful supply of courts in terms of the number spread across the area, particularly in Poole where schools and leisure centres can host practice or training, albeit on courts which can be used for other sports such as tennis. However, many of these courts do not have the appropriate dimensions (particularly run-off space around the court) for competitive play as determined by England Netball nor have the number of courts required to hold several matches during an evening. Many of these facilities do not have floodlighting either, making winter league games impossible to play there. These courts, however, play an important role in provision as teams will usually use these courts for practice and training and then play matches at the league ‘centres’.

Clubs and teams

There are 4 formal clubs in Bournemouth and Poole. These are based at Sir David English Leisure Centre in Bournemouth (8 courts and home to Bournemouth Netball Club and Bournemouth University Netball Club), Talbot Heath School (4 courts and home to Poole Netball Club, although just within Bournemouth Borough boundary) and Canford School (4 courts and home to Canford Junior Netball Club). These are generally the preferred locations for clubs as they provide a combination of good quality and appropriately priced facilities for the needs of the clubs. These clubs field several teams which play in the Poole and Bournemouth leagues.

Outside of the formal club set-up, there are many more teams which get together on a more informal basis. Including the teams fielded by formal clubs, there are around 100 teams in total in Bournemouth and around 30 in Poole. Non-club informal teams may practice and train at indoor and outdoor courts across Bournemouth and Poole identified above although many fewer informal teams train than club based teams, most preferring just to play league matches. In Bournemouth, the ‘home’ of the Bournemouth Netball Association League is the Sir David English Leisure Centre, due to the substantial investment by the Association of £40K to provide a Netball Centre (courts/toilets/changing facilities/administration-workforce education room)

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plus investment by England Netball and Sport England, Dorset Playing Fields Association and the Foundation for Sport & Arts. The home of the Poole Netball Association League is outside of the Borough of Poole at the Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre in Wimborne. The leagues tend to prefer outdoor courts due to the lower cost, comparatively, to indoor courts.

Membership Profile

The formal clubs’ membership levels are a good indicator of demand and growth in interest in netball. Canford Junior Netball Club (with around 77% of members in the 11-14 age range) has seen membership levels increase in the last 2 years and currently have around 50 members. There is no waiting list and they do not intend to increase membership beyond this number. The Bournemouth University Netball Club has seen an increase in membership in the last 2 years and would like to see growth in numbers in the future. The Poole Netball Club has seen growth in membership in the last 2 years in both junior and adult members and currently has around 65 junior members and 30 adult members. They plan to increase these numbers in the future and there is a waiting list for junior members to join. While Bournemouth Netball Club did not respond to the club survey, it is understood that the position with membership there is similar to others where membership has been increasing slightly.

Capacity

The capacity of the Bournemouth League is 100 teams and the summer and winter leagues both reach or get near to that capacity. Provision at Sir David English Leisure Centre is appropriate for the league’s needs (8 courts), however, the impact of 2 courts being unusable in the Winter due to moss forming, has resulted in a disruption to the League's scheduled programme and a threat to future capacity. A successful ‘Back to Netball’ scheme (run by Bournemouth Netball Club) could introduce the equivalent of 2 new teams to the league every year which could stretch capacity at the centre. The ‘Back to Netball’ scheme has recently had to move venues to St Peter’s School because of its success and need for less busy courts. There are concerns that the loss

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of the ancillary space at the leisure centre is the start of possible further encroachment of other sports on netball provision at what is, effectively, considered as the ‘home of Bournemouth netball’.

The Poole league currently uses 4 out of the 5 available courts at the Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre in Wimborne (outside the Borough of Poole) which suggests that there is capacity within the league to grow should demand increase for competitive play for the league in that location. There are currently 29 teams in the league, with capacity using 4 courts for 32. The league has suggested that it could run on additional evenings and increase team numbers. Capacity is therefore not seen as a problem at its current venue and these comments also suggest that there would be sufficient interest from players (some who already play in other leagues on other evenings) to do so.

Clubs already have satellite sessions at school venues (for example at Talbot Heath and Canford Schools, although preference would always be to host all netball (games and training) at a single venue if possible. This is particularly important for league games where it is important to keep the limited number of umpires and personnel running leagues on one site rather than splitting people between two sites. This is important to think about when considering future provision if growth gets to the point where capacity at league venues becomes a problem.

The courts at Sir David English Leisure Centre are also used by the East Dorset Netball Association as well as the Bournemouth Netball Association. Consequently, between Monday and Thursday weekday evenings all courts are used to capacity and Sundays are used for junior leagues in the summer. On Friday evenings there is some spare capacity.

From survey responses received from clubs, Bournemouth University Netball Club has indicated that the quantity of available courts at Sir David English Leisure Centre limits their capacity to grow. Similarly, Poole Netball Club (based within Bournemouth Borough at Talbot Heath School) has indicated

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that the quantity available courts limits their capacity to grow, although they like the facility.

We understand, from discussion about provision in Poole, that while many schools (which are not on dual-use with leisure centre sites) have netball courts, they will often not open up the facility to community use in evenings and weekends, constraining opportunities to play or train. This is often due to the cost of having to open-up school sites and buildings outside of school hours. We understand from dialogue with schools, colleges and Academies, that this is more of an issue for Primary (and old Middle) schools than it is for Secondary or colleges where they are more prepared to open facilities if possible.

Overall demand

Demand has remained steady in the Bournemouth and Poole leagues for a long period of years, with incremental growth in recent years particularly in the number of junior teams. Indications are that demand is growing with more informal teams forming for play in the leagues as well as an increase in informal play amongst friends outside of leagues. The England Netball ‘Back to Netball’ scheme is also encouraging increasing numbers of players returning to play netball and sessions are hosted at the Sir David English Leisure Centre in Bournemouth.

The relative share of demand for adult league games in Bournemouth and Poole may partially reflect the locations at which games are played. The smaller number of teams in the Poole league probably reflects its location relative to the population it is trying to serve. It seems likely that teams and players may be more inclined to enter the Bournemouth league if they live in southern and eastern areas of Poole as, either in perception or reality, it will be easier (in terms of time travelled) to get to the Sir David English Leisure Centre to play than travel north to the other side of Wimborne to play in the Poole league.

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Market segmentation data can be used to help understand participation rates and demand. The number of people that the tool identifies who are resident in Bournemouth and play netball is 586 and in Poole the figure is 452. Figures 71 and 72 shows the figures for demand from different segments of population in Bournemouth and Poole (the top 7 segments are shown). When mapped, the demand is evenly spread across the areas with no ‘hotspots’.

Figure 71: People who currently participate in netball in Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums and their 176 30 supportive college mates

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image-conscious 110 18.8 females keeping fit and trim

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional 90 15.4 women, enjoying life in the fast lane

Alison Stay at Home Mums: Mums with a comfortable, 59 10.1 but busy, lifestyle

Jackie Middle England Mums: Mums juggling work, family 51 8.7 and finance

Elaine Empty Nest Career Ladies: Mid-life professionals who have more time for themselves since their 29 4.9 children left home

Paula Stretched Single Mums: Single mums with financial pressures, childcare issues and little time 21 3.6 for pleasure Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 72: People who currently participate in netball in Poole

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image-conscious 100 22.1 females keeping fit and trim

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums and their 70 15.5 supportive college mates

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional 67 14.8 women, enjoying life in the fast lane

Alison Stay at Home Mums: Mums with a comfortable, 67 14.8 but busy, lifestyle

Jackie Middle England Mums: Mums juggling work, family 58 12.8 and finance

Elaine Empty Nest Career Ladies: Mid-life professionals who have more time for themselves since their 25 5.5 children left home

Paula Stretched Single Mums: Single mums with financial pressures, childcare issues and little time 18 4 for pleasure

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

Taking the league capacity figures identified above into account together with the figures from the segmentation tool, we can get an understanding of the make-up of demand for competitive play from Bournemouth and Poole and likely demand imported.

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Figure 73: Comparing resident and league demand

No. of players Approx. No. of players equivalent no. of identified by Import / teams (7 – 9 per segmentation export in team) tool (resident balance league in Borough) Lower Upper

Bournemouth 96 672 900 586 +86 to +314

Poole 29 203 270 452 -249 to -182

Bournemouth and Poole 125 875 1,170 1,038 -163 to +132 combined

Notes: The Poole league play at a venue outside of the Borough in Wimborne. The number of players per team may ‘double count to a degree as some players will play for more than one team and sometimes in different leagues.

These figures suggest that the Bournemouth league imports a significant number of players to its league who are not resident in Bournemouth while more residents of Poole play outside of the Poole league than play in it with between 182 and 249 players resident in Poole playing outside of the Poole league (and possibly more if it is assumed that some players playing in the league will be resident in East Dorset in and around Wimborne). The figures probably reflect the geographic position of the where the leagues play games. As the Poole League plays in Wimborne, this could explain why the Bournemouth league imports so many players as the venue for its matches will be closer for some Poole residents than the Poole league in Wimborne.

Market segmentation data also suggests that there is some demand from people wanting to play netball but who cannot. In Bournemouth the number is 527, while the number in Poole is 397. The figures for the segments which show the highest levels of latent demand are shown below. The figures

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suggest that the greatest demand is from the same types of people who already play netball.

Figure 74: People who want to participate in netball in Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums and their 169 32.1 supportive college mates

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image-conscious 104 19.7 females keeping fit and trim

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional 68 12.9 women, enjoying life in the fast lane

Jackie Middle England Mums: Mums juggling work, family 48 9.1 and finance

Alison Stay at Home Mums: Mums with a comfortable, 42 8 but busy, lifestyle

Paula Stretched Single Mums: Single mums with financial pressures, childcare issues and little time 31 5.9 for pleasure

Elaine Empty Nest Career Ladies: Mid-life professionals who have more time for themselves since their 26 4.9 children left home

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 75: People who want to participate in netball in Poole

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image-conscious 94 23.7 females keeping fit and trim

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums and their 67 16.9 supportive college mates

Jackie Middle England Mums: Mums juggling work, family 55 13.9 and finance

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional 51 12.8 women, enjoying life in the fast lane

Alison Stay at Home Mums: Mums with a comfortable, 48 12.1 but busy, lifestyle

Paula Stretched Single Mums: Single mums with financial pressures, childcare issues and little time 27 5.5 for pleasure

Elaine Empty Nest Career Ladies: Mid-life professionals who have more time for themselves since their 22 5.5 children left home

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

This latent demand, when mapped, is evenly spread across Bournemouth and Poole with no identifiable ‘hotspots’. The figures suggest a significant latent demand and therefore additional teams which could play if issues surrounding why people do not or cannot access netball can be identified and overcome. Some of the demand may be absorbed by those only wishing to play socially, although it is understood that most netball play is built around participation in leagues. With the informal nature of how many teams are run and play, with a lack of formal club teams in both Bournemouth and Poole, it will often be down to a few key individuals to organise people to play and most people will not have the time to both organise teams and play. The availability of the types of people most likely to play will also have an impact on the number of teams actually likely to form with some people who would like to play not - 194 -

being able to do so regularly due to other commitments. On the basis of 7 - 9 players being used for each team, the figures suggest that between 58 and 75 additional teams could be formed from 527 residents wanting to play in Bournemouth and between 44 and 56 in Poole from 397 residents wanting to play. Although, in reality, the number of teams is likely to be much less than this for the above reasons, the figures do raise issues around capacity (of the Bournemouth league in particular) but also around accessibility (for example some of those wishing to play who are resident in Poole may not be able to find the time to travel up to play in the league in Wimborne, particularly if they live in southern and eastern parts of the Borough).

The two junior leagues serving Bournemouth and Poole are run at Sir David English Leisure Centre (a summer league) where there are 24 club teams across U11, U12, U13, U14 and U16 age groups, and at Talbot Heath School where the winter league currently hosts 28 club teams across U10, U11, U12, U13, U14 and U16 age groups. Demand is understood to be growing in junior league netball.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: ACCESSIBILITY

Community Accessibility and Shared Sites

For netball courts, as identified in the list of halls above, an important part of supply across Bournemouth and Poole for informal play and training is that provided by schools, colleges and Academies, most of which supplies informal use by teams, and with Talbot Heath School providing the base for Poole Netball Club and Canford School providing the base for the Canford Junior Netball Club. Other schools could play an increased role if they have capacity and can open courts if when unmet demand is there.

Of those schools, colleges and Academies which do not currently open facilities to the public outside of dedicated time required for pupils and students, the following have expressed interest in opening up netball courts to the community when they can in the future. This helps to build the picture of additional potential supply from existing facilities.

 Broadstone Middle School, Poole (up to 4 courts); and,  Hamworthy Junior School, Poole (up to 3 courts).

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Catchment Areas

The catchment provides an average or likely distance travelled by most members of netball clubs. The catchments do not suggest the distance travelled by teams visiting for matches, where the distance travelled will depend on the area that the league covers and the location of the visiting team within that area.

Taking this and the above sources on-board, the catchment for netball courts has been identified, from these sources, as being a 20 minute drive-time at 23mph or a 1 mile / 20 minute walk if on foot. Figure 76 maps the impact of these catchments on accessibility to netball courts.

28 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion- on-local-authority-managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. - 197 -

It is understood that some players play netball in two or three leagues: in Bournemouth, Poole (at Wimborne) and Ringwood in Hampshire. Dedicated players who want to play the sport frequently are therefore prepared to travel significant distances to play competitively.

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Figure 76: Outdoor Netball Court Catchments

N.B. Map and key to be added by Borough of Poole / Bournemouth Borough Council. At the time of issue of this report, no map was made available to the consultants.

Source: Borough of Poole

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Cross-boundary relationships

In reality, the use of sports facilities does not, of course, restrict itself to boundaries of local authorities, or even of built-up areas. The following map shows the outdoor courts within a 20 minute drive (at 30 mph) of Bournemouth and Poole’s administrative boundaries.

The most notable facility is the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre in Wimborne which is the host venue for the Poole Netball Association League. The facility has 6 netball courts and is approximately 2 miles from the Borough of Poole boundary. Further analysis of the location of Poole league’s games is given later in this assessment.

Cost of Courts

During discussion, the cost of using facilities has not generally been raised as being prohibitive to participation. The level of demand also suggests that it is not prohibitive to most people currently using facilities. However, cost can be an issue for those not currently accessing facilities and may be a prohibitive factor in increasing use in areas of Poole where there are socio-economic issues illustrated through the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Cost is an issue, however, which influences the choice of whether netball is played competitively indoors or outdoors. The Bournemouth and Poole netball leagues both play outside during winter as well as summer largely because of the cost of playing indoors, which can be more than double than outdoor courts (average cost of an indoor court is probably around the £50 per hour cost whereas cost of an outdoor court with floodlights can be around £15 to £20 per hour). Training can be done indoors, however, given the larger number of players who can be accommodated during a session.

Accessibility Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

Key issues about accessibility, some relating to specific facilities, were raised through the audit and surveys, workshops and consultation meetings. Where

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available and relevant, user surveys have also been utilised. These are summarised below, grouped by facility or issue.

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Figure 77: Accessibility Issues

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Sir David English Netball While the centre acts as the ‘netball centre’ for Bournemouth, it would benefit from having Leisure Centre some sort of viewing gallery or spectator area. (Discussion with NGB)

General Netball Floodlighting is an issue. Not all outdoor courts have floodlighting and if more were lit, more use could be made of them. Talbot Heath School, for example, is well-used by Poole Netball Club but there are no floodlights. (Discussion with NGB and club survey)

General Netball The key fob scheme has been success in increasing and opening-up the use of outdoor tennis courts in Bournemouth. A similar scheme could be piloted for netball for those wanting to play informally or teams which would like to train and practice but cannot access school sites nor afford indoor halls.

General Netball Communication through schools could be improved with notice of trials and junior leagues not being distributed well enough in some schools. (Discussion with Dorset Netball)

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Canford School Netball Although facilities are excellent quality, the price can be high. (Poole Sports Council)

General Netball Floodlighting is an issue. Not all outdoor courts have floodlighting and if more were lit, more use could be made of them. Courts where floodlighting could increase use include Carter Community School, Corfe Hills School, Poole High School and Parkstone Grammar School. (Poole Sport Council and discussion with NGB)

General Netball Communication through schools could be improved with notice of trials and junior leagues not being distributed well enough in some schools. (Discussion with Dorset Netball)

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUALITY

The key issues relating to the quality of facilities are summarised below.

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Figure 78: Quality Issues

Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Sir David English Netball There is no longer any accessible room for umpires to use since changes to the use of some Leisure Centre of the space at the leisure centre.

This is also an issue raised by the Bournemouth University Netball Club, highlighting that the loss of the administration room is a significant loss as it was used to host coaching courses, team talks and umpiring testing and has therefore weakened the development structure of netball in Bournemouth. This concern has been echoed by Dorset Netball and the NGB.

Dorset Netball has commented that “the biggest impact has been on the Bournemouth Junior Netball Club, which has a membership of over 100 and is continually growing. (For indoor netball matches) parents have to sit on benches around the hall, which is not ideal, and it makes it difficult to police the spectators from a Duty of Care aspect. The Regional teams also have had to change venues as there is no longer facilities to entertain the visiting teams post matches.”

A bid to the Inspired Facilities fund was refused and a revised application will be submitted for the next round of bidding to secure funds for a new (possibly temporary structure)

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Bournemouth

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source) ‘room’.

(Club survey and discussion with Dorset Netball and NGB)

Sir David English Netball There is a lack of access to toilets (particularly during competitive matches) and changing Leisure Centre areas are not in a good condition. The reception area is often congested and there is now no viewing area (original viewing area and administration room turned into local authority gym). This amounts to a poor quality experience. (Club survey)

Sir David English Netball The overall quality of floodlighting has been identified as being ‘below average’. (Club Leisure Centre survey)

Sir David English Netball The quality of some of the courts at the leisure centre is compromised in winter months by Leisure Centre leaf litter from overhanging trees making play slippery underfoot and courts unplayable. (Discussion with NGB and Dorset Netball)

Sir David English Netball All 8 courts need resurfacing. (Dorset Netball) Leisure Centre

Talbot Heath School Netball The changing facilities at the school have been identified as being ‘adequate’ although in need of improvement. (Club survey)

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Poole

Location / Facility Sport Issue (and Source)

Ashdown Leisure Centre Netball The surface can be poor, especially when wet. (Poole Sports Council)

Carter Community Netball Outdoor courts have been identified as being of ‘very poor quality’ by Poole Sports Council School and as ‘poor’ by the audit. (Poole Sports Council and facility audit)

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING SHORTFALLS FROM EXISTING GAPS

Quantity

Most residents should be able to access netball provision within a 20 minute journey by road. Provision should be compliant with the minimum sizes for netball courts set out by Sport England and England Netball for matches.

Accessibility

Outdoor netball courts should have good access, DDA compliance and ‘adequate daytime community use’ during summer months29.

Quality

Outdoor netball courts should be in at least ’good’ condition30.

Identifying shortfalls in existing provision

Where shortfalls are identified, possible solutions to meeting those shortfalls will need to be considered as part of the ‘bigger picture’ of overall provision for outdoor netball, outlined later in the assessment.

29 ‘Adequate day-time community use is defined as, “some availability for non- programmed use between 9am and 5pm, plus dedicated parking for day-time users”. 30.‘Good condition’ is defined as: well decorated; well maintained, with no signs of neglect; reasonable number of changing accommodation for available facilities; well lit for sport and recreation activities, as appropriate; well equipped, as appropriate; effective storage space; segregated changing and shower areas, as appropriate; and, segregated, lockable changing areas, as appropriate. 209

Analysis of the catchment maps suggest that there could be gaps in provision in the south western parts of Poole. The number of teams playing in the Poole League at Wimborne also suggests that the location affects the number of teams participating in the league, compared to numbers of teams in the Bournemouth league. However, the catchment area is only an indication of where the majority of players will travel from to play and it is understood that netball players do tend to travel from wider distances to play league games. Analysis later in the assessment explores these issues further.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Future Demand and Needs Identified by Key Stakeholders

Figure 79 shows the key issues identified by key stakeholders in relation to the future demands and needs of specific sports and / or facilities in Bournemouth and Poole. These tend to relate more to quantity (and therefore capacity) of provision and new or extended facilities, than they do to quality or accessibility. They also include aspirations identified by schools, colleges and Academies through discussion or surveys.

Figure 79: Future Demands and Needs Identified by Key Stakeholders

Bournemouth

Sport / Facility Source

Winton Arts and Media College (Winton and Glenmoor) has Slades Farm a desire to improve its tennis / netball courts as part of the masterplan Slades Farm masterplan. This would increase the existing 6 tennis court / 2 netball court area to 12 tennis courts / 8 netball courts with floodlighting for 2 of the tennis courts / 1 netball court.

Poole

Sport / Facility Source

Hamworthy Park Junior School would like to open-up their 3 School survey netball courts for community use bookings on weekdays after 4pm.

Broadstone Middle School would like to be able to open up School survey their 4 court netball multi-use games area (MUGA) in the summer for community use bookings but there is currently a lack of funding for goal posts.

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Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Bournemouth and Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 80 shows.

Figure 80: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area31

Bournemouth Sub-area

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 Total

2011 30,130 33,610 29,560 43,240 18,620 28,300 183,460

2026 31,230 36,440 32,080 46,410 20,120 31,230 197,510

Poole Sub-area

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

31 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 212 -

Figure 81: Housing Allocations in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

5,500 in appropriate locations across the 1,850+ at the regeneration area sites rest of the Borough fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

2,000 on Town Centre Area Action Plan 350–700 in the Town Centre North area sites

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Adopted Bournemouth Borough Core Strategy October 2012 and Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

Implications of growth

Knowing how population could change into the future and applying that to existing levels of participation in netball can help to estimate likely demand for outdoor courts that can be used for competitive play in the future. Figure 82 sets this out for Bournemouth and Poole as a conurbation.

The calculations are relatively crude. For example, they do not take into account the degree of population not resident in Poole but who play in the Poole league in Wimborne. The purpose of combining both Bournemouth and Poole into a single calculation is that it is likely that the number of teams and therefore players playing in each league is skewed because of where the league plays its games. The Bournemouth league, for example, may attract more players from Poole given Poole league’s venue is north of Poole and further for some Poole residents to travel. Applying Bournemouth league

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figures to the Bournemouth population would therefore likely result in a higher level of demand from Bournemouth residents than is probably the case in reality.

The figures present a shared likely number of courts across both Boroughs to service existing and potential future competitive games for the adult (16-65) working female population.

Juniors have been excluded because there are no demand figures to base existing and future needs on. However, there are junior teams and leagues in Bournemouth and Poole and so the figures will need to factor in additional courts to allow for this.

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Figure 82: Estimates of number of courts needed to meet demand now and by 2026 for competitive play

Target increase in Estimated change in demand at Existing provision Theoretical existing need participation from existing 2026 player numbers

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P

Adult No. of female % of No. of Manageable Court Latent Team Court Target Team Court Adult No. of Team Court Female adults Popn teams* max. court equiv. demand equiv.< equiv.< increase in equiv. equiv. Female players equiv. equiv. Popn playing : teams (16- participation Popn likely to (16-65) competitively capacity 65)# from (16- be at 2011> ratio^ existing no. 65) generated of players+ 2026 from change&

107,402 1,038 0.97% 125 0.08:1 10 888 107 9 52 6 1 105,981 1,075 130 11

Notes: Team and court projected numbers have been rounded up to the nearest whole team or court. > competitive leagues comprise female players. Market segmentation uses 16+ ages as ‘adult’. 2011 population figure used as there is no figure for 2013. However, the number of teams has remained fairly consistent in the period between 2011 and 2013 and it is considered appropriate to use the 2011 population figure alongside the number of teams in 2013. < if all latent demand satisfied – i.e. all people expressing a desire to play and who cannot currently do so are able to play * based upon 8.3 players per team to take into account balance between teams which have one or two substitutes and players which may play for more than one team. The resultant figure fits with the number of teams currently playing in the Bournemouth and Poole leagues. ^ based upon 100 teams being the maximum manageable capacity at the 8 court Sir David English netball centre and therefore 1 court equating to 12.5 teams or 0.08 courts per team. + England Netball has a participation increase target for 2013-2017 of 3% - 5%. The upper end of this target is used as a basis and extended for the period to 2026 in the absence of targets beyond 2017. # latent demand figure is market segmentation total for Bournemouth and Poole less males and male and female over 65 years of age so that a picture for the majority of players can be estimated. The figure for Bournemouth is 507 and for Poole is 381. These are summed in the table. & Applies the proportion of players in 2011/13 to population in 2026 and adds a further 5% of the number to represent a continuation of England Netball’s 3%-5% target increase in participation rates. This equates to 1,024 players (0.97%) + 5% (51) = 1,075 players.

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The figures suggest that, for competitive play, between 10 and 19 outdoor courts will meet existing and latent demand. This number will accommodate the target of 3%-5% increase in players identified by England Netball which will equate to 1 additional court. The population of the selected group falls as a whole by 2026 and there is therefore no additional demand placed upon the number of courts currently required from the change in population.

In terms of latent demand being released, England Netball has suggested that around 2 additional teams per year could be generated from the ‘Back to Netball’ scheme, currently run at the Sir David English Leisure Centre by Bournemouth Netball Club. This would only equate to an additional court after 6 years.

Unless the identified latent demand is more greatly released, allowing many additional people to play and requiring a significant increase in the number of courts which would be needed, it seems likely the existing provision overall between the two league sites (8 at Sir David English and 5 at Queen Elizabeth in Wimborne) is sufficient for the demands of competitive play.

If the demand for junior competitive matches / teams increases, existing supply fulfilling demand is likely to be challenging, particularly if growth is higher in Bournemouth because of its location. It would seem sensible for junior leagues to utilise school outdoor courts and hallspace if they are affordable and suitable for junior competitive play and community access can be secured, to reduce pressure on Sir David English Leisure Centre in particular.

The position will need to be monitored closely to ensure that supply continues to meet the needs of the leagues and to ensure that the balance of growth, if it focuses on Sir David English and the Bournemouth League, can be accommodated at the venue and if not, whether a suitable overflow venue can be found to accommodate play.

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Delivering existing plans and programmes

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Figure 83: Projects which relate to future strategic provision of outdoor netball courts in Bournemouth and Poole

Progress Does it Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway remain a Document Complete Outdoor Netball Courts started / ongoing priority? *

Identified priorities (programmed year of improvement and H/M/L priority) relevant to Sports Strategy: As noted above, refurbishing Develop 250m cycle track (2011 - and increasing the number of H); repair and improve skate park outdoor netball courts to 8 in (2012-14 - M); improve school pitch 250m cycle number which could be utilised drainage (2013 - H); refurbish Slades Farm track for community use outside of tennis / netball courts at Glenmoor Masterplan Yes completed school opening times (for School (2014 - H); fitness trail in 2012-2021 2011 practice and training and / or school or park (2014 – M); full size competitive games if artificial turf pitch for rugby / requirements of England Netball football (2016 – M); new sports hall are factored in to design). (2020 - M); new girls’ changing rooms (2015 - H); outdoor climbing wall (2014 – M); and, 1km cycling / training circuit (2015 - M).

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Conclusion

There is no evidence to suggest, in Bournemouth nor Poole, that there is a lack of existing provision for outdoor netball courts for practice and training. In addition, two schools in Poole (Broadstone Middle and Hamworthy Park Junior) have expressed a desire to open-up their existing courts for community use outside of school hours, further enhancing supply for non- competitive training, play and practice by up to 7 courts. Refurbished and additional provision at Slades Farm / Winton Media and Arts College in Bournemouth is a high priority in the Slades Farm masterplan and, if realised, capacity of outdoor courts there would increase by 8 in total and these could be utilised for community use outside of school times if demand is demonstrated.

Provision for training and practice is enhanced by indoor multi-use sports halls and plans for accommodating future demand for those facilities is addressed in the assessment for sports halls. However, the cost of hiring indoor facilities is likely to continue to act as a blockage to most teams wanting to train, and certainly will be for leagues.

For competitive play, existing levels of provision should be maintained and if possible, consideration should be given to finding a host venue for the Poole League closer to Poole’s population if the league wishes to relocate from its existing host venue, to rebalance demand between the Bournemouth and Poole leagues and help to increase opportunities for participation in leagues. With demand currently accommodated at Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre, this should only be pursued if considered a priority by England Netball and the Poole Netball Association, if demand outstrips supply available and if viable in capital build and revenue (running costs) terms.

Bournemouth and Poole

The key focus for the strategy across Bournemouth and Poole for outdoor netball courts is as follows:

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 Support sufficient outdoor netball court provision to accommodate competitive league matches and take the opportunity to rebalance demand for play in the Bournemouth and Poole leagues if it presents itself;  Support existing clubs by working with them and providers of training courts / facilities to ensure that provision continues to meet their needs. Where a facility cannot accommodate growing demand from a club, work with the club to find an alternative suitable and / or additional existing venue;  Support informal teams by helping to maintain and ensure access to a network of suitable outdoor courts on leisure centre and school / college / Academy sites; and,  A key fob system could be piloted at an existing or new netball court in Bournemouth or Poole (perhaps on a shared school site) to test if it is a viable option for netball as it has been for tennis. Further work such as an in-depth survey of local teams (through the Bournemouth or Poole League) could understand viability of a scheme prior to launch.

Bournemouth

The key issue that the strategy needs to respond to for outdoor netball courts is as follows:

 Maintain existing provision for the Bournemouth Netball League to use Sir David English Leisure Centre as its base for competitive play and help to address concerns about quality of and access to supporting / ancillary facilities.  Monitor supply and demand balance at the Sir David English Centre and consider identifying an overflow site for additional demand to be accommodated (in senior and / or junior leagues) if necessary, such as Slades Farm, although recognising the impact on splitting league games between two sites (for example, on needing more personnel, umpires and organisation time).

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Poole

The key issues that the strategy needs to respond to for outdoor netball courts are as follows:

 It is understood that the Poole Netball League has an aspiration to, at some point, return to play at a venue more centrally located in Poole. If considered as a priority by England Netball and the Poole Netball League during the strategy period, consideration should be given to find a suitable location (for example at Rossmore or Ashdown Leisure Centres) for competitive play to accommodate the Poole league to satisfy demand generated in Poole and to introduce a better balance of playing teams between the Bournemouth and Poole leagues (freeing up / creating capacity to accommodate potential unmet demand, latent demand and future growth). In exploring options, discussion would need to be held with the operators of the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre in Wimborne to determine whether partial or total freed capacity of netball courts will have a beneficial or adverse impact on provision of facilities on-site. In the likely event that an indoor facility is likely to be too costly to host the league, options which could be explored include:  Using existing or additional space at one of the leisure centres in Poole depending on requirements of the league; or,  Discuss options with schools, colleges and Academies in Poole, the Poole Netball Association, Poole Sports Council and England Netball about developing a netball centre on an education site modifying existing provision or introducing a new facility if viable to meet England Netball standards of courts; or,  Potential for the refurbished and additional courts at Slades Farm / Winton Arts and Media College (in Bournemouth Borough) to host the league. The new courts, if developed to England Netball competitive standard, could be utilised to meet some or all of the demand for league matches in Poole to add capacity to or replace use of the facility outside of Poole in Wimborne. This would also help to secure a good revenue stream for the school.

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Indoor and Outdoor Tennis

Defining Indoor and Outdoor Tennis

The assessment for tennis courts has focused on:  indoor and outdoor tennis courts owned and / or run by clubs;  outdoor tennis courts which are publicly accessible through open-access arrangements (e.g. in parks); and,  indoor and outdoor tennis courts owned and run by leisure and sports centres.

For a tennis court to be considered as part of the assessment, it should be generally available to the public (for ‘community use’), including those where membership of a club or organisation is a pre-requisite for access, provided that membership criteria are unrestrictive and the membership fees are not exorbitant.

The provision of tennis courts has been analysed on the basis of:  Courts requiring membership for access;  Pay and play (and bookable) courts; and,  Courts with no fee (free to play).

Tennis is traditionally a seasonal game played in the warmer, drier months and therefore most courts will be outdoors. However, for club and competitive play, indoor courts are a necessary component of provision supporting year-round play and training. Indoor courts have therefore been assessed but on the basis that they are important to support club based tennis but less important in terms of supporting ‘social’ seasonal tennis.

Outdoor courts have not been differentiated in terms of the type of surface. While there is a variety of surfaces used32 and available in Bournemouth and Poole, particular needs of a surface type is only distinguished from overall

32 For example, tarmac, grass, clay, artificial grass and macadam. - 222 -

need and demand for outdoor courts where it has been raised as an issue in surveys of other dialogue.

Tennis courts are accessed in four main ways:  Through larger, commercial clubs;  Through ‘middle-tier’ clubs which may not necessarily own their own facility;  Through leisure centre provision; and,  Through courts in parks.

Analysis is complicated by tennis being played, particularly on some outdoor courts on shared sites such as schools on shared or multi-sport courts (for example, multi-use games areas and courts also marked out for netball). However, as a ‘rule of thumb’ courts identified in this assessment are those with dedicated markings for tennis only or courts with markings for tennis and one other sport such as netball. Courts marked for tennis and two other sports tend to have been considered and assessed as multi-use games areas.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUANTITY AND CAPACITY

Quantity and Location

Figures 84 and 85 show the location and number of courts, whether indoor or outdoor and whether or not (if outdoor) they have floodlighting. The Lawn Tennis Association website has up-to-date details of locations, number and type of court (including surface type) on its website for most of the courts identified below33.

Figure 84: Location and number of tennis courts with community access

Poole

No. of courts + Floodlit Location Indoor Outdoor

Haven Leisure Club 0 1 0

Parkstone Grammar School 0 6 (+2 mini) 0

Hamworthy Park 0 1 0

Poole Park 0 4 (+2 mini) 0

Dorset Health and Racquets Club (Virgin 7 3 0 Active)

The Junction Leisure Centre 0 4 0

Branksome Park Lawn Tennis Club 0 5 0

11 (+1 East Dorset Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club 0 8 mini)

Corfe Hills School 0 5 0

Canford School Sports Centre 0 5 0

Bournemouth Collegiate Preparatory School 0 3 0

Ashdown Leisure Centre 0 0 4

33 See http://www.lta.org.uk/Search/Find-A-Tennis-Court/?l=Dorset - 224 -

Poole

No. of courts + Floodlit Location Indoor Outdoor

48 Total 7 12 (+ 5 mini)

Bournemouth

No. of courts + Floodlit Location Indoor Outdoor

LeAF Academy 0 3 0

Pelhams Park Leisure Centre 0 0 3

3 (temp in Bournemouth Tennis Centre (Bournemouth dome in 1 mini 8 Gardens) winter)

Meyrick Park 0 1 0

Marriott Leisure Club (Bournemouth 0 0 1 Highcliff)

4 (+ 2 West Hants Lawn Tennis Club * temp in 12 5 winter)

Winton Arts and Media College 0 6 0

4 (3 full size + 2 Winton Rec 0 2 single courts)

1 (+ mini Victoria Avenue Lawn Tennis Club 0 tennis 6 area)

Redhill Park 0 3 0

3 (+ 1 Moordown Rec 0 0 mini)

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Bournemouth

No. of courts + Floodlit Location Indoor Outdoor

Bournemouth Collegiate Senior School 0 3 0

Knyveton Gardens 0 3 0

Swanmore Gardens 0 8 0

Shelley Park 0 3 0

Muscliff Park 0 0 2

Seafield Gardens 0 3 0

Southbourne Tennis Club 0 1 mini 6

Talbot Heath School 0 9 0

Harewood College 0 6 0

Avonbourne School 0 6 0

4 71 Total (+ 5 35 (+ 4 mini) temp.)

Source: Sports Strategy Audit, 2013 and LTA website http://www.lta.org.uk/Search/Find-A-Tennis- Court/?l=Dorset

Notes: * West Hants Tennis Club club base. West Hants also operate ‘Tennis in the Park’ at Shelley Park, Swanmore Gardens and Winton Rec courts.

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Figure 85: Mapped Location of Tennis Courts with Community Access

Source: Borough of Poole

227

N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

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Management, Ownership and Access Type

Tennis courts in Bournemouth and Poole are operated, managed and accessed on the following basis. In Bournemouth, park tennis courts have been leased out to other providers to run, which is reflected in the list below.

Bournemouth

Access Type

Pay & Location Management Play / Membership Free Booka ble

LeAF Academy Academy   *

 Pelhams Park Leisure (Bournemouth BHLive  Centre Civil Service Tennis Club)

Bournemouth Tennis Centre Bournemouth Gardens   (Bournemouth Tennis Club Gardens)

Meyrick Park Bournemouth Bowls Club 

Marriott Leisure Club (Bournemouth Marriott Leisure Club  Highcliff)

West Hants Lawn West Hants Tennis Club    * Tennis Club

Winton Arts and College  Media College

 (West Winton Rec West Hants Tennis Club Hants Tennis   * Club)

Victoria Avenue Victoria Avenue Lawn    *

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Bournemouth

Access Type

Pay & Location Management Play / Membership Free Booka ble Lawn Tennis Club Tennis Club

Bournemouth Borough Redhill Park  Council

Moordown Rec Moordown Bowls Club 

Bournemouth Collegiate Senior School  School

 (St St Sebastian Tennis Sebastian Knyveton Gardens  Academy Tennis Academy)

 (West Swanmore Gardens West Hants Tennis Club Hants Tennis  Tennis Courts Club)

 (West Shelley Park West Hants Tennis Club Hants Tennis  Club)

 (St St Sebastian Tennis Sebastian Seafield Gardens Academy Tennis Academy)

Southbourne Tennis Southbourne Tennis Club    * Club

 (Pugs Hole Talbot Heath School School Lawn Tennis Club)

Harewood College College 

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Bournemouth

Access Type

Pay & Location Management Play / Membership Free Booka ble

Avonbourne School School 

St Sebastian Tennis  (St Academy with Sebastian Muscliff Park Bournemouth Borough Tennis Council Youth Services Academy)

Poole

Access Type

Pay & Location Management Play / Membership Free Booka ble

Haven Leisure Club Haven Leisure Club 

Parkstone Grammar School  School

Hamworthy Park Borough of Poole 

Poole Park Borough of Poole  

Dorset Health and Dorset Health and Racquets Club    * Racquets Club (Virgin Active)

The Junction Leisure YMCA   Centre

Branksome Park Branksome Park Lawn    * Lawn Tennis Club Tennis Club

East Dorset Lawn East Dorset Lawn Tennis Tennis and Croquet   * and Croquet Club Club

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Poole

Access Type

Pay & Location Management Play / Membership Free Booka ble

Corfe Hills School School 

Canford School School   Sports Centre

Bournemouth Collegiate School  Preparatory School

Ashdown Leisure Everyone Active   Centre

Source: Sports Strategy Audit, 2013 and LTA website http://www.lta.org.uk/Search/Find-A-Tennis- Court/?l=Dorset Notes: * sometimes, according to LTA website

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Range of supply

From the sections above, the number of courts, variety of surface and types of access available in Bournemouth and Poole suggests a good variety of choice and opportunity to play tennis, both informally outdoors in the summer months for the more casual player and in a more formal club based setting at tennis clubs and leisure centres. However, analysis of the data also suggests that there might be a lack of provision for the demand overall of indoor courts with a higher degree of community access, a position verified by discussion with the LTA. This would ensure that wider community participation could be achieved year-round, rather than simply peaking for a few weeks either side of Wimbledon in the summer months.

The club offer in Bournemouth and Poole is very good which is a positive foundation for the sport in for the future. However, a significant proportion of courts are based at and used mainly by clubs, which, although some clubs allow pay and play access, will always remain focused on membership play. It could be argued, therefore, that there is a need for community access courts to catch-up to allow the sport to be better balanced in terms of club-based competitive play and play in a more informal way / setting for occasional players.

The balance between indoor and outdoor (non-floodlit and floodlit) and club and pay and play / bookable courts is set out in Figure 86 below.

It demonstrates the seasonal roots and times of popularity amongst the public of tennis. There are only 11 permanent indoor courts across Bournemouth and Poole with a further 5 temporary courts created during the winter months, all in Bournemouth. Of these, 4 (plus the temporary courts) are hosted at clubs, while 7 are at the Dorset Health and Racquets Club (Virgin Active). Given the much larger supply of outdoor courts, particularly across Bournemouth, this is a small number of indoor courts helping to maintain year-round play for the demand that is likely.

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The supply of outdoor club courts which are floodlit (26 in Bournemouth and 8 in Poole) significantly boosts playing time in the spring and autumn for club players.

Of the outdoor courts that are pay and play / bookable, 25 are located in parks and gardens within Bournemouth with an additional 6 in parks and gardens that are floodlit. Most other outdoor courts are located at school sites and will have varying degrees of community access. The 4 outdoor floodlit pay and play / bookable courts in Poole are located at a leisure centre while 5 of the 28 non-floodlit courts are in Poole Park (4) and Hamworthy Park (1), the latter court being free to access. The other outdoor pay and play / bookable courts are either at sports or leisure centres or on school sites.

While Poole has fewer tennis courts than Bournemouth, a comment was made at a Member workshop that there are enough courts in the Borough.

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Figure 86: Courts hosted by clubs, pay and play / bookable dedicated and school based

Courts

Indoor Outdoor

Club Pay and play / bookable* Pay and play / Club bookable* Non-floodlit + Floodlit Non-floodlit + Floodlit

4 14 Bournemouth 0 26 59 9 (+ 5 temp) (+1 mini)

20 28 Poole 0 7 8 4 (+1 mini) (+4 mini)

4 34 87 Totals 7 34 13 (+5 temp) (+2 mini) (+4 mini)

Notes: * includes leisure centre and school / college / Academy provision. ‘Free play’ courts are not shown separately as there is only 1 dedicated free court available (at Hamworthy Park in Poole). There are some courts with some free access but they are not dedicated to free use at all times. Those courts with some free use include court time at most clubs (according to the LTA website) and LeAF Academy in Bournemouth.

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Supply – Demand Balance

Understanding the current balance between supply and demand will help to establish whether there is an existing surplus or deficit of provision in Bournemouth and Poole for the size of its population. There is no readily available method or calculator to provide an estimate of appropriate supply to meet demand of a given population for tennis courts. However, approximate calculations about demand and appropriate levels of supply can be made using data available. The response from the club survey sent out by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) on the clients’ behalf drew only a 20% response rate (3 from 15 clubs) despite reminders. Therefore, this information has to be supplemented more heavily by other sources such as the Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, the LTA, local authority officers, leisure centre managers and Sport England.

The key position to get to will be to have a good idea of the direction of travel in which tennis participation is moving in the area on two fronts: i) Membership - at club facilities where players want to play socially in a club setting and / or play competitively, and at leisure or sports centre facilities where membership is usually a pre-requisite to play and where club or social tennis is played; and, ii) Informal - at openly available free and pay & play / bookable courts such as those in parks.

This means developing an understanding, for each of these user types of whether the sport is growing in participation, falling or remaining steady and whether current facilities are sufficient for the indicative demand. From this position, a strategy can be developed to respond to existing gaps arising from existing demand and potential changes to demand in the future.

Establishing Demand in Bournemouth and Poole

As noted above, the picture of demand in Bournemouth and Poole can be put together from a number of sources and tested against one another to

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determine whether or not the position is accurate. Participation rates are the best fit data that can be used to estimate demand. At the time of writing this assessment, the LTA was in the process of revisiting targets and priorities for the sport. However, there is data about participation rates monitored through the Sport England / Department of Culture Media and Sport Active People Survey and through the Sport England Market Segmentation Tool.

In the past, in terms of planning for the provision of tennis courts and facilities at the national and regional levels, the LTA has worked on the assumption that around 2% of the population participates in tennis on a regular basis. However, nationally, the figure for participation in the 16+ age group over the 12 month period from April 2012 to April 2013 was 0.98%. This compares to regional data from Active People which suggests that across the south west as a whole, around 1.31% of the ‘adult’ (16+ age group) on average participates in tennis at least once a week for 30 minutes or more (2010/11).

It is understood that, as a ‘rule of thumb’, the LTA has in the past suggested the following standards in relation to the provision of new outdoor tennis courts at clubs (based upon membership levels) when seeking funding to ensure viability and a robust business case: 1 court per 40 members; and, 1 floodlit court per 60 members. There are no figures for indoor courts, although as the comparative cost of developing buildings is usually much higher the number of members required to make an indoor court viable, in a permanent structure at least, will be significantly more. However, figures such as these would need to be used with caution as they would not tell the whole story. Caveats with their use include: no representation in the figures of under 16s nor supply and demand for mini courts; that the percentage of those taking part may, in reality, be lower because the participation rate is based on those taking part at least once a week, while the number of members per court is based on a higher number of visits being member and not casual user based. The figures therefore give an indication of direction of travel and set against other ways of measuring existing supply – demand balance which follow.

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As referenced above, the Sport England Market Segmentation Tool provides a useful indication of current participation rates at local authority and super output area level.

Figures 87 and 88 show the estimated participation rates for tennis (indoor and outdoor) across Bournemouth and Poole. They suggest that participation is much higher, overall (at between 1.1% and 5% of the population), than the figures from the Active People Survey suggest are the case for the south west. This may be closer to reality given the very good supply of courts in the area and likely demand needed to sustain them and the socio-economic and demographic make-up of the area.

When translated to numbers of residents, the tool suggests that current participation in Bournemouth is around 3,020 people and 2,474 people in Poole. However, the figures may underplay the number of people playing tennis in Bournemouth and Poole that the number of courts in the Boroughs would suggest. The membership of clubs is also a good indicator of levels of use, at least in the club game. For example, the biggest club in Bournemouth, West Hants, has around 3,300 members, although they have members who utilise other facilities at the club as well as tennis courts and they draw from an estimated 30 minute drive-time / 15 mile catchment.

The tool also provides figures for the number of people wanting to play but unable to do so (i.e. latent demand). In Bournemouth this figure is 3,297 and in Poole, it is 2,606. These figures seem fairly high relative to the existing number of people playing. There may be several reasons for these numbers such as reliability of data or size of the sample; people being unable to get to a tennis court (lack of transport, public or private); affordability; availability of courts at peak times (evenings and weekends); lack of floodlighting to allow an extended outdoor playing ‘window’; or, inability to access indoor facilities (particularly community pay and play / bookable facilities) during the winter months.

The figures may also already be dated. While figures are used from the annual Active People Survey, a key fob access system has been introduced In

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Bournemouth and Poole. This allows households to purchase a key fob which gives them access to courts which they can book online or over the phone. The scheme has been a success in the parks where it operates (Poole Park and Shelley Park, Swanmore Gardens and Winton Recreation Ground in Bournemouth) with (as of October 2013) 500 key fobs purchased in Poole and over 1,000 in Bournemouth. This will almost certainly have improved accessibility for a number of those wanting to play. Monitoring the market segmentation / PAS figures should help to allow impact to be measured in the short to medium term.

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Figure87: Percentage of Population in Bournemouth participating in tennis 2011

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 88: Percentage of Population in Poole participating in tennis 2011

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Examining the detail of the total figure for latent demand, the Market Segmentation tool suggests that there are a few key types of people wanting to play more tennis. Knowing this sort of detail helps us to understand how best to respond and what the more likely causes of the latent demand are.

Figure 89: People wanting to participate in tennis in Bournemouth: proportion of people above 8% of total number wanting to play

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums 375 11.4 and their supportive college mates

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 366 11.1 enjoying football, pints and pool

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 362 11 settling down with partner

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, enjoying life in 305 9.3 the fast lane

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image- 270 8.2 conscious females keeping fit and trim

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 272 8.2 play-hard’ attitude

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 90: People wanting to participate in tennis in Poole: proportion of people above 8% of total number wanting to play

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 327 12.5 settling down with partner

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image- 245 9.4 conscious females keeping fit and trim

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 244 9.4 play-hard’ attitude

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, enjoying life in 228 8.7 the fast lane

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 240 9.2 children and more time for themselves

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

Using the same figures for people wanting to play, the tool also sets them out spatially by super output area to give an idea of the distribution of this latent demand. Figures 91 and 92 reproduce these maps. From these maps it can be seen that there are a few areas where demand is slightly lower than others. In Poole, Turlin Moor, Creekmoor, Hilbourne and the town centre have a lower demand, with a central area from Alderney / Wallisdown / Rossmore reaching across into the West Howe / Kinson areas of Bournemouth also showing the same levels. Elsewhere in Bournemouth, the Strouden and Southbourne areas experience slightly lower levels than other areas.

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Figure 91: Mapped latent demand amongst resident population in Poole

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 92: Mapped latent demand amongst resident population in Bournemouth

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Informal / Community Access Pay and Play Courts

Non-club, informal access tennis courts provide a significant amount of total supply of courts in Bournemouth and Poole. Informal access courts also has potential for significant growth in terms of participation. Nationally:

 the Active People Survey shows that approximately 2m people play tennis at least once a year in community tennis venues, with the majority of this activity taking place in parks;  according to the LTA, approximately 225k people play once a week in community tennis venues (parks, CITCs, local authority owned and operated facilities); and,  according to the LTA there is a high latent demand for tennis (reflected by the above numbers taken from the market segmentation tool) and of those who are very interested in playing tennis or more tennis, LTA figures suggest that 52% have said they would play in their local park against 37% who said they would go to their local tennis club.

In Bournemouth and Poole, the recent introduction of ‘key fob’ schemes to access community pay and play courts has been very successful in driving up participation. As noted above, the scheme charges a small fee for residents (to households rather than individuals) in exchange for a key fob which gives access to well-maintained courts. Court time can be booked online and by telephone. The scheme operates in Poole Park run by the Borough Council and in Bournemouth (the ‘Play Tennis in the Park’ scheme run by West Hants Lawn Tennis Club34) at three parks: Shelley Park (3 courts); Swanmore Gardens (8 courts) and Winton Recreation Ground (6 courts, 4 of which have floodlights where time can be paid for online or tokens can be bought to use on-site). It is understood that around 1,200 (511 in Poole and 688 in Bournemouth) key fobs had been sold by October 2013 across Bournemouth and Poole which it is hoped will drive-up significantly participation rates in the area. This equates to 1,454 people in a household with access to a key fob in Poole and 1,154 in Bournemouth). Significant investment has gone into

34 http://www.playtennisinthepark.co.uk/ 246

raising the quality of the courts and the scheme will help to ensure that courts are well-maintained and dedicated to community / informal tennis players. Increased use of these facilities should help to encourage more players to move forward to a club environment.

Access to indoor community access courts has been suggested by the LTA as a potential gap in provision in Bournemouth and Poole, which, if filled, would help to drive participation rates up amongst the general population. For example, benchmarking Bournemouth and Poole against other places suggests that a population with the size of Bournemouth and Poole’s could support additional courts.

Figure 93: Permanent public access indoor court provision in Bournemouth and Poole and other places in the south and south west

Number of Place Population Indoor Population per Court Courts

Exeter 117,773 10 11,777

Taunton Deane 110,200 6 18,367

Portsmouth 205,056 11 18,641

Southampton 236,882 6 39,480

Bristol 428,234 7 61,176

Bournemouth and 331,136 3 110,379 Poole

Source: figures sourced from LTA, October 2013.

Given the number and range of courts available and that the overall quantum seems to be sufficient for the existing population, it is suggested that if additional indoor courts were provided to community for pay and play access, this provision should come from the existing supply of courts rather than adding any new additional permanent structures. This can be done by temporarily covering outdoor courts in the winter months.

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While additional courts are proposed at Slades Farm redevelopment (an increase in courts available from 8 to 12), it is understood that some courts may be lost at Avonbourne School (6) and so additional courts at Slades Farm will not increase supply overall in Bournemouth and Poole.

Capacity

It is understood from discussion with the LTA and some clubs (through conversations and club surveys) that there are no real capacity issues for clubs across Bournemouth and Poole in terms of need for additional courts. The larger clubs operate on a commercial basis and will tend to make a business case for providing additional courts if they did need additional capacity and is unlikely to be something that local authorities would necessarily get involved in.

Membership seems to have been steady or increasing in recent years although it is understood that some clubs have experienced a slight ‘knock-back’ in membership levels due to the changes in the economy since 2008. However, falls in membership levels, where they have occurred, have been minimal and well within clubs’ tolerance enabling them to sustain a buoyant club. It has been commented that there is an expectation that where this has occurred, membership levels will recover.

It is understood that the LTA has suggested a capacity of around 100 members per court is an appropriate capacity for the key fob system. The figure does not differentiate between full size and mini courts. Using this figure as a basis, Poole has capacity of 600 members (with 4 full size and 2 mini courts in Poole Park) and Bournemouth a capacity of 1,700 members (with 17 courts at its three parks where the system is in place). Current levels of membership are around 500 members in Poole and 1,000 in Bournemouth, suggesting that there is capacity for 700 additional members in Bournemouth and 100 in Poole.

There are, from discussion with the LTA, no typical capacity ‘rules of thumb’ for outdoor community access courts operating outside of the key fob system.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: ACCESSIBILITY

Community Accessibility and Shared Sites

For tennis courts, as identified in the list of halls above, an important part of supply across Bournemouth and Poole is that provided by schools, colleges and Academies. However, while some allow community access, it is not always made clear how bookings can be made or what the cost of doing so is. Improved advertising of availability could help to improve access outside of school hours in the summer months (given that no school courts have floodlighting).

In addition to the role that school supply can play in opening up accessibility to the community, schools have a key role in supporting tennis participation and early development of junior players. For this reason, it is important that existing stock of courts at schools which have courts is not lost, or, if unavoidable, that use of courts is secured elsewhere on other nearby school sites.

Of those schools, colleges and Academies which do not currently open facilities to the public outside of dedicated time required for pupils and students, the following have expressed interest in opening up tennis courts to the community when they can in the future.

 Broadstone Middle School, Poole (up to 6 courts); and,  Heatherlands Primary School, Bournemouth (up to 3 courts).

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Knowing this helps to build the picture of additional potential supply from existing facilities. However, a common issue for smaller schools such as primaries and middle schools can be the prohibitive cost of opening up facilities to the community given that staff would have to be paid extra to open up, be on-site and close and lock facilities outside of school hours.

A possible solution to this could be to open up outdoor courts on school sites or indoor sports halls in exchange for coaching time provided through the LTA or local clubs.

A similar scheme could be set-up where schools raise interest amongst pupils and a network of schools use a single school site’s courts for an after school club. The schools could then be supported by schools inviting club coaches in to provide coaching. This could also be attractive to local clubs looking to increase junior membership and interest in tennis overall.

Alternatively, an extension of the key fob scheme to school facilities where the scheme operates outside of school hours could be attractive in some areas of Bournemouth and Poole where accessibility is poor because of distance away from key fob operated courts.

Larger schools, colleges and Academies may be interested in developing indoor and outdoor courts as a tennis sports development centre, an option which could be explored further between the LTA, schools / colleges / Academies and the local authorities, as part of the strategy if there is interest. However, provision like this would need to be co-ordinated across the Boroughs to ensure no duplication of provision to prevent over-supply in the area.

Catchment Areas

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users would have to travel further to access facilities. Local catchments for netball courts are estimated using a number of sources:

 The LTA’s “Places to Play Strategy 2011-16”;  Club and league surveys;  Population density;  Proximity of one facility to another, similar, facility;  Discussion with officers from local authorities;  Experience from undertaking similar work elsewhere in the country; and,  Travel times by car established through Department for Transport and the South East Dorset Multi-Modal Transport Study data on average speeds35.

As noted in the Strategic Literature Review Report, the LTA has set out a series of aims and objectives which seek to increase participation in tennis36. The focus is on giving people, as far as practically possible, access to courts of high quality.

The strategy seeks to secure:

 Access for everyone to well-maintained high quality tennis facilities which are either free or pay as you play;  A Clubmark accredited place to play within a 10 minute drive of their home;  Indoor tennis courts within a 20 minute drive time of their home;

35 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion- on-local-authority-managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. 36 The LTA’s “Places to Play” Strategy 2011-16 aims to help get more people playing tennis through the provision of high quality, safe and well-maintained facilities at convenient locations, therefore providing better opportunities for people to play regularly close to their home. Within the context of a Vision, it sets out: how regular participation will be grown by supporting places to play to develop and deliver the right programmes; how the LTA’s capital investment decisions ensure that investment is put into the right facilities to grow the sport; and, how the LTA will support performance programmes in the right locations. - 251 -

 A mini tennis (10 and under) performance programme within a 20 minute drive of their home (Performance Centres);  A performance programme for 11 - 15 year olds within a 45 minute drive time of their home (High Performance Centre); and,  A limited number of internationally orientated programmes strategically spread for players 16+ with an international programme (International High Performance Centres).

The strategy is helpful in determining the appropriate catchment areas for tennis courts.

Taking the above sources on-board, the catchment for tennis courts has been identified, from these sources, as being:  For West Hants Lawn Tennis Club, which has a wide catchment due to its size and range of indoor and outdoor courts, a 30 minute drive-time at 28 mph or a 1 mile / 20 minute walk if on foot;  For Bournemouth Gardens Tennis Centre and Dorset Health and Racquets Club (Virgin Active), due to provision of indoor courts (which will tend to attract players from a wide catchment), a 25 minute drive-time at 28 mph or a 1 mile / 20 minute walk if on foot;  For other, smaller clubs, which are likely to have a more immediate catchment within and immediately around the conurbation, a 20 minute drive at 23 mph or a 1 mile / 20 minute walk if on foot; and,  For school and park community access courts, a 10 minute drive-time at 23 mph or a 1 mile / 20 minute walk if on foot.

Figure 94 maps the impact of these catchments on accessibility to tennis courts.

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Figure 94a: Tennis Court Catchments (walking)

Source: Borough of Poole

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Figure 94b: Tennis Court Catchments (driving - Bournemouth)

Source: Borough of Poole

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Figure 94b: Tennis Court Catchments (driving - Poole)

Source: Borough of Poole

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N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

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Cost of Courts

During discussion, the cost of using facilities has not generally been raised as being prohibitive to participation. The level of demand also suggests that it is not prohibitive to most people currently using facilities. However, cost can be an issue for those not currently accessing facilities and may be a prohibitive factor in increasing use in areas of Bournemouth and Poole where there are socio-economic issues illustrated through the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

The cost of the key fob schemes in Bournemouth and Poole to users should be monitored, together with the socio-economic make-up of uses to understand how truly accessible tennis courts are as they move away from being freely accessible facilities to pay and play. Demand for the key fob scheme park courts suggests that players are happy to pay a small annual amount if it guarantees them a court at a certain time and the court is going to be of high quality and well maintained.

Accessibility Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

The key issues relating to accessibility of tennis courts, not already identified above are:

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 The need to ensure that local authorities maintain the quality, lighting and security of the parks where courts are located, particularly those which operate the key fob scheme. It is important that a safe environment is maintained for those using the courts between the court and their car or walk / cycle home.  The LTA considers that there is a lack of tennis facilities in the Turlin Moor and Hamworthy areas. This apparent lack of provision for the existing population will, no doubt, be exacerbated by the major development coming forward on regeneration sites identified in the Core Strategy for Poole. It has been suggested that additional community access courts could be provided at Hamworthy Park to accommodate the existing potential and future demand in the area.  The LTA has suggested that a higher number of community accessible indoor courts would be helpful to improve participation rates and lower the significant suggested latent demand in Bournemouth and Poole. Given the level of supply, it is suggested that this could be provided by increasing the number of temporary indoor structures over outdoor courts in the winter, dependent on viability of running costs. Fabric frame rather than inflatable dome structures are now understood to be more economical to run. However, it is understood that there has been little, if any, market / commercial interest in providing further indoor courts in recent years and the need for additional indoor courts could therefore be questioned. Provision of additional indoor courts would therefore need to proceed with caution and demand robustly demonstrated prior to delivery.  The success of the key fob scheme should be monitored to ascertain whether it will be a long-term trend. However, pay-back for the investment required and results in increased participation rates are positive so far. Consideration should be given to rolling-out the key fob system elsewhere across Bournemouth and Poole, particularly in areas where improving informal participation in sport or a range of sports is needed. Areas with significant levels of deprivation could be introduced to the key fob scheme where there is an existing court freely accessible or where there is opportunity to open up a court to the community using the system. It is suggested that a scheme pilot in one of these areas is

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commissioned to see if the impact is as positive as it has been in other parks. If cost under current pricing levels are considered to be too high, further concessions could be introduced if viable or the success of the scheme elsewhere used to part subsidise the first year of use to encourage additional members into the scheme.  The cost of the key fob scheme has been identified by some young people as being prohibitive to access (through a youth club survey). The point was also raised that if parents were not interested in purchasing a key fob then this can disenfranchise young people of the opportunity to use key fob courts. Freely accessible courts were suggested as the solution.  The LTA can support of school / dual use sites with the provision of models of management and marketing to promote facilities.  7% of the 517 respondents to the 2013 Bournemouth Parks Survey said that they use the parks for tennis.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUALITY

The key issues relating to the quality of tennis courts are:

 The LTA has suggested that none of the club nor park tennis court surfaces in Bournemouth and Poole are in a ‘poor’ condition, although the Redhill Park courts (3) are considered as being in need of refurbishment;  However, the audit of courts suggests that the following courts’ surface quality condition is ‘poor’:  Harewood College;  Avonbourne College (although it is understood that the college is looking to replace the courts with an all-weather pitch or courts);  Winton Arts and Media College (although the Slades Farm masterplan sets out improvements and additional courts);  The audit also suggests that the following courts’ overall condition is ‘poor’:  Harewood College;  Avonbourne College (although it is understood that the college is looking to replace the courts with an all-weather pitch or courts);  Moordown Recreation Ground;

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 Winton Arts and Media College (although the Slades Farm masterplan sets out improvements and additional courts);  Carter Community School.  The key issue for clubs moving forward is to ensure that the quality of courts is maintained so that they provide excellent playing surfaces and conditions for play.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING SHORTFALLS FROM EXISTING GAPS

Quantity, quality and accessibility guidelines

Quantity

For quantity of facilities, using the catchment data as the basis, users should be able to access an outdoor community accessible court within a 10 minute drive-time of where they live.

Quality

Provision of courts (and ancillary facilities) should be in at least ’adequate’ condition, where ‘adequate’ means adequately maintained, with no signs of neglect; sufficient changing accommodation for the facilities (if appropriate or necessary which is unlikely to be the case for community access outdoor courts); well-lit for sport and recreation activities, as appropriate; at least adequate appearance; and, clean.

Accessibility

For those without access to a vehicle, facilities should be on or close to a public transport route if possible, at least during peak times of use and be safely and easily accessible by bicycle. All facilities should be Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant. Dedicated and secure car and bicycle parking should be available on or close to the facility site. The minimum size

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acceptable for courts should be compliant with the latest Sport England and NGB standards for the type of tennis played.

MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Bournemouth and Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 96 shows.

Figure 96: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area37

Bournemouth Sub-area

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 Total

2011 30,130 33,610 29,560 43,240 18,620 28,300 183,460

2026 31,230 36,440 32,080 46,410 20,120 31,230 197,510

Poole Sub-area

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

37 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 263 -

increase is likely to occur is important in order to understand where change might be needed. The adopted plans for the Boroughs identify around 10,000 dwellings to be provided in Poole between 2006 and 2026 and around 7,500 in Bournemouth between 2011 and 2026 in the following places.

Figure 97: Housing Allocations in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

5,500 in appropriate locations across the 1,850+ at the regeneration area sites rest of the Borough fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

2,000 on Town Centre Area Action Plan 350–700 in the Town Centre North area sites

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Adopted Bournemouth Borough Core Strategy October 2012 and Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

Implications of growth

While no additional courts identified in relation to increase in population, participation and use of existing facilities should be monitored should a combination of increased population and improved accessibility and signposting and promoting facilities and courts prove very successful.

However, analysis of catchments and the location of major growth in Poole suggest that there could be an increased need for accessible courts in the

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Hamworthy area. As a result, Hamworthy Park could be explored as a location for extending the key fob system.

Knowing how population could change into the future and applying that to existing levels of participation in tennis can help to estimate likely demand in the future. Figure 98 sets this out for Bournemouth and Poole. However, there is no readily available nor reliable data which can be used to estimate what this population size will mean in terms of the number and type of courts needed.

Figure 98: Estimating Number of Tennis Players in Bournemouth and Poole in 2026

Market segmentation 2011 2026 2013

People Estimated no. People who % of of players who Total Popn. Popn. want to popn. applying % of play play popn. in 2011

Bournemouth 3,020 3,297 6,317 183,460 3.44 197,510 6,794

Poole 2,474 2,606 5,080 148,080 3.43 158,870 5,449

Total 5,494 5,903 11,397 331,540 3.44 356,380 12,243 Notes: figures do not include under 16 demand

The figures suggest that participation is around 3.4% across Bournemouth and Poole, which, if applied to population projections for 2026, equates to an increase of around +477 players either playing or wanting to play tennis in Bournemouth and +369 in Poole (not including junior demand). However, no figures can be drawn from that for club / non-club playing split and the projected figure does not try to establish the proportion of those who play against those who do not but would like to (on the basis that some concerns have been expressed about the accuracy of the data and that participation rates seem to have already changed since the date of the data).

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While figures do not therefore translate into a specific number of courts and the representation of the picture ‘on the ground’ can be under or overplayed by market segmentation data, it does provide one source of information from many in understanding how participation and demand could change in the future.

Delivering existing plans and programmes

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Figure 99: Projects which relate to future strategic provision of outdoor netball courts in Bournemouth and Poole

Progress Does it Source remain a Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway Document Complete priority? Tennis Courts started / ongoing *

Identified priorities (programmed The refurbishment and year of improvement and H/M/L provision of new additional priority) relevant to Sports courts will improve supply on Strategy: a pay and play basis if they

Develop 250m cycle track (2011 can be secured for - H); repair and improve skate community use outside of park (2012-14 - M); improve 250m school hours. It will be worth Slades Farm school pitch drainage (2013 - H); cycle track considering whether a key Masterplan Yes refurbish tennis / netball courts completed fob system could be 2012-2021 at Glenmoor School (2014 - H); 2011 introduced to allow fitness trail in school or park accessibility outside of school (2014 – M); full size artificial turf hours to some of the courts, pitch for rugby / football (2016 – depending on the level of M); new sports hall (2020 - M); dual use with netball new girls’ changing rooms (2015 required. If 4 of the new - H); outdoor climbing wall courts are covered, as

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Progress Does it Source remain a Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway Document Complete priority? Tennis Courts started / ongoing * (2014 – M); and, 1km cycling / proposed, this will help to training circuit (2015 - M). satisfy concerns that one of the key issues in Bournemouth and Poole is lack of access to community indoor provision.

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Conclusion

The level of provision of tennis courts is very good across Bournemouth and Poole and the conurbation is fortunate to have a very good range and number of court types. Provision for club based tennis is good with no significant issues or concerns raised. Participation outside of club set-ups is improving with the recent initial success of the key fob system in Poole Park and in Bournemouth to Shelley Park, Swanmore Gardens and Winton Recreation Ground. The system allows dedicated access to bookable courts for a small fee and ensures that courts are well-maintained and secure.

Gaps in provision for tennis are not around the number of facilities or courts, rather, access to community or pay and play courts, with figures suggesting a high latent demand (although these figures may have changed following the recent introduction of the key fob system). The focus of the strategy for tennis is therefore round maintaining existing levels of supply and quality while introducing further measures to help increase participation on an informal basis at community accessible courts.

This could mean extending the key fob system to some courts, working more closely with schools to ensure that availability of courts is widely known and providing additional temporary indoor court(s) to encourage play in the winter months and during poor weather, if viable. At the same time, some parts of Poole will need to respond to major development areas, which may, in itself, demand additional community access to court time in the area.

Key to ensuring that provision meets demand in its various forms, will be monitoring the fit of supply and demand and having an up-to-date understanding of need.

Bournemouth and Poole

The key focus for the strategy across Bournemouth and Poole for tennis courts is as follows:

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 There is a lack of reliable quantifiable data, particularly about how many people play tennis informally and what that means in relation to the number of courts available during the summer peak and during the winter in terms of indoor court provision. Therefore, local authorities, the LTA, Sport England and clubs should work together to improve quantifiable data about supply and demand of publicly accessible / community courts by:  Monitoring the amount of court time and availability of courts (indoor and outdoor) for community use (in parks, schools sites, leisure centres and clubs) to help better understand the demands and therefore how best to manage the existing supply of courts and whether additional courts will be needed in the future; and,  Monitoring the impact of the key fob system in terms of catchment of use, number of members, frequency of use, periodically reviewing fee structures to ensure accessibility to as many socio-economic groups of the population as viability allows, understanding a maximum threshold of members that courts can support to evidence appropriate future roll- out of the system and understanding the balance of use and potential impact on other community accessible facilities such as courts provided at leisure centres.  Being informed by and informing this on-going monitoring process, increasing community access to informal tennis opportunities from the existing supply of courts and ensuring that there are development pathways from community tennis and tennis in schools through to coaching and club based tennis, by:  Maintaining all existing courts to a high quality;  Continuing to maintain the park courts’ environment to a high standard so that the quality of the overall ‘offer’ (and therefore the attractiveness of courts) is not compromised;  Making improvements to those courts identified as being in ‘poor’ condition;  Building on the success of the current key fob scheme and exploring opportunities to extend the key fob pay and play system to continue to improve accessibility to courts, maintain quality of courts and improve participation rates (particularly when membership levels justify increasing the number of key fob system courts);

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 Ensuring that key fob system does not prevent young people from gaining access to outdoor courts;  Ensuring that future costs of resurfacing and maintenance of community access courts are covered by a ‘sinking fund’38 based on annual contributions of 10% of the initial capital cost;  Supporting, in principle, the securing of additional indoor provision for community access, if viable;  Working with schools, colleges and Academies to ensure that tennis becomes better embedded as an accessible sport to young people (for example through bringing together children interested in playing after school at a single site to maximise coaching resource and time, building relationships with clubs and coaches through satellite club schemes or and introducing a coaching time for court time ‘in kind’ swap where schools open courts up free of charge and clubs provide some coaching time free of charge);  Improve communication of the community accessibility and cost of indoor and outdoor courts to the general public. For example, the SPOGO (https://spogo.co.uk/) site and / or other online communication tools (e.g. search engine listings and apps should be utilised and advertised as the way in for an understanding of what is available, where and when.

Bournemouth

At the Borough level, within the context of and in addition to the Bournemouth and Poole-wide strategy, the focus in Bournemouth should be as follows:

 explore opportunities to roll out the key fob system to other parks (particularly when membership levels justify increasing the number of key fob system courts); and,  explore opportunities to utilise key fobs for community access outside of school hours at the new and improved Slades Farm courts (the system

38 A sinking fund is where money is accumulated in a fund through regular payments in order to eventually finance refurbishment. - 271 -

could also be employed, through a pilot, to the use of netball courts at the same site).

Poole

At the Borough level, within the context of and in addition to the Bournemouth and Poole-wide strategy, the focus in Poole should be as follows:

 with membership levels of the key fob system reaching capacity at the Poole Park courts, explore opportunities to roll out the key fob system to other courts. Consideration should also be given to extending provision to new additional courts in relation to the increase in population arising from the new developments.

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Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs)

Defining Multi-use Games Areas

The assessment of multi-use games areas (MUGAs), also known as ball parks, considers those MUGAs which are available for open community access and are usually found in parks or on or adjacent to school or youth centre sites. Typically, MUGAs are outside, enclosed, available for general play and have five-a-side football and basketball markings and goals / baskets (nets). They may also be marked out for netball or tennis. MUGAs will typically be tarmac or other hard court surface. MUGAs which are open for all or part of the day have been audited, although those which only open selectively such as those attached to school sites and youth centres and therefore only serve a restricted population when their parent facility is open are not considered as being fully accessible.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUANTITY AND CAPACITY

Quantity and Location

Figures 100 and 101 show the location and number of MUGAs, and whether they are fully accessible, i.e. open all of the time, or not. As accessibility is influenced by floodlighting, this is also highlighted. The table suggests that there are few open access MUGAs in Poole in particular. Those attached to youth centres and schools will tend to be open only when the main facility itself is open.

Figure 100: Location and number of MUGAs with some community access

Poole

Open at all Location Floodlit? times?

Parkstone Sports and Arts Centre No Yes

Bourne Valley Youth Centre No Yes

Trinidad Boys Club Yes Yes

Hatchards Field (mini) Yes No

Limelights No Yes

Turlin Moor Youth Centre No Yes

Turlin Moor Recreation Ground > Yes No

Total 3 5

Bournemouth

Open at all Location Floodlit? times?

Boscombe Chine Gardens Yes Yes

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Bournemouth

Open at all Location Floodlit? times?

Churchill Gardens Yes No

Cranleigh Road Play Area Yes No

Cyrill Road Yes No

Fern Heath Yes No

Moordown Recreation Ground Yes No

Pine Road Yes No

Redhill Park Yes No

Moore Avenue Yes No

Townsend Youth Centre Yes Yes

King’s Park Yes No

Nigel Bowes School No No

Littledown Youth Centre No Yes^

Littlemoor* na na

Total 11 3

Notes: * understood to be closing ** King’s Park MUGA has limited low fencing / is not fully enclosed ^ on one side > this is not a small MUGA in the same sense as others in the assessment. The Turlin Moor Recreation Ground MUGA is a redgra partially enclosed area (with fencing in disrepair with gaps) which could be used for football (3 x small sided pitch areas) although the site is in very poor condition.

N.B. The MUGA at Rockley Park Holiday site in Poole is not included in the assessment as it is not openly available for community use.

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Figure 101: Mapped Location of MUGAs with Community Access

Source: Borough of Poole

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N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

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Range of Supply and Supply – Demand Balance

There is a relatively good number of MUGAs in the Bournemouth and Poole area, although a better supply of open MUGAs in Bournemouth with 11 freely open MUGAs in Bournemouth and 2 in Poole, and 2 MUGAs with restricted access in Bournemouth and 4 in Poole.

While limited access to MUGAs can help to ensure that quality and security is retained, these arrangements restrict use to some younger people to specific times of the day. However, the advantage of many of the MUGAs with limited access is that they have floodlighting which increases the time available in winter months.

Examination of catchment areas of MUGAs, which tend to serve a local community, is undertaken later in this assessment. This will identify the parts of the Boroughs which do not currently have open access to a MUGA and where the areas of imbalance are.

Quantity, Supply and Demand issues identified by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

Youth surveys distributed to Youth Club groups in Bournemouth and Poole highlighted the following issues of relevance to understanding the demand for MUGAs:

 Poole Park has been identified as a location where some young people in Poole would like to see a MUGA;

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 In Bournemouth, Fern Heath, King’s Park and Redhill Park MUGAs have been raised as being popular with local young people;  Young people appreciate facilities which are free to use and openly accessible;  MUGAs allow the opportunity for young people to try sports like basketball and football out in an informal setting; and,  MUGAs are fairly popular and some young people have expressed a desire to see more provided near to where they live.

Demand generated by International Students

The section of this report entitled “Estimating the Impact of Non-residents on Sports Facilities” sets out the likely demand generated by international students on facilities in Bournemouth and Poole. International students39 account for some estimated 45,000 - 50,000 additional people40 in Bournemouth and Poole over the period of a year with the peak time of foreign student attendance at international language colleges usually being over the summer months when the proportion of this total figure is likely to be substantial. There is little data to quantify how many students are present at the peak time over the summer, but estimates put figures at up to 9,000, while the lowest number off-peak in November and December is likely to be around 4,800 – 5,00041.

39 International students do not include students who attend Bournemouth University, although some foreign language schools and colleges utilise University facilities during the summer. University students are included in population projections (as they tend to stay for more than one year) and therefore estimations of demand from the resident population. 40 In 2013, it is understood that the number of accredited language schools is 24 with an estimated number of students across the last year being between 45,000 and 50,000. In 2009, the number of students was estimated to be 42,300 from 27 language schools in Bournemouth. There are very few language schools in Poole by comparison. These figures exclude the “mushroom schools” i.e. those Europe-based operators who bring over mainly young people, and set up "classes" in various places such as church halls etc. For these groups there are no recorded figures. 41 Figures estimated through discussion with the Chair of the International Education Forum and are based upon 24 colleges having an average of 350 students enrolled at peak. Some colleges have as many as 900 – 1,000, while some smaller colleges have fewer than 150. - 279 -

More work has been done to quantify the economic benefit of international students with English UK suggesting a value of almost £190m comes from 195,254 student weeks equivalent in 201142.

For ensuring sufficient additional provision of MUGAs for international students, the provision standard developed for the residential population (see pages later in this assessment) can be applied. This equates to 71.6 sqm per 1,000 population, although in reality, this could be higher for a population which is predominantly between the ages of 16 and 24. Applying this standard suggests that 644.4 sqm of space will be needed to accommodate demand from up to 9,000 people. A small ‘kick-about’ MUGA’s typical size is 18.5m x 40m (740 sqm). Allowing for a 15% additional area for ‘run-off’ etc, this increases the area required to 851 sqm. However, as suggested, the figure to accommodate the peak number of international students could be higher with the application of the student age profile to demand. It is suggested, therefore that one MUGA (marked out for football and basketball) would be appropriate to cater for international students in addition to what is already provided and what is already recommended as additional provision to cater for the resident population.

42 See http://www.englishuk.com/uploads/assets/english_uk/Estimate_of_the_value_of_ELT_to_the_ UKs_Towns.pdf - 280 -

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: ACCESSIBILITY

Community Accessibility and Shared Sites

As identified above, MUGAs tend to be split between those which are freely accessible and open at all times (for example those in parks) and those which have limited opening times (for example those on school and youth centre sites).

As noted above, the balance of provision in Bournemouth is reasonably good with 11 MUGAs open at all times and the remaining 2 being open when their associated facility is open. In Poole, it is a different picture, with only 2 MUGAs open at all times and the remaining 4 open only when associated facilities are open.

While it can be argued that MUGAs which are closed when associated facilities are closed help to maintain quality and security, young people are increasingly requiring openly accessible facilities close to where they live to give them the opportunity to access informal sports such as football and basketball. The open MUGAs in parks also enable play to be contained, reducing the likelihood of balls damaging property, and running into roads (therefore improving safety to young people playing and to car drivers). The advantage of MUGAs on shared sites, however, is that they often have floodlights, enabling use year-round. A mix of accessibility to both types is therefore preferred to give a range of opportunities to young people.

Catchment Areas

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average distance of 1 mile or a 20 minute walk is appropriate for the range of ages who will access MUGAs without a parent or guardian. The 1 mile catchment was confirmed by responses to the Youth Club survey where most young people who responded suggested that access should be within easy walking, skating or cycling distance.

Figure 102 maps the impact of these catchments on accessibility to MUGAs, both open MUGAs and those on sites where MUGAs are locked or closed when the school or youth club facility closes.

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Figure 102: MUGA Walking Catchments (approx. 20 minute walk)

Source: Borough of Poole

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The catchment map shows that there are a number of areas where young people do not have access to freely open MUGAs.

In Bournemouth, these areas are mainly in the south west of the Borough – Westbourne, the town centre, Talbot Woods and Meyrick Park – and in an area north of the A3060 at Castlepoint. However, in the latter area, there is reasonably good provision of MUGAs at youth centres (at Townsend and Littledown Youth Centres) which, it is considered, provides sufficient access in that part of Bournemouth.

In Poole, there are significant gaps in provision of freely open MUGAs outside of the catchments of the Hatchards Field and Parkstone Sports and Arts Centre MUGAs, leaving most of the Borough without open access. However, the MUGAs at Limelights, Turlin Moor Youth Centre and Trinidad provide some coverage when those facilities are open. Taking these facilities into account, there are significant areas within Poole without access to a MUGA of either sort. Merley, in the north of the Borough, has no MUGA since the youth centre closed there in 2009. The north-western part of Poole north of the A35 (Creekmoor / Hilbourne / Waterloo / Broadstone) also has a gap in local provision. The other noticeable gaps are in and around the town centre, the regeneration sites / Hamworthy, Poole Park, Whitecliff Park, Parkstone and through to Canford Cliffs and Branskome Park.

The other part of Bournemouth and Poole with less access is the part either side of the Borough boundary in the Bearcross / Bearwood / West Howe areas west of the A348 Ringwood Road. While the closure of the Littlemoor MUGA does not suggest a significant loss in catchment terms (with the Moore Avenue and Fern Heath MUGAs within a mile or so to the east), it is likely that the A348 will act as a physical barrier to easy access for residents to the west of the road.

Discounting MUGAs which open up for a limited time, there is also an area of need for an open MUGA in the Canford Heath – Ashdown – Oakdale area in Poole.

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The catchment map also needs to be interpreted with an ‘on the ground’ perspective. While some residential areas may be within walking catchment of a MUGA, there may be real and / or perceived barriers which prevent young people from accessing them, for example, major or main roads which are difficult or dangerous to cross (particularly where there is no pedestrian crossing which allows direct ‘eye-line’ walking towards a facility).

In summary, existing shortfalls in open access MUGAs exist in the following areas and represent areas of search around which it would be logical to find a suitable location for a new open access MUGA:

Bournemouth  Meyrick Park / Talbot Woods  Westbourne / West Cliff  Town centre  Throop / Castlepoint  Strouden;  Kinson Park Road / Pelhams Park  Winton East / Queens Park

Poole  Branksome Park / Canford Cliffs  Whitecliff Harbourside Park / Poole Park  Sterte / Longfleet / regeneration sites  Hamworthy Park / Hamworthy regeneration sites  Turlin Moor Recreation Ground  Creekmoor / Hilbourne / Waterloo  Broadstone  Merley  Canford Heath  Oakdale / Foxholes

Bournemouth / Poole  Bearwood / West Howe / Bear Cross

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Population Density

In relation to the gaps identified above, some areas have a higher existing population density than others, suggesting a greater need for additional MUGAs which can help to prioritise delivery of additional facilities.

Amongst the areas with gaps in provision, the following have the highest densities (areas at or around 6,000+ people per sqkm):

In Poole  Parts of Poole town centre;  Longfleet;  Creekmoor; and,  Canford Heath.

In Bournemouth  Westbourne / West Cliff; and,  East of Meyrick Park.

Source: Data sourced from ONS interactive mapping http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/interactive/census-map- 1-4/index.html

Index of Multiple Deprivation

There are a number of areas which have relatively high levels of deprivation and which correlate with gaps in provision of open access MUGAs in Bournemouth and Poole:

In Poole  Hamworthy and Turlin Moor; and,  Sterte / Longfleet / area east of Twin Sails Bridge.

In Bournemouth  Kinson Park; and,  Westbourne and West Cliff.

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Proposals ‘in the pipeline’

It is understood that there is a proposal for a ‘beach MUGA’ in the process of being delivered in Bournemouth. Funding has been secured for a new facility to be provided between the Bournemouth and Boscombe piers.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUALITY

Quality issues are identified mainly through discussion with local authority officers, surveys received from Youth Club leaders and the audit. The key issues relating to the quality of MUGAs are as follows:

 Some vandalism was identified at Cranleigh Road and Redhill Park MUGAs with some evidence of glass / litter at Cranleigh Road, Churchill Gardens, Cyril Road and Bourne Valley MUGAs;  Only Cranleigh Road MUGA was identified in the audit as being in ‘poor’ condition overall; and,  The condition of the posts / nets / goals at Boscombe Chine Gardens, Churchill Gardens, Cranleigh Road and Fern Heath were identified in the audit as being ‘poor’.

The quality of other existing MUGAs has been identified as either ‘adequate’, ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Bournemouth and Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 103 shows.

Figure 103: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area43

Bournemouth Sub-area

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 Total

2011 30,130 33,610 29,560 43,240 18,620 28,300 183,460

2026 31,230 36,440 32,080 46,410 20,120 31,230 197,510

Poole Sub-area

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

These projections take into account allocated housing growth in the period to 2026. Figure 104 below sets out how population is anticipated to change in the 10 – 19 age group in the period to 2026, the age group which is most likely to use MUGAs. The significant rise in the number of young people in this age group suggests a rising need and demand for MUGAs to provide open access opportunities to play sport informally near to where young people live.

43 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 290 -

Figure 104: Projected Population Change in the 10 – 19 Age Group in Bournemouth and Poole 2011 - 2026

24,000

22,000

20,000

18,000 Bournemouth 10 - 19 Poole 10 - 19

16,000

14,000

12,000 2011 2016 2021 2026

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council Projections, 2013.

In addition to knowing how population might change during the plan period to help identify the implications for facilities, understanding where development is likely to happen and therefore where much of the population increase is likely to occur is important in order to understand where change might be needed. The adopted plans for the Boroughs identify around 10,000 dwellings to be provided in Poole between 2006 and 2026 and around 7,500 in Bournemouth between 2011 and 2026 in the following places.

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Figure 105: Housing Allocations in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

5,500 in appropriate locations across 1,850+ at the regeneration area sites the rest of the Borough fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

2,000 on Town Centre Area Action 350–700 in the Town Centre North Plan sites area

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Adopted Bournemouth Borough Core Strategy October 2012 and Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

Implications of growth

The single biggest area of population increase will be in and around the regeneration sites in Poole. There is already an existing deficit in provision of openly accessible MUGAs in the area which will be further exaggerated with around 1,850 new dwellings being developed.

Delivering existing plans and programmes

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MUGAs to help determine the strategic approach to fill gaps in provision in the period to 2026.

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Figure 106: Projects which relate to future strategic provision of MUGAs in Bournemouth and Poole

Progress Does it remain Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway a Document Complete open access MUGAs started / ongoing priority? * Bournemouth Proposal not yet delivered so Seafield Gardens there is an opportunity to Parks recast in light of gaps in – improve kick-about area to Investment provision identified causal use MUGA elsewhere. However, this is Plan 2009-13 an enhancement rather than development of a new MUGA Bournemouth Churchill Gardens and should remain as such in Parks the short-term as it is likely – upgrade ball court estimate Investment Plan to be easier to deliver £40,000 compared to completely new 2009-13 facilities on new sites. New MUGAs skate developed facilities at Redhill, Bournemouth planned Boscombe Develop further teen zones. Playground for Chine, Strategy, 2009 Horsesho Moore Ave e and Common Townsend.

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Progress Does it remain Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway a Document Complete open access MUGAs started / ongoing priority? * , Duck Lane and Townsen d.

Harbourside Park landscape Poole enhancements, improve pavilion, Harbourside Park is a location Infrastructure identified as appropriate for a youth hub, skate facility, sports Yes new MUGA and would tie in Programme, equipment and event to the proposals for a ‘youth 2011 hub’. infrastructure

Poole Sterte Esplanade landscape The proposal fits with an area Infrastructure enhancements, play and sports Yes of search suggested for Programme, possible location of new equipment 2011 MUGA.

Poole It is suggested that this Turlin Moor Recreation Ground. Infrastructure remains a priority in the Yes programme given lack of Redevelopment of the MUGA. Programme, provision in the Turlin Moor 2011 and Hamwothy areas.

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Progress Does it remain Source Relevance to provision of Project / proposal Not Underway a Document Complete open access MUGAs started / ongoing priority? * Poole –

Catchment gaps indicate a need Trinidad, for new MUGAs at areas of high Aldernay Bournemouth density population. West, EA: and Poole Sport Proposals yet implemented Improvements in quality needed Ashdown should remain on the list of and Recreation actions. Lagland Street and to MUGAs at: Littledown Youth Bournemo Built Facilities Yes Merley facilities have closed Centre, Merley Youth Centre, uth - New since the 2008 strategy was Strategy and published and as a result Townsend, Lagland Street MUGA Action Plan, needs are identified in areas Community Centre, Branksome built at within which they sit. 2008 Recreation Ground, Avonbourne Townsend School and Turlin Moor. Youth Centre.

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Conclusion

Applying catchment areas and population density to the locations of open access and selectively open MUGAs suggests that there are gaps in provision. These are significant gaps in Poole and less so in Bournemouth. Provision in Poole is largely comprised of MUGAs on sites where their access is dependent upon an adjoining facility being open such as a school or youth club. This arrangement, although often providing floodlighting, quality and security, can mean that there are no accessible MUGAs for much of the young community in an area.

The strategy approach needs to continue with improvements to existing MUGAs which are below average quality. The assessment has identified spatial gaps new additional MUGAs across Bournemouth and Poole which will need to be prioritised and phased throughout the strategy period. There are 17 areas of search within which additional provision should be considered. This does not mean that 17 new MUGAs need to be provided. Actual provision ‘on the ground’ may be less than this number and will be dependent upon demand demonstrated locally, identification of suitable sites and their catchments and be subject to capital funding being available to develop the facilities and being sustainable in the long-term (i.e. have sufficient funds for ongoing required maintenance). Any new MUGAs should be delivered in conjunction with related improvements and provision to other facilities such as wheel parks or alongside improvements to the same site on which they are or will be located.

Bournemouth and Poole

The key focus for the strategy across Bournemouth and Poole for open access MUGAs is as follows:

 To maintain and enhance the quality of provision at existing MUGAs where they are considered to be in ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ condition;  To deliver ‘oven ready’ proposals / proposals already ‘in the pipeline’;

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 To ensure that delivery of new additional MUGAs responds to locally demonstrated demand and that they are viable and phased;  To ensure that delivery is prioritised accordingly to deliver MUGAs:  In areas of high deprivation;  In areas of highest levels of population density;  In areas where there is no provision of open access MUGAs nor selected opening MUGAs within a mile or more walking distance;  In areas where there is no provision of open access MUGAs

New MUGAs which fit the more of the above criteria should be higher priority and those which fit with fewer, a lower priority.

Bournemouth

The following MUGAs currently rated (at least in part) as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ should be improved:

 Cranleigh Road, Fern Heath and Kings ParkMUGAs.

The following programmed improvements should remain programmed:

 Seafield Gardens kick-about area (convert into a mini MUGA);  Churchill Gardens MUGA improvements; and,  The proposed beach MUGA.

To meet spatial requirements, Bournemouth should explore opportunities for additional open-access MUGAs in the following 6 ‘areas of search’, (+1 in an area to be determined with Borough of Poole +1 to be delivered jointly with International Colleges to serve demand arising from international students). Areas are prioritised taking into account the criteria identified in the priorities list above. New facilities should only be delivered where demand is demonstrated locally, a suitable site can be found, an open access MUGA is considered appropriate in the area (rather than a controlled access MUGA), funding is secured and facilities are viable and sustainable in the long-term.

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Facilities should be delivered in a phased way during the strategy period to 2026:

Priority A areas  Westbourne / West Cliff

Priority B areas  Meyrick Park / Talbot Woods  Kinson Park Road / Pelhams Park

Priority C areas  Town centre  Winton East / Queens Park  Bearwood / Bear Cross / West Howe (joint with Borough of Poole)

Priority D areas  Throop / Castlepoint / Strouden;  A site within a one mile or 20 minute walk catchment of one or more of the largest 5 colleges: which are ETC International College, Kings, Anglo Continental, Southbourne School of English and Kaplan International College (to serve demand from international students, to be provided in partnership with International Colleges).

Poole

The following MUGA currently rated (at least in part) as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ should be improved:

 Bourne Valley MUGA

The very poor quality redgra MUGA at Turlin Moor should either be improved, replaced / refurbished or returned to grass and replaced elsewhere.

To meet spatial requirements, Poole should explore opportunities for additional open access MUGAs in the following 9 ‘areas of search’ (+1 in an

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area to be determined with Bournemouth Borough Council). Areas are identified taking into account the criteria identified in the priorities list above. New facilities should only be delivered where demand is demonstrated locally, a suitable site can be found, an open access MUGA is considered appropriate in the area (rather than a controlled access MUGA), funding is secured and facilities are viable and sustainable in the long-term. Facilities should be delivered in a phased way during the strategy period to 2026:

Priority A areas  Sterte / Longfleet / regeneration sites (to align with programmed Sterte Esplanade landscape improvements)

Priority B areas  Harbourside Park (to align with programmed Harbourside Park landscape improvements)  Hamworthy Park / Hamworthy regeneration sites  Turlin Moor (either at the Recreation Ground site to replace the existing redgra MUGA or elsewhere if a suitable location can be found)  Broadstone

Priority C areas  Canford Heath  Creekmoor / Hilbourne / Waterloo  Merley  Bearwood / Bear Cross / West Howe (joint with Bournemouth Borough Council)

Priority D areas  Branksome Park / Canford Cliffs  Oakdale / Foxholes

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Athletics Tracks

Defining Athletics

The assessment for athletics has focused on athletics tracks but also on the changing nature of athletics in relation to running, with more people now running on an informal rather than club basis either for fun, keeping fit or competing outside of a club setting in half marathons, marathons or multi- discipline events like the triathlon.

For an athletics track to be considered as part of the assessment, it should be generally available to the public (for ‘community use’), including those where membership of a club or organisation is a pre-requisite for access, provided that membership criteria are unrestrictive and the membership fees are not exorbitant.

The assessment does not include appraisal of grass athletics tracks marked out on school sites which are likely to be predominantly or solely used by the school or schools.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUANTITY AND CAPACITY

Quantity and Location

There are 2 athletics tracks in Bournemouth and Poole, one at King’s Park Athletics Centre in Bournemouth and one at the Everyone Active Ashdown Leisure Centre in Poole. Both are 400m tracks with King’s Park having 8 lanes and Ashdown 6 lanes (with an 8 lane straight). Figure 107 shows the location of the facilities.

Kings Park Athletics stadium was built in the 1960s. The track originally had an Avonsport surface and was upgraded to a synthetic surface in 1984, being resurfaced in 1990. The track area around the 1500m start was repaired in the spring of 2001 and the centre was refurbished in 2004. Facilities available at the floodlit stadium also include a clubroom, café, separate throws area, cross country course, a weights room, large covered stand and changing rooms. The facility is home to Bournemouth Athletic Club who hold regular meetings and competitions there. The track at the Ashdown Leisure Centre in Poole was laid in 2000 and is floodlit. There are also auxiliary throwing and jumping facilities. It is home to Poole Runners and the Poole Athletics Club and was refurbished in 2011.

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Figure 107: Mapped Location of Athletics Tracks

Source: Borough of Poole

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N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

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Management and Ownership

The athletics centre at King’s Park is owned and maintained by Bournemouth Borough Council. Bournemouth Athletic Club have a management agreement to use the track for training, competition and youth, plus use of the weights room and the office. The cafe at the site is run through a separate lease. The Borough Council also facilitates use of the facility by schools and manages other bookings.

The athletics track at Ashdown Leisure Centre has maintenance for the track paid for by the Borough of Poole and the facility is managed by Everyone Active. Everyone Active also pays for equipment and grounds maintenance.

Supply – Demand Balance

Establishing Demand in Bournemouth and Poole

The picture of demand in Bournemouth and Poole can be put together from a number of sources and tested against one another to determine whether or not the position is accurate. Participation rates are the best fit data that can be used to estimate demand. They are monitored through the Sport England / Department of Culture Media and Sport Active People Survey and illustrated through the Sport England Market Segmentation Tool. The picture of demand cannot be isolated purely to the use of the athletics tracks in Bournemouth and Poole, although demand for non-running sports and the capacity of the facilities to accommodate them can. Analysis is therefore given for both

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demand for use of the athletics facilities and also for athletics activities such as running which is popular outside of a formal club setting.

As the Sports Profile Report which accompanies the strategy notes, nationally, participation once a week in athletics in the 16+ age group over the 12 month period from April 2012 to April 2013 fell by around 20,000 people. However, the longer term trend suggests that since 2005/06 participation once a week has grown by over 600,000. This mirrors the anecdotal understanding that running, in particular has grown significantly in the last few years, partially because of the informal nature of the activity and partially due to the Olympic effect. Locally, the sports profile tool identifies that, in 2012, athletics was the third most popular sporting activity in Bournemouth with 9.1% of the adult population taking part at least once a month. In Poole, athletics is the fourth most popular, with 7.1% of the adult population saying they participate at least once a month.

The Sport England Market Segmentation Tool provides a useful indication of current participation rates at local authority and super output area level.

Figures 108 and 109 show the estimated participation rates for athletics across Bournemouth and Poole. They suggest that large parts of both Bournemouth and Poole experience levels of 5.1% – 10% of residents participating in athletics. All other areas experience around 2.1% - 5% participation with lower rates fitting in reasonably well with the socio- economic and demographic make-up of the population illustrated in the Data Profile Report.

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Figure 108: Percentage of Population in Bournemouth participating in athletics

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 109: Percentage of Population in Poole participating in athletics

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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When translated to numbers of residents, the tool suggests that current participation in Bournemouth is around 8,848 people and 6,877 people in Poole. Figures 110 and 111 set out which segments of the population participate in athletics the most (the top 7 are listed).

Figure 110: Existing participation in Bournemouth – segments of the population with which athletics is most popular

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 1,488 16.8 settling down with partner

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 1,424 16.1 enjoying football, pints and pool

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 968 10.9 play-hard’ attitude

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image- 782 8.8 conscious females keeping fit and trim

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 777 8.8 children and more time for themselves

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums 733 8.3 and their supportive college mates

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, enjoying life in 716 8.1 the fast lane

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 111: Existing participation in Poole – segments of the population with which athletics is most popular

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 1,342 19.5 settling down with partner

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 870 12.7 play-hard’ attitude

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 824 12 children and more time for themselves

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image- 709 10.3 conscious females keeping fit and trim

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, enjoying life in 536 7.8 the fast lane

Alison Stay at Home Mums: Mums with a 501 7.3 comfortable, but busy, lifestyle

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 442 6.4 enjoying football, pints and pool

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

The types of people participating in athletics are reasonably similar across Bournemouth and Poole, although levels are generally higher in Bournemouth.

The tool also provides figures for the number of people wanting to participate in athletics but who are unable to do so (i.e. latent demand). In Bournemouth this figure is 3,782 and in Poole, it is 2,934. There could be a number of reasons for these numbers including lack of time, willingness to

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join a club set-up or inability to access facilities at the athletics tracks / centres, particularly if those wanting to participate have to use facilities only available at these locations.

Examining the detail of the total figure for latent demand, the Market Segmentation tool suggests that there are a few key types of people wanting to participate in athletics. Knowing this sort of detail helps us to understand how best to respond and what the more likely causes of the latent demand are.

Figure 112: People wanting to participate in athletics in Bournemouth: proportion of people above (or close to) 8% of total number wanting to play

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Leanne Supportive Singles: Young busy mums 506 13.4 and their supportive college mates

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 478 12.6 settling down with partner

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 422 11.2 enjoying football, pints and pool

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image- 326 8.6 conscious females keeping fit and trim

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, enjoying life in 312 8.2 the fast lane

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 297 7.9 children and more time for themselves

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 113: People wanting to participate in athletics in Poole: proportion of people above (or near to) 8% of total number wanting to play

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 431 14.7 settling down with partner

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 315 10.7 children and more time for themselves

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image- 295 10.1 conscious females keeping fit and trim

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, enjoying life in 234 8 the fast lane

Alison Stay at Home Mums: Mums with a 223 7.6 comfortable, but busy, lifestyle

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 218 7.4 play-hard’ attitude

Jackie Middle England Mums: Mums juggling 218 7.4 work, family and finance

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

Using the same figures for people wanting to play, the tool also sets them out spatially by super output area to give an idea of the distribution of this latent demand. Figures 114 and 115 reproduce these maps. In both Bournemouth and Poole, the mapping suggests that around 2.1% - 5% of the resident population would like to participate in athletics with a few areas where the proportion is lower.

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Figure 114: Mapped latent demand amongst resident population in Bournemouth

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 115: Mapped latent demand amongst resident population in Poole

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Local data is also useful in clarifying demand and supply. 18% of the 200 respondents to the Poole Opinion Survey (Spring, 2013) suggested that athletics is under-provided for in Poole, a higher figure than other sports such as swimming (12%), cycling (12%) and tennis (11%).

Membership of formal athletics clubs suggests that the figures above comprise more than just those who use the formal track facilities at King’s Park and Ashdown. Membership at Bournemouth Athletics Club (based at King’s Park) is over 270 members (including life members, competing athletes, special Olympic athletes and associate members) (47% of which are juniors), at Poole Athletics Club (based at Ashdown) it is 408 (220 of whom are juniors) and Bournemouth Joggers (who use King’s Park) have 50 adult members. Of the clubs that provided a response to the club survey or other requests for information, most (Westbourne Running Club, Bournemouth Athletic Club and Poole Athletic Club) stated that their membership increased in the last 2 years, while Bournemouth Joggers’ membership had fallen. All plan to increase membership in the coming years and none are operating at the maximum capacity that their club can accommodate suggesting that those who use track facilities have some headroom at those facilities.

Informal running outside of club running is becoming more popular. The Poole and Bournemouth Park Runs are testament to that and Figures 116 and 117 show statistics for the Park Runs taken from the respective websites. At the time of writing this assessment (October 2013), the Poole Park Run (held in Poole Park) has held 136 events and has an average of almost 280 runners per week. Comparatively, the more recently established Bournemouth Park Run (held in King’s Park) has held 9 events and has had an average of 184 runners per week. It is hoped that hosting the Park Run in King’s Park will increase links to the athletics club (including membership), help to ensure the long-term viability of maintaining and running the athletics centre and enable the site to develop as a hub for running.

The runs are clearly an attractive way of getting people involved in running, catering for all levels of ability and fitness. While increasing activity and

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participation, the runs will need to be carefully managed to ensure that the routes and venues for the runs can accommodate demand. The Park Run ‘rules’ make it clear that the runs use routes shared by other park users and that runners should ‘give way’ to other users. They also encourage runners to travel to the course by foot, cycle or public transport if possible.

In addition to running in parks, the seafront in Bournemouth and Poole is a popular place to run for informal runners.

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Figure 116: Poole Park Run Statistics

Source: http://www.parkrun.org.uk/poole/ 29th October 2013

Figure 117: Bournemouth Park Run Statistics

Source: http://www.parkrun.org.uk/bournemouth/ 29th October 2013

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Discussion with Everyone Active has suggested that the track at the Leisure Centre in Poole suffers from a lack of demand. The 2 clubs which use it tend to have 2 x 2 hour sessions during weekday evenings each and Poole Athletics Club tend to use the track on a Saturday morning for a couple of hours for the 5 warmer months of the year. Outside of these times there tends to be very little casual use. The infield area is not suitable for pitch sports due to divots caused by events such as the hammer and shot put. Usage over recent years has remained steady, although there has been an increase in use by wheelchair athletes.

As with all outdoor facilities for sport, it can be challenging to maintain or increase levels of use during the winter months, particularly outside of serious or competitive athletes within the club set-up.

Schools and Academies form an important supply in terms of use of the track facilities in Bournemouth and Poole. This is particularly important to the running of King’s Park in Bournemouth, although it is understood that many schools and Academies cannot individually afford to pay the full cost of hiring the facility.

Summary

Overall, there seems to be sufficient demand for athletics (for running in particular) in Bournemouth and Poole to warrant the retention of the two athletics track facilities in Bournemouth and Poole. However, evidence suggests that both track facilities are underused and as a result are substantially subsidised and would make a loss if subsidy was withdrawn. The challenge will be to draw or channel some of the growing demand for informal running where there is most interest (which is currently at little or no cost to the runner) into the track facilities to help ensure future viability at both King’s Park in Bournemouth and the track at the Ashdown Leisure Centre in Poole. If viability cannot be secured in the medium term of the strategy, consideration may be needed to rationalise provision of tracks across Bournemouth and Poole in one location.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: ACCESSIBILITY

Catchment Areas

Taking the above sources on-board, the catchment for athletics centres has been identified, from these sources, as being a 20 minute drive at 28mph (by road). Figure 118 maps the impact of these catchments on accessibility to athletics tracks.

44 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion- on-local-authority-managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. - 319 -

Figure 118: Athletics Track Catchments

Source: Borough of Poole

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N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

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The catchments show that there are no gaps in provision in Bournemouth and Poole. In reality, with each track facility being located centrally within each Borough, it is likely that the effective catchment of most users will be from each town with each drawing some users from the East Dorset and Christchurch local authority areas.

Cross-boundary relationships

In reality, the use of sports facilities does not, of course, restrict itself to boundaries of local authorities, or even of built-up areas. The following map shows the indoor and outdoor courts within a 20 minute drive (at 30 mph) of Bournemouth and Poole’s administrative boundaries.

What is clear is that without the two athletics tracks in Bournemouth and Poole, athletes would have to travel significant distances to access similar facilities, for example, the closest others are at New Milton, Ferndown, Yeovil in Somerset, Southampton in Hampshire and Salisbury in Wiltshire. The tracks in Bournemouth and Poole therefore potentially play an important sub- regional and strategic role in provision.

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Figure 119: Other athletics tracks within a 20 minute 30 mph drive-time of the boundaries of Bournemouth and Poole

Source: Borough of Poole

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Cost

Cost has not been identified as a barrier to membership by most clubs from survey and other consultation (although Bournemouth Joggers did identify that the cost of using the King’s Park facility is a little high). On a wider note, running is possibly growing in interest and participation partially because it can be done very cheaply without the need to use formal facilities or joining a club. The free Park Runs in Bournemouth and Poole are a demonstration of how freely accessible running is without a need to use a track facility.

The key issue for athletics is the running cost of track facilities.

As noted above, discussion with Everyone Active has suggested that the track at the Ashdown Leisure Centre in Poole suffers from some lack of use. The 2 clubs which use it tend to have 2 x 2 hour sessions during weekday evenings each and Poole Athletics Club tend to use the track on a Saturday morning for a couple of hours for the 5 warmer months of the year. Outside of these times there tends to be very little casual use. The infield area is not suitable for pitch sports due to divots caused by events such as the hammer and shot put. Usage over recent years has remained steady, although there has been an increase in use by wheelchair athletes. While the facility is run by Everyone Active, evidence suggests that the facility is substantially subsidised by the Borough of Poole which pays for maintenance of the track. If this subsidy was withdrawn, it is very likely that with existing patterns of use would mean that the facility would make a loss and its presence would be at risk. Clearly, more should be made of the time available at the track, particularly in the summer months, to help secure future viability and improvements to the facility.

In Bournemouth, with the track and facilities at King’s Park owned and maintained by Bournemouth Borough Council, set against cutbacks in recent years in local authority budgets, it seems likely that there will be continuing pressure on the authority to secure the track’s future by ensuring it ‘pays its way’. Bookings for the use of the facility vary during the year with the facility

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being used for around 50% – 70% of the time it is available between April and July, before dropping to around 5% - 40% in the months between with the least use during the winter months, as is to be expected. The number of bookings taken for the calendar months 2010 – 2012 inclusive were 68, 89 and 67 respectively. Clearly, more should be made of the time available, particularly in the summer months, to help secure future viability and improvements to the facility.

Day to day running costs throughout the year are likely to be in the region of £100,000, a cost which does not include improvements to the facility or maintenance to ensure that the facility is kept to a high quality. Therefore other ways of bringing income in to the management and maintenance of the centre need to be explored such as partnership agreements with interested users and organisations, ‘outsourcing’ its operation, sponsorship, and generating additional income from facilities on-site such as the café. It is understood that Bournemouth Borough Council is already working with potential partners to help secure the long-term financial viability of the track and facilities.

An issue raised during consultation has been the potential cumulative impact of Park Runs on park infrastructure. It is likely that one of the attractions of park runs is no entry fee given that the take place in public spaces. However, a long-term increased maintenance cost could be an issue if the volume of runners continues to grow. While it would be counter-intuitive to charge a fee for entry which may reduce participation rates, the option of asking for a voluntary donation could help to build a park version of a ‘sinking fund’ so that quality can be maintained and improvements made which are a result of the park’s increased use.

Other Accessibility Issues Raised by Key Stakeholders and the Audit

Key issues about accessibility, some relating to specific facilities, were raised through the audit and surveys, workshops and consultation meetings. These are summarised below:

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General  Accessibility to residents new to running and to visitors wanting to run during their stay needs to be improved through better marketing of good routes for different distances and terrain. This could be achieved through a combination of leaflets, electronic / social media routes and ‘on-the- ground’ signposting (Bournemouth officers’ workshop).

King’s Park Athletics Centre  Users of the King’s Park track highlighted that convenience, ease of parking and location were positive things about the facility (Club surveys);  A response to the league survey has suggested that there is no indoor area for activities during winter months so competitions can only be held outside. This is an issue also raised by Bournemouth Athletics Club. Members (Councillors) also raised the issue of an indoor facility to extend the use of the facility, but it was acknowledged that viability is likely to prove a problem.  Members (Councillors) at both Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole recognise the important role that the athletics tracks play to the community and real added value that there is from having them, particularly as there are no similar facilities across the rest of Dorset (Member workshops). Members at the Bournemouth workshop highlighted the important role that King’s Park track plays in providing opportunities for disabled children and children with learning difficulties to play sport; and ;  Bournemouth Members (Councillors) raised the issue that it is in the interests of athletics as a national sport to safeguard existing facilities and ensure that the community has access and an entry point into athletics, particularly in light of running being a growth sport.

Ashdown Leisure Centre Track  Club surveys have suggested that parking provision at Ashdown Leisure Centre is poor (although it is understood from Leisure Centre Management that this problem may only be temporary until on-site building work is completed by the end of 2013);

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 A response to the league survey has suggested that there are access issues for disabled users at Ashdown; and,  Members (Councillors) at both Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole recognise the important role that the athletics tracks play to the community and real added value that there is from having them, particularly as there are no similar facilities across the rest of Dorset (Member workshops).

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION: QUALITY

Quality issues are identified mainly through discussion with local authority officers and Members, surveys received from key stakeholders such as clubs, leagues and schools and the audit. The key issues relating to the quality of athletics tracks are:

King’s Park Athletics Centre  King’s Park has been identified in club surveys and at a Bournemouth Members (Councillors) workshop as being in need of improvements in quality of provision (for example, the changing rooms and toilets are in need of refurbishment). Bournemouth Athletics Club suggested that the quality and availability of office, meeting and storage space could be improved. The audit, however, suggested that overall quality of facilities is ‘good’.

Ashdown Leisure Centre Track  The audit suggested that overall quality of facilities is ‘good’ to ‘very good’.  Club surveys highlighted a need for a clubhouse, spectator stand and toilets at track-side at Ashdown Leisure Centre running track.  Club surveys have suggested that the overall condition of facilities such as toilets and refreshments are ‘very poor’.  A response to the league survey has suggested that “the hut is in poor repair and needs replacing so that competitions can take place”. The same response highlighted that there is a lack of storage capacity for equipment.  Officers’ comments support the issues raised about quality of the ancillary facilities with an identified need for improved facilities such as the club ‘hut’ which is currently a ‘failing’ shipping container.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Bournemouth and Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 120 shows.

Figure 120: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area45

Bournemouth Sub-area

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 Total

2011 30,130 33,610 29,560 43,240 18,620 28,300 183,460

2026 31,230 36,440 32,080 46,410 20,120 31,230 197,510

Poole Sub-area

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

45 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 329 -

dwellings to be provided in Poole between 2006 and 2026 and around 7,500 in Bournemouth between 2011 and 2026 in the following places.

Figure 121: Housing Allocations in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

5,500 in appropriate locations across the 1,850+ at the regeneration area sites rest of the Borough fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

2,000 on Town Centre Area Action Plan 350–700 in the Town Centre North area sites

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Adopted Bournemouth Borough Core Strategy October 2012 and Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

Implications of growth

Knowing how population could change into the future and applying that to existing levels of participation can help to estimate likely demand in the future. Figure 122 sets this out for Bournemouth and Poole. While the figures do not add-in additional numbers of people running in Park Runs nor split those running informally and those running or doing other athletics sports at a track facility, they do give some estimation of potential change. The figures also seek to give a range of potential increases by introducing % changes in participation over the period as a whole to 2026.

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However, there is no readily available nor reliable data which can be used to estimate what this population size will mean in terms of the capacity needed for athletics tracks and facilities in the future, particularly given that most growth at the moment seems to be around informal running rather than in club based running and wider athletics sports which require specific provision.

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Figure 122: Estimating the number of people likely to participate and wanting to participate in Athletics in Bournemouth and Poole by 2026

Market segmentation 2011 2026 2013

People People Estimated no. of who +1% +3% +5% who % of participants want to Total Popn. Popn. increase in increase in increase in particip popn. applying % of particip participation participation participation ate popn. in 2011 ate

Bournemouth 8,848 3,782 12,630 183,460 6.88 197,510 13,589 13,725 13,997 14,269

Poole 6,877 2,934 9,811 148,080 6.63 158,870 10,533 10,638 10,849 11,060

Total 15,725 6,716 22,441 331,540 6.77 356,380 24,122 24,363 24,846 25,329

Notes: figures do not include under 16 demand. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

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The figures suggest that there could be a range of between 13,589 and 14,269 of residents in Bournemouth participating or wanting to participate in athletics by 2026, taking into account projected growth in population and potential increase of up to 5% in participation rates. In Poole the range is between 10,533 and 11,060.

While figures cannot be translated into a specific requirement for athletics tracks or facilities, it does at least give an indication of potential change in demand and latent demand overall and therefore provides figures against which to monitor change during the life of the strategy.

Delivering existing plans and programmes

The Literature and Strategic Review of plans and programmes currently operational in Bournemouth and Poole has identified the following projects which will need to be considered alongside recent evidence gathered to help determine the strategic approach to athletics in the future. In relation to King’s Park, Bournemouth Borough Council has approved a masterplan for the AFC Bournemouth plans for redeveloping some of its football facilities. Any plans for improvements at the athletics centre will need to take these plans into account.

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Conclusion

There appears to be sufficient demand for athletics, from existing numbers and those who would like to participate but who cannot, to support the existing provision of track facilities in Bournemouth and Poole. There is no demonstrable need for additional athletics facilities.

However, estimates of the proportion of that number who just want to take- up or already run informally mask the supply – demand balance and therefore the likely membership of clubs which use the facilities. Membership levels of those clubs which regularly use the facilities certainly do not reflect the number identified by the Sport England Market Segmentation tool and Active People Survey data. However, there is a strength of feeling amongst local authorities and users of these facilities that they provide a significant opportunity for their communities which could not be found locally (or even within Dorset) if they were to close. There also appears to be a growing interest in athletics for people with disabilities, with the Olympics and Paralympics affect continuing to result in increased participation and opportunities to grow disabled athletics should be taken.

Informal running is growing in participation nationally, mirrored in Bournemouth and Poole and demonstrated through the popularity of Park Runs in both towns. There are opportunities to better link up this enthusiasm and activism in informal running with the facilities provided at the track facilities and these should be developed and strengthened further to ensure that the assets continue to be such in the future. Without an increase in use of the facilities generating increased income, through athletics or other events, the viability of operating two facilities across the conurbation in the long-term may be called into question if subsidy levels have to remain at current levels.

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Bournemouth and Poole

The key focus for the strategy across Bournemouth and Poole for athletics tracks is to secure growth in participation in informal and club based athletics and ensure viability of facilities through the following measures:

 Continue to support the growth in participation in informal and formal athletic sports such as (but no only) running through:  Park Runs;  Signposting running routes in public places through electronic, paper (leaflet) and physical signposting;  Exploring the creation of a joint athletics development post hosted by either local authority or Active Dorset to work across both athletics tracks to increase usage. This could be a graduate intern with an athletics coaching qualification who could go out to schools (encouraging indoor athletics in the Winter) and build up junior sections of clubs and engage with parents. The role could also be used to recruit more junior coaches from the University;  Continue to support athletics clubs by:  supporting the timely improvement of facilities where needed;  facilitating increased opportunities for people to access clubs and the facilities they use;  Maintaining the quality of the running and athletics tracks and environments by:  Working with clubs and providers to deliver a realistic and viable programme of improvements where necessary;  Working with Park Run organisers to introduce a voluntary donation sinking fund or crowd funding scheme to help ensure that quality of parks used for Park Runs is maintained given the additional intensive use of the spaces;  Working in partnership with clubs, school / colleges / Academies, NGBs and providers to ensure the viability of athletics track facilities in the long- term;

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 Monitor the use of the track facilities to help ensure that viability into the long-term is secured;  Improve communication of community accessibility, clubs’ offer and the cost of hiring athletics tracks and facilities to the general public, schools / colleges / Academies and businesses. For example, the SPOGO (https://spogo.co.uk/) site and / or other online communication tools (e.g. search engine listings and apps should be utilised and advertised as the way in for an understanding of what is available, where and when; and,  Should viability be an issue in the medium term, with ways of reducing subsidy and increasing income not secured, review the strategic provision of athletics tracks across the conurbation and rationalise that provision onto a single site if necessary.

Bournemouth

The focus in Bournemouth should be as follows:

 To capitalise on the growth in informal running further and continue to link Park Runs to the King’s Park Athletics Centre, increasing patronage, use of facilities (and possibly membership of the clubs which use it) and income.  Increase income generated by and reduce public expenditure on the King’s Park facility (therefore reducing subsidised support from the local authority in a managed way in the long-term) through a package of measures to be explored including:  Working to introduce a partnership approach to running and maintaining the facility, discussing options with the University, local businesses and schools / colleges / Academies;  Exploring sponsorship opportunities;  A community crowd funding initiative for improvements in quality and accessibility;  Exploring other ways of increasing use of the facility such as a swipe card system for casual users or groups (operated on a similar basis to the key fobs for tennis courts in the parks). This could prove popular for people during the day, on winter evenings for floodlit running /

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jogging, family groups at weekends or triathletes (a sport becoming more popular);  Exploring options to increase the variety of events which can be held at the facility year round (which can be held using temporary structures or flooring) and if viable seek investment for necessary improvements or changes which do not compromise its key role as an athletics facility nor its setting in the park. Communication and promotion of this role for the facility would be needed if this is considered as a feasible way forward; and,  Ensure that any future plans to improve or add to facilities at King’s Park Athletics Centre fit alongside plans by AFC Bournemouth for changes to their football stadium or associated pitches and facilities.

Poole

The focus in Poole should be as follows:

 Improve the quality of ancillary facilities at the Ashdown Leisure Centre Track;  Increase income generated by and reduce public expenditure on the Ashdown Leisure Centre facility (therefore reducing subsidised support from the local authority in a managed way in the long-term) through a package of measures to be explored with Everyone Active including:  Working to introduce a wider partnership approach to running and maintaining the facility, discussing options with local businesses and schools / colleges / Academies;  Exploring sponsorship opportunities;  A community crowd funding initiative for improvements in quality and accessibility;  Exploring other ways of increasing use of the facility such as a swipe card system for casual users or groups (operated on a similar basis to the key fobs for tennis courts in the parks). This could prove popular for people during the day, on winter evenings for floodlit running / jogging, family groups at weekends or triathletes (a sport becoming more popular); and,

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 Exploring options to increase the variety of events which can be held at the facility year round (which can be held using temporary structures or flooring) and if viable seek investment for necessary improvements or changes which do not compromise its key role as an athletics facility. Communication and promotion of this role for the facility would be needed if this is considered as a feasible way forward.

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Squash Courts

Introduction

The assessment for squash takes a similar approach to that done above for other facilities and sports. However, Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole have only required a ‘lighter touch’ analysis of squash provision across the Boroughs. Therefore, less in-depth analysis has been done, although sufficient analysis has been done to draw some conclusions.

Since the height of its popularity in the 1980s, squash has declined nationally, a trend which has been reflected at many leisure centres which have seen an increase in interest in classes and gym use over squash and facilities for these activities often replacing infrequently used squash courts. As a consequence, squash has become a game largely played at commercial or private member clubs. However, the sport has adapted over this time. Racketball has developed as a new modern sport (an easier to play version of squash) and has seen some growth, enabling the targeting of different users / markets. As a result, squash and racketball together are one of the most participated sports in the country (10th) with more participants than rugby, cricket and netball, for example. There are still 644 leisure centres with 1,520 squash courts (comprising 30% of all courts) in England and England Squash and Racketball (the national sports governing body) is keen to work with the sector to modernise or advise on modern ‘flexible use’ courts which have capacity to move the walls for other purposes (such as Dance, Martial arts etc).

The 2008 Sports Strategy for Bournemouth and Poole stated that “An assessment of need in 2007, following the closure of the ‘David Lloyd Bournemouth’ facility found that whilst its closure has had a negative impact on the local sporting community it was “not directly serving the needs of all members of the local community”. According to the assessment, deficiencies

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created by the loss of five squash courts are insufficient to justify investment in new facilities.”

However, an addendum to the strategy produced in 2009, stated that:

“The strategy for sport and recreation facilities in Bournemouth and Poole (2008) (the Strategy) – prepared by KKP is based on an audit of facilities, primary research and analysis of data from a variety of sources. This included the PMP report on the impact of the possible closure of David Lloyd Bournemouth (DLB), which stated that the impact of said closure would be minimal. However, PMP has since, changed its report and amended certain data that underpins the Strategy. The findings of the revised report should be considered to ensure that the final (and adopted) Strategy is based upon the most recently available information.

PMP Consultants were commissioned to assess the need for sports facilities in Bournemouth and Poole as part of its plan to close and sell the David Lloyd Bournemouth (DLB) leisure club site for housing. Its original report suggested that the forthcoming closure would have little or no impact. However, the statements made in PMP’s original assessment (published November 2007) have, following comment from certain parties, been amended.

The revised report (dated 19 February 2008) which has only just been made available to Bournemouth Borough Council Leisure Services and Sport England, changes the premise on which the Strategy was, hitherto, based. It identifies that, “whilst the previous needs assessment concluded that the closure of DLB did not have a significant impact on the development of squash and badminton in the area, recent objection letters indicate that there has been a greater loss than was previously understood”. The revised assessment also recalculates the shortfall of squash courts from 1.5 to 7.5 courts.

In light of this new information, which has significant implications for provision for the sport of squash in the Area, the Strategy (Final Version, June 2008) should include a caveat - as follows: - 340 -

Findings and analysis (Squash courts, page 22, paragraph 2)

A revised assessment of need by PMP in February 2008, following the closure of the ‘David Lloyd Bournemouth’ facility, identifies a shortfall of 7.5 squash courts (the previous assessment identified a shortfall of 1.5 squash courts). The revised assessment also found that “investment in replacement … squash facilities is now considered to be the most suitable option to address any loss (page 46)”. Consequently, development of replacement squash courts could be justified.

Identified shortfalls and issues (Squash courts, page 25, row 4)

Retention of a minimum of 17 courts is important to satisfy need and comply with the minimum provision standard for squash courts. The supply of courts has reduced because of the closure of courts at David Lloyd Centre, Bournemouth (5) and (potentially) at Poole Sports Centre (3). Consequently, development of replacement squash courts could be justified.”

Looking forward, the Sport England sets out the national picture in light of the England Squash and Racquetball Whole Sport Plan for 2013-17:

“Currently around 263,000 people regularly play squash and there has been a gradual decline in numbers over the last five years. The biggest drop has been amongst 35-44 year olds – squash’s traditional heartland – and a decline in number of women playing means the sport is now nearly 90% male. Squash’s biggest issue, however, may be the closure of public courts. More and more leisure operators are replacing under-used squash courts, which take up a lot of space and are typically only booked during peak times, with more flexible and profitable sports facilities. • To address this decline England Squash and Racketball is planning a range of activity focused on getting new players into the sport and keeping more of them playing including: Headline promotions under the Big Hit brand and the creation of an online players portal

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• Peak and off peak programmes that make better use of courts stock and encourage recreational occasional players who play during the day to play more often. • A scaled-up version of the successful higher education programme that attracts students to the sport through its social and fun aspects. • Disability initiatives with organisations including UK Deaf Sport, Mencap and Mind that make use of off-peak court capacity • A mixture of new build and refurbishment capital investments to meet identified demand for additional courts

Quarterly participation and court-usage surveys will monitor the results of this work and check the governing body’s progress against agreed targets and milestones.”

Source: http://www.sportengland.org/our-work/national-work/national-governing- bodies/sports-we-invest-in/2013-17-whole-sport-plan-investments/

However, it is understood that Bournemouth and Poole is not a priority area for the NGB.

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION

Quantity, Location and Catchment Areas

There are 19 squash courts on 7 sites across Bournemouth and Poole, as listed in Figure 123. One of these sites (with 4 courts) is in Bournemouth, with the rest in Poole. All courts are privately or commercially run with no provision at local authority owned leisure centres.

Figure 123: Squash Courts in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

No. of Courts No. of Courts*

Location Glass Location Glass Normal Normal back back

West Hants Lawn Barclay House 3 1 2 0 Tennis Club Squash Club

Canford School Total 3 1 0 4 Sports Centre

Cobham Sports and 2 0 Social Club

Dorset Health and Racquets Club (Virgin 0 2 Active)

Haymoor Squash 4 0 Club

The Hamworthy Club 1 0

Total 9 6 Notes: * When the assessment was undertaken the 3 courts at the Poole Sports Centre were not being used. At the time of publication of this assessment, the centre had re-opened with use of sports hall space for climbing and also re-opening of the squash courts.

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It is understood that there is also an empty 4 court squash facility in Ringwood Road, Poole and that there has been interest from a local group interested in setting-up a club there, although we have also been made aware that a change of use application has been submitted for the facility.

It is important to gain an understanding of the catchment areas of use for sports facilities. Catchments help to build the picture of use and illustrate a spatial distribution of facilities and coverage, showing gaps in provision where users would have to travel further to access facilities. Local catchments for the squash clubs have been estimated on the basis of returned surveys, other strategy work done in Bournemouth and Poole and elsewhere, proximity of facilities to one another, number of facilities available to the population and travel times by car established through Department for Transport and the South East Dorset Multi-Modal Transport Study data on average speeds46.

Figure 124 shows the location and catchment area (based on a 20 minute drive-time at 25mph) of the facilities.

46 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion- on-local-authority-managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. - 344 -

Figure 124: Mapped Location and Catchment Areas of Squash Courts

N.B. Map and key to be added by Borough of Poole / Bournemouth Borough Council. At the time of issue of this report, no map was made available to the consultants.

Source: Borough of Poole

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346

Supply – Demand Balance

Establishing Demand in Bournemouth and Poole

The estimated picture of demand in Bournemouth and Poole can be put together from a number of sources. Participation rates are the best fit data that can be used to estimate demand. They are monitored through the Sport England / Department of Culture Media and Sport Active People Survey and illustrated through the Sport England Market Segmentation Tool.

Figures 125 and 126 show the estimated participation rates for squash across Bournemouth and Poole. Figures include racquetball. They suggest that for large parts of both Bournemouth and Poole, around 1.1% - 2% of the resident population currently play with around 10% of areas showing lower levels of between 0.1% and 1% participation.

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Figure 125: Percentage of Population in Bournemouth participating in squash

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 126: Percentage of Population in Poole participating in squash

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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When translated to numbers of residents, the tool suggests that current participation in Bournemouth is around 1,623 people and 1,288 people in Poole. Figures 127 and 128 set out which segments of the population participate in squash the most.

Figure 127: Existing participation in Bournemouth – segments of the population with which squash is most popular

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 380 23.4 settling down with partner

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 298 18.4 enjoying football, pints and pool

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 253 15.6 play-hard’ attitude

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 248 15.3 children and more time for themselves

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 128: Existing participation in Poole – segments of the population with which squash is most popular

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 342 26.6 settling down with partner

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 263 20.4 children and more time for themselves

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 227 17.6 play-hard’ attitude

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 93 7.2 enjoying football, pints and pool

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

Unsurprisingly, the figures show that squash is most popular with a few types of people, largely young and mid-life males.

The tool also provides figures for the number of people wanting to participate in squash but who are unable to do so (i.e. latent demand). In Bournemouth this figure is 1,022 and in Poole, it is 800. There could be a number of reasons for these numbers including easier access to other sports better provided for, lack of time, willingness to join a club set-up or inability to access facilities due to cost. The number of courts available in Poole may have an impact on the number of people wanting to play as there is a greater supply of clubs and courts than in Bournemouth.

Examining the detail of the total figure for latent demand, the Market Segmentation tool suggests that there are a few key types of people wanting to participate in squash. Knowing this sort of detail helps us to understand

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how best to respond and what the more likely causes of the latent demand are.

Figure 129: People wanting to participate in squash in Bournemouth: proportion of people above (or close to) 8% of total number wanting to play

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 197 19.3 settling down with partner

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 183 17.9 enjoying football, pints and pool

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 157 15.4 children and more time for themselves

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 85 8.3 play-hard’ attitude

Kev Pub League Team Mates: Blokes who enjoy pub league games and watching 75 7.3 live sport

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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Figure 130: People wanting to participate in squash in Poole: proportion of people above (or near to) 8% of total number wanting to play

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 178 22.3 settling down with partner

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 167 20.9 children and more time for themselves

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 76 9.5 play-hard’ attitude

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 57 7.1 enjoying football, pints and pool

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

The figures above do not reveal anything surprising. The greatest demand from those who want to but do not currently play is from the same groups of people who already play the sport. Using the same figures for people wanting to play, the tool also sets them out spatially by super output area to give an idea of the distribution of this latent demand. However, the maps show a flat picture with between 0.1% and 1% of the resident population interested in wanting to play squash and so are not repeated here.

Membership levels can be a useful indicator of demand, although for squash clubs in Bournemouth and Poole, only the West Hants club in Bournemouth returned a survey. The club suggested that membership levels have stayed the same in recent years (with current membership numbers comprising 35 junior members and 100 adult members) although they have plans to increase the number. There is no waiting list although the club has indicated

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that there is a need for an additional squash court to make supply comfortable against demand.

Cross-boundary relationships

In reality, the use of sports facilities does not, of course, restrict itself to boundaries of local authorities, or even of built-up areas. The following map shows courts within a 20 minute drive (at 30 mph) of Bournemouth and Poole’s administrative boundaries.

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Figure 131: Other squash courts within a 20 minute 30 mph drive-time of the boundaries of Bournemouth and Poole

Source: Borough of Poole

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Key issues raised by the audit and surveys

4 of the 7 sites were audited by the local authorities for the assessment. The 3 not audited would not allow access to the courts for the audit to take place. Of those audited, there were no significant issues relating to the quality or accessibility of any of the courts audited, although two of them, Cobham Sport and Social Club and The Hamworthy Club had internal walls considered as ‘adequate’, rather than ‘good’ or ‘very good’. The Cobham courts were also rated as ‘adequate’ overall and for the court surface condition. No courts had any part or overall condition audited as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. The West Hants club did not raise any quality issues with their facilities through the survey.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Bournemouth and Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 132 shows.

Figure 132: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area47

Bournemouth Sub-area

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 Total

2011 30,130 33,610 29,560 43,240 18,620 28,300 183,460

2026 31,230 36,440 32,080 46,410 20,120 31,230 197,510

Poole Sub-area

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

47 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 357 -

dwellings to be provided in Poole between 2006 and 2026 and around 7,500 in Bournemouth between 2011 and 2026 in the following places.

Figure 133: Housing Allocations in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Poole

5,500 in appropriate locations across the 1,850+ at the regeneration area sites rest of the Borough fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

2,000 on Town Centre Area Action Plan 350–700 in the Town Centre North area sites

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Adopted Bournemouth Borough Core Strategy October 2012 and Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

Implications of growth

Knowing how population could change into the future and applying that to existing levels of participation can help to estimate likely demand in the future. Figure 134 sets this out for Bournemouth and Poole. The figures also set out a range of potential increases by introducing % changes in participation over the period as a whole to 2026.

The figures do not include under 16 players and so figures could be higher than estimated if other clubs currently mirror membership at West Hants where 35 of 135 members are junior members.

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Figure 134: Estimating the number of people likely to participate and wanting to participate in squash in Bournemouth and Poole by 2026 and current and future court requirements

Market segmentation 2011 2026 2013

A B C D E F G H I J

People Estimated no. of People who players or people +1% +3% +5% who % of want to Total Popn. Popn. wanting to play increase in increase in increase in partici- popn. partici- applying % of participation participation participation pate pate popn. in 2011

Bournemouth 1,623 1,022 2,645 183,460 1.4% 197,510 2,765 2,793 2,848 2,903

Poole 1,288 800 2,088 148,080 1.4% 158,870 2,224 2,246 2,290 2,335

Total 2,911 1,822 4,733 331,540 1.4% 356,380 4,989 5,039 5,138 5,238

…continued overleaf…

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Existing position Additional total demand in 2026

L M N A K B B / L G-C H-C I-C J-C (A / K) (G-C to J-C) (M / L)

Likely demand No. of courts No. of courts Current increase in participation from people People No. of to accom. equivalent known People who who will play who player people who demand want to applying partici- per want to 60% of lower for participate existing no. of pate court participate 0% +1% +3% +5% and upper end courts players per ‘headroom’ of range court

Bournemouth 1,623 5* 324.6 1,022 3.2 120 148 203 258 72 – 155 0.22 – 0.48

Poole 1,288 15 85.9 800 9.3 136 158 202 247 82 – 149 0.95 – 1.7

Total 2,911 20 145.5^ 1,822 12.5 256 306 405 505 154 - 303 1.1 – 2.1

Notes: * includes the additional court identified as a requirement by West Hants club in Bournemouth. ^ it is understood that when advising clubs, England Squash and Racquetball suggest that 60 members per court is an appropriate minimum benchmark for planning purposes. Figures do not include under 16 demand. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Table assumes that figures generated through Sport England market segmentation model are accurate. This may not be the case on the ground from evidence gathered through surveys and discussion. Requirements generated for Poole are higher than those for Bournemouth given the larger number of courts in Poole and lower number of players. Figures mask the impact of a greater supply of courts in Poole absorbing some demand generated by residents in Bournemouth, where there are fewer courts available. Figures for Bournemouth and Poole should not therefore be used in isolation, but instead, the global figures for the conurbation should be used with distribution of additional courts done in light of the balance of courts and levels of true demand in each Borough.

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The figures suggest that there could be a range of between 2,765 and 2,903 residents in Bournemouth participating or wanting to participate in squash by 2026, taking into account projected growth in population and potential increase of up to (an optimistic) 5% in participation rates. This is an additional 120 – 258 players playing or wanting to play in Bournemouth by 2026. In Poole the range is between 2,224 and 2,335, suggesting an increase of between 136 and 247 potential players. Of these ranges, if players wanting to play but not playing are removed from the figures (around 40%), it is likely to mean a lower figure of real demand, perhaps 72 – 155 in Bournemouth and 82 – 149 in Poole.

Translating figures of demand into an accurate number of courts equivalent is therefore difficult to achieve. It is understood that England Squash and Racquetball advise clubs, when planning for additional courts, to work on the basis of at least 60 members per court. However, the figures above reflect players and not necessarily club members and so it is likely that a greater number of players would be required to sustain a court.

Calculations have to be based on estimations of demand taken from the market segmentation tool and Active People Survey and the assumption made that they are a true reflection of demand ‘on the ground’. As estimates in the 2008 report demonstrate (where a deficit of 7.5 courts was identified) the level of demand projected using data has simply not materialised in reality in the last 5 years. Therefore, any figures produced need to be tempered with an ‘on the ground’ reality check and local knowledge.

As Figure 134 above sets out, translating these figures to a number of courts would suggest an existing deficit of up to a maximum of 12.5 courts across Bournemouth and Poole (9.3 in Poole and 3.2 in Bournemouth) if the estimated figure for ‘those wanting to play but who do not at the moment’ is correct and all of those people could play. However, even if the market segmentation estimates are correct, it is highly unlikely that the full number of those wanting to play will happen ‘on the ground’ and so a more realistic figure of 50% of these existing deficits is suggested as a guide to the

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provision of additional courts (rounded to 7 courts maximum across Bournemouth and Poole).

While figures cannot be translated into a specific requirement for additional courts accurately, they do at least give an indication of potential change in demand and latent demand overall and therefore provides figures against which to monitor change during the life of the strategy.

In summary, while the figures suggest that there may be a need for additional capacity, there is little data or information ‘on the ground’ to corroborate the levels of deficit in supply suggested by reports in 2008 or for potential future demand outlined by the above calculations. Neither, it is understood, has there been a ‘groundswell’ of requests in the last 5 years for additional courts to meet the 2008 anticipated deficit. England Squash and Racquetball, the NGB for the sport has not identified Bournemouth and Poole as a priority place and leisure centre managers have said that they are not aware of any demand in Bournemouth and Poole for additional squash courts. While there may be some need, the real demand will need to be more clearly identified in dialogue with clubs and the NGB to quantify future provision beyond that identified by West Hants club in Bournemouth for one additional court.

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Conclusion

All residents are within the catchment (a 20 minute drive-time) of a squash court / club. While figures suggest some latent demand, this is mainly from existing types of people already playing. There is a good supply of courts in Poole and less so in Bournemouth, although there is no evidence to suggest that the local authorities need to intervene in provision, with commercial and private clubs providing all supply: providers which are likely to come forward with proposals if they wish to or need to grow their club’s facilities (unless physically constrained to do so). Concerns around commercial viability of squash courts over other facilities such as gyms and studio space for fitness classes has led to a market response to provision with levels of provision probably adjusting to fit demand overall.

Figures suggest that there is a fairly high level of existing demand not catered for in Bournemouth and Poole which suggests, in theory, that some additional capacity may be needed, if that demand can be translated from those wanting to play to those people playing. Any additional demand from the increase in population is unlikely to be large, although this position will need to be monitored during the lifetime of the strategy should the number of players increase ‘on the ground’ within the projected figures. However, the projected figures suggest a need for some additional courts in both Bournemouth and Poole, with a rebalance of provision across the conurbation towards Bournemouth perhaps being needed. Figures suggest an existing demand for around 7 courts across the conurbation, with a split of around 4 – 5 courts in Poole and 2 – 3 in Bournemouth if provision is not to be rebalanced across the towns. The number of additional courts required applying increases in population and potential positive participation changes equates to around 1 – 2 courts in the period to 2026 across Bournemouth and Poole.

Notwithstanding this, with a lack of response from club surveys and with Bournemouth and Poole not being a priority area for England Squash and Racquetball (the governing body for squash and racketball) it would appear that there are no priority issues of concern relating to provision. Audits have not identified any issues relating to quality or quantity for the sport as a

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whole, although demand for an additional court has been identified by West Hants club in Bournemouth and support for an additional court at this site should be supported in principle if viability is demonstrated. Likewise, whilst it is understood that a change of use application has been submitted for the facility, evidence could be used to support the re-opening of the 4 court facility on Ringwood Road in Poole if a robust and viable financial business case can be put forward by a group or club which clearly sets out demonstrable local demand for the additional capacity (this may need to include courts being used for other uses outside of peak times).

In summary, while the figures suggest that there may be a need for additional capacity, there is little data or information ‘on the ground’ to corroborate the levels of deficit in supply suggested by reports in 2008 or for potential future demand outlined by the above calculations. Neither, it is understood, has there been a ‘groundswell’ of requests in the last 5 years for additional courts. England Squash and Racquetball, the NGB for the sport has not identified Bournemouth and Poole as a priority place and leisure centre managers have said that they are not aware of any demand in Bournemouth and Poole for additional squash courts. While there may be some need, real demand will need to be more clearly identified in dialogue with clubs and the NGB to quantify support to open of any additional courts in Poole and future provision beyond that identified by West Hants club in Bournemouth for one additional court and the recently re-opened courts at the Poole Sports Centre.

While Bournemouth and Poole are not priority areas for England Squash and Racketball, if there are opportunities for ‘flexible’ modern squash provision in the area the NGB has stated that it will do all it can to help realise and support with their partners a development programme for the sports.

With no publicly run courts and little quantifiable demand for additional provision to existing supply, ultimately, the local authorities can only play an enabling role in provision given that the maintenance of courts is largely out of their control.

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Bournemouth and Poole

Within the context of the above issues, the key focus for the strategy across Bournemouth and Poole is to:  Work with providers to seek to maintain the existing supply and quality of squash courts where demand demonstrates need;  Work with clubs to periodically monitor the relationship between supply and demand to ensure that there is sufficient supply;  Support the provision of additional courts by providers in principle (subject to consideration of planning issues) where there is demonstrable need and a viable business case for their provision, given the identification of figures which suggest potential demand for additional courts, particularly in Bournemouth; and,  Improve communication of community accessibility and the clubs’ offer to the general public, schools / colleges / Academies and businesses. For example, the SPOGO (https://spogo.co.uk/) site and / or other online communication tools (e.g. search engine listings and apps) should be utilised and advertised as the way in for an understanding of what is available, where and when.

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Golf

Introduction

The assessment for golf takes a similar approach to that done above for other facilities and sports. However, Bournemouth Borough Council has asked for an assessment in relation to its public pay and play courses. No in-depth assessment has been undertaken for courses in Poole which are all privately owned and run, although the Borough Council has asked for a short perspective of whether much has changed in terms of provision since the last Sports Strategy was undertaken. An understanding of provision in Poole is also required in order to get a picture of demand and needs at the public courses in Bournemouth. Courses outside Bournemouth within a reasonable catchment are also identified for this reason.

As well as assessment of current data, a comparison with findings of the 2008 Sports Strategy has been undertaken to identify whether there is any change in provision required since that strategy was produced.

The 2008 Sports Strategy for Bournemouth and Poole stated that:

“Current situation

There are eight golf courses in the Conurbation. All offer eighteen hole courses, except Canford Magna Golf Course, which also has a driving range and 9 hole course. Broadstone and Parkstone Golf Clubs (in Poole) operate on a membership only basis. The quality of facilities is high, with all courses rated as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. There are also 16 golf courses within a 20 minute drive of the Conurbation’s boundary.

Proposed catchment area

Consultation indicates considerable variation in the distances that players travel to use golf courses, although a 20-minute drive would appear to be an acceptable average. It is also applied to golf courses within 20 minutes drive

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of the Conurbation to illustrate the extent (and reach) of provision (see figure 9 below).

Identified need

Consultees suggest an over-supply of golf courses in the area (i.e., within a 20 minute drive of the Conurbation). There is no evidence that the facilities are over used or that there is demand for additional courses. Consequently, there is no identified need for additional golf courses in Bournemouth and Poole.

Identified shortfall

There are no shortfalls identified. There is also nothing to suggest that there is overprovision in the area, although as fashion and the demands of users change some facilities could become underused.”

Looking forward, Sport England sets out the national picture in light of the England Golf Whole Sport Plan for 2013-17:

“Sport England has announced a £13 million investment into the England Golf Partnership (EGP) to get more people playing golf and develop talented young players. The County Golf Partnerships (CGPs ) which bring together the local golf bodies will remain at the heart of the EGP’s participation plans. They will deliver a range of activities under the “Get into Golf” brand. This will include programmes to attract people to the game as new players or encourage those who have previously played back into the sport. The EGP will focus on the older age-groups, but will also look to bring more women, disabled and younger people into the sport.

The already successful Golf Roots initiative will be expanded to provide opportunities for children and young people between the ages of 14 and 25. Substantial investment of £3.3 million will be used to continue to develop talent across the sport and fund an expansion of the County Academy Programme.”

Source: http://www.sportengland.org/our-work/national-work/national-governing-bodies/sports-we-invest- in/2013-17-whole-sport-plan-investments/

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UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION

Quantity, Location and Catchment Areas

There are 3 golf courses in Bournemouth, all of which are publicly owned and managed by Bournemouth Borough Council, operating on a pay and play basis. Other courses in neighbouring Poole are listed in Figure 135 and those within a 20 minute drive-time catchment are listed in Figure 136. These are noted to provide the picture of provision for residents in Bournemouth and the options for play open to them.

Figure 135: number and type of golf courses in Bournemouth and Poole

Bournemouth Pay and play, Ownership / Course(s) club Location Management type membership or both? Queens Park Public / managed by 18 hole Course local authority membership and season tickets available (essentially pay and play) Solent Meads Public / managed by Par3 Pay and play Golf for All Ltd. Driving range Meyrick Park Public / managed by 18 hole Course and club The Club Company at membership and Meyrick Park season tickets available (essentially pay and play) Christchurch Public (leased to and 18 hole Short and long- (Iford) Golf Club* managed by Playgolf term Par 3 Bournemouth) membership Driving options range Notes: * Christchurch (Iford) Golf Club is on the very edge of the Bournemouth Borough Council boundary. The club is accessed from Bournemouth but the land is within the Christchurch Borough Council boundary.

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Poole Pay and play, Ownership / Course(s) Location membership or Management type both? Broadstone (Dorset) Private 18 hole Principally Golf Club membership but visitors welcome Canford Magna Golf Private 18 hole x 2 Principally Club membership but Par 3 visitors welcome Driving range Canford School School (Private) 9 hole Principally Sports Centre Golf membership but Club visitors welcome Cobham Sports & Private 9 hole Principally Social Club membership but visitors welcome Knighton Heath Golf Private 18 hole Principally Club membership but visitors welcome Parkstone Golf Club Private 18 hole Principally membership but visitors welcome The Hamworthy Club Private Par 3 Principally membership but visitors welcome

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Figure 136: Golf courses outside of Poole but within a 20 minute drive-time of Bournemouth

Location

Parley Court Golf Club Highcliffe Golf Club

Dudsbury Golf Club Bulberry Woods

Dudmoor Farm Golf Club Burley Golf Club

Moors Valley Golf Course Barton-on-sea Golf Club

Ferndown Golf Club Wareham Golf Club

Sturminster Marshall Golf Club Dorset Health & Country Club

Ferndown Forest Golf Club Ashley wood Golf Course

Somerley Park Golf Club ( 9 hole)

It is important to gain an understanding of the catchment areas of use for sports facilities. Catchments help to build the picture of use and illustrate a spatial distribution of facilities and coverage, showing gaps in provision where users would have to travel further to access facilities. Local catchments for the golf clubs have been estimated on the basis of returned surveys, proximity of facilities to one another, number of facilities available to the population and travel times by car established through Department for Transport and the South East Dorset Multi-Modal Transport Study data on average speeds48.

48 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion- on-local-authority-managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. - 370 -

Figure 137 shows the location and catchment area (based on a 20 minute drive-time at 28-30mph) of the golf courses. There are no spatial gaps in provision.

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Figure 137: Mapped Location and Catchment Areas of Golf Clubs and Courses

N.B. Map and key to be added by Borough of Poole / Bournemouth Borough Council. At the time of issue of this report, no map was made available to the consultants.

Source: Borough of Poole

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Supply – Demand Balance

Establishing Demand in Bournemouth

The estimated picture of demand in Bournemouth can be put together from a number of sources. Participation rates are the best fit data that can be used to estimate demand. They are monitored through the Sport England / Department of Culture Media and Sport Active People Survey and illustrated through the Sport England Market Segmentation Tool.

Figure 138 shows the estimated participation rates for golf across Bournemouth. They suggest that most of the areas in Bournemouth see around 2.1% - 5% of residents taking part in golf at least once a month.

With so many private golf courses and clubs around Bournemouth, either across the conurbation in neighbouring Poole or to the east and north in East Dorset and Christchurch, it is difficult to know with any accuracy the amount of people playing golf who do not play in Bournemouth. Equally, it is likely that some people living in Poole travel to Bournemouth to use the public golf courses, which represent the only public courses in the area not requiring membership terms offered at private clubs (although some clubs do offer some pay and play time).

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Figure 138: Percentage of people participating in golf in Bournemouth

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

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When translated to numbers of residents, the tool suggests that current participation in Bournemouth is around 4,708 people although the data does not identify how much of this population play on public courses in whole or in part. Comparatively, in Poole, 4,238 people play golf. Figures 139 and 140 set out which segments of the population participate in golf in Bournemouth the most.

Figure 139: Number of people playing golf in Bournemouth by segment type (most popular segments)

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 882 18.7 children and more time for themselves

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 787 16.7 settling down with partner

Roger & Early Retirement Couples: Free-time Joy couples nearing the end of their 652 13.8 careers

Frank Twilight Year Gents: Retired men with some pension provision and limited 466 9.9 sporting opportunities

Ralph & Comfortable Retired Couples: Retired Phyllis couples, enjoying active and 388 8.2 comfortable lifestyles

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 316 6.7 play-hard’ attitude

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 309 6.6 enjoying football, pints and pool

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool 2013 375

Unsurprisingly, the figures show that golf is most popular with those who have time to play with a round of golf.

The tool also provides figures for the number of people wanting to participate in golf but who are unable to do so (i.e. latent demand). In Bournemouth this figure is 1,993 (and in Poole, it is 1,767). The balance of figures suggests, though, that there is sufficient supply of courses in and around Bournemouth to cater for demand, with other reasons such as lack of access to transport, not enough time being more likely reasons for lack of access by those who would like to play. The figures are likely to have been influenced by the range of golf courses on offer in the area. The presence of the public courses provide entry level and informal play that most clubs will not offer at a low price, together with an accessible ‘turn up and play’ offer. This suggests, therefore that there is a good balance of accessibility to a range of types of people with a variety of incomes.

Examining the detail of the total figure for latent demand, the Market Segmentation tool suggests that there are a few key types of people wanting to participate in golf. Knowing this sort of detail helps us to understand how best to respond and what the more likely causes of the latent demand are.

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Figure 140: People wanting to participate in golf in Bournemouth: proportion of people above (or close to) 6% of total number wanting to play

Bournemouth

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 427 21.4 settling down with partner

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 420 21.1 children and more time for themselves

Roger & Early Retirement Couples: Free-time Joy couples nearing the end of their 255 12.8 careers

Jamie Sports Team Lads: Young blokes 152 7.6 enjoying football, pints and pool

Kev Pub League Team Mates: Blokes who enjoy pub league games and watching 122 6.1 live sport

Ralph & Comfortable Retired Couples: Retired Phyllis couples, enjoying active and 117 5.9 comfortable lifestyles

Frank Twilight Year Gents: Retired men with some pension provision and limited 115 5.8 sporting opportunities

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool, 2013

The figures above do not reveal anything too surprising with most types of people wanting to play the most being of similar cohort to those already playing. Using the same figures for people wanting to play, the tool also sets them out spatially by super output area to give an idea of the distribution of

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this latent demand. However, the maps show a flat picture with between 1.1% and 2% of the resident population interested in wanting to play golf and so are not repeated here.

While there is no membership of the public courses in Bournemouth, the local authority has provided an indication of use of the facilities in the last few years and current levels of play. In the last few years, use of the facilities has fallen, with a 10% fall in numbers in the last year on the previous year. This may be largely explained by the impact of the recession on disposable income (a point confirmed by England Golf / Dorset Golf Partnership for golf across the county and nationwide with county-wide membership falling from 13,000 to 10,000 in the last few years) and it will be worth monitoring this in the short-term as the economy recovers, to determine whether it is part of a long-term trend or whether numbers will recover. If the former, with a rising population in the courses’ catchments, figures may suggest a need to reconsider the need for 3 public golf courses in the medium to long-term of the strategy and whether making more effective use of the space or returning courses solely to recreational park use should be considered.

However, officers have also suggested that usage of the courses at peak times is not a problem with all being used to capacity, for example at weekends. Queens and Meyrick Park courses are restricted to a degree with park rules requiring them to return to dedicated park space after 12 noon on Sundays. Demand may be impacted at Queens Park on Saturdays when AFC Bournemouth have a home game as the car park is often used by supporters who then walk to the ground at King’s Park. In turn this may affect income on those days. Demand naturally drops out of the normal season although Queens Park has excellent drainage and so often stays open during wet weather when the other courses have to close.

Comparatively, outside of Bournemouth, 3 clubs returned a survey which helps to set out some direction of travel in terms of demand within the catchment for residents of Bournemouth. Overall, membership has broadly stayed the same in the last 2 years and most do not have any plans, nor need, to increase membership. One club did express a desire to increase the

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number of junior members. Two clubs stated that they have a waiting list for adults wanting to join suggesting some latent demand. Clubs stated that the quality of facilities are generally very good, which is to be expected at private members clubs.

Other Key issues raised by consultation, the audit and surveys

Other key issues raised through consultation, the audit and surveys are as follows:  The ‘market’ for golf is becoming much more competitive since the impact of the recession on membership levels;  While membership / use has fallen, there remain opportunities to adapt provision to suit the needs of players and that the ‘offer’ of a course / club fits with that of nearby course and clubs. For example, it has been suggested (by the England Golf / Dorset Golf Partnership) that the course at Solent Meads could focus on providing improved facilities and courses to suit new players and beginners, for example, by shortening the existing course to introduce a practice area and temporary undercover area. This would complement the existing suitability of the course for beginners and the provision at Queens Park and Meyrick Park, providing a more rounded and strategic approach in Bournemouth across courses to support all levels of golf;  Sports development pathways and bringing new people into the game need some improvement in Bournemouth. For example, it has been suggested (by the England Golf / Dorset Golf Partnership) that provision at courses / clubs would be improved by introduction of a professional golfer to teach, more beginners lessons and introductory packages and / or ‘play golf in a day’ programmes, where these are not already offered. With membership falling in older age groups in particular, a promotional proactive ‘push’ to encourage new, younger players and families would help to secure longer-term membership and patronage;  The overall quality of Queens Park course and the Meyrick Park course have been rated as ‘good’ and the quality of Solent Meads as ‘adequate’;  Neither Queens Park nor Meyrick Park have space for a driving range, although Solent Meads has one;

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 The condition of the café at both Queens Park and Meyrick Park has been rated as ‘good’ but ‘poor’ at Solent Meads;  The Club at Meyrick has good levels of participation through golf tourism;  Golf tourism has also been highlighted (by the England Golf / Dorset Golf Partnership) as an area which provides a growing input into patronage at clubs in and around Bournemouth, with more UK visitors preferring to stay within the UK than travel overseas to play due to the impact of the recession on incomes;  It is understood that Queens Park and Meyrick Park courses are well supported and liked locally. They have significant heritage value as two of the earliest municipal courses in the country;  Meyrick Park and Queens Park courses generate a significant amount of revenue from their use which pays for management of the courses and of the land for the shared use thy provide; and,  Solent Meads course is a useful course for beginners and is in a large space, although the condition of the car park is poor and the club house is in need of refurbishment.

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Understanding change in Poole

As noted in the introduction to this assessment for golf, the Borough of Poole has asked for a perspective on whether there have been any changes to provision in the borough since the last sports strategy was undertaken in 2008.

The 2008 strategy concluded for Poole that the quality of facilities was high with all courses being assessed to be ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. It also stated that Broadstone and Parkstone Golf Clubs (in Poole) operated on a membership only basis. Consultees suggested an over-supply of golf courses in the area (i.e. within a 20-minute drive of the conurbation). There was no evidence that the facilities were over used or of demand for additional courses. Consequently, it concluded that there is no identified need for additional golf courses, but there is no confirmation that there is over provision.

We have seen no data to suggest any real change to the conclusions in 2008. All courses in Poole now seem to offer visitor packages as well as membership and it is understood from Dorset Golf that golf clubs in are having to adapt and change in what is now a very competitive market. Despite difficult economic circumstances, it appears that private clubs have not been impacted sufficiently to consider closing although they are introducing range of membership packages and are being more flexible letting visitors play, even if with notice and not on a direct pay and play model.

In conclusion, no evidence has come to light that the conclusions of the 2008 have changed. There is no need for the local authority to intervene in provision as a result of the number of golf courses and type, how clubs have been changing to make themselves more accessible to families and younger people as well as different socio-economic demographic groups and due to the ‘public’ pitches structure in Bournemouth.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Bournemouth will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 141 shows.

Figure 141: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area49

Bournemouth Sub-area

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 Total

2011 30,130 33,610 29,560 43,240 18,620 28,300 183,460

2026 31,230 36,440 32,080 46,410 20,120 31,230 197,510

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

These projections take into account allocated housing growth in the period to 2026. In addition to knowing how population might change during the plan period to help identify the implications for facilities, understanding where development is likely to happen and therefore where much of the population increase is likely to occur is important in order to understand where change might be needed. The adopted plans for the Borough identifies around 7,500 in Bournemouth between 2011 and 2026 in the following places.

49 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 382 -

Figure 142: Housing Allocations in Bournemouth

Bournemouth

5,500 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

2,000 on Town Centre Area Action Plan sites

Source: Adopted Bournemouth Borough Core Strategy October 2012

Implications of growth

Knowing how population could change into the future and applying that to existing levels of participation can help to estimate likely demand in the future. Figure 143 sets this out for Bournemouth. The figures also set out a range of potential increases by introducing % changes in participation over the period as a whole to 2026.

The figures do not include under 16 players and so figures could be higher than estimated.

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Figure 143: Estimating the number of people likely to participate and wanting to participate in golf in Bournemouth by 2026

Market segmentation 2011 2026 2013

People Estimated no. of People who players or people +1% +3% +5% who % of want to Total Popn. Popn. wanting to play increase in increase in increase in particip popn. particip applying % of participation participation participation ate ate popn. in 2011

Bournemouth 4,708 1,993 6,701 183,460 3.7% 197,510 7,214 7,286 7,358 7,430

Notes: figures do not include under 16 demand. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

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The figures suggest that there could be a range of between 7,214 and 7,430 residents in Bournemouth participating or wanting to participate in golf by 2026, taking into account projected growth in population and potential increase of up to 5% in participation rates. This is an additional 513 – 729 players playing or wanting to play by 2026. These figures are estimated total numbers of residents who might play or want to play. The data cannot be interrogated further to determine how many might play within Bournemouth at public courses or will go to clubs outside of Bournemouth. There are no readily available ‘rules of thumb’ or calculations to translate this additional potential demand to a number of courses required to meet demand. The data will need to be supplemented by local ‘on the ground’ knowledge of demand and use and should not be relied upon on their own.

While figures cannot be translated into a specific requirement for additional provision for golf accurately, they do at least give an indication of potential change in demand and latent demand overall and therefore provides figures against which to monitor change during the life of the strategy.

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Conclusion

There is a good range of provision of golf courses in Bournemouth, including driving range, 18 hole and Par 3 courses. All residents are within the catchment (a 20 minute drive-time) of a golf course or club outside of Bournemouth’s Borough boundary. While figures suggest that there could be an increase in the number of people who play or want to play golf in Bournemouth, it is not known what proportion of these would travel to get to another club rather than use the courses in Bournemouth.

While the courses in Bournemouth are under public ownership, 2 out of 3 (3 out of 4 if the club on the boundary, Christchurch Golf Club at Iford, is included) are run by management companies or clubs and are therefore largely commercial in nature. Provision, as with many other leisure and sports facilities, has changed with operation moving away from full management by local authorities to fill a need otherwise not provided for by the private sector and commercial clubs. Many clubs now offer pay and play or temporary memberships and so publicly owned courses are now increasingly facing direct competition from clubs which have opened up their offer, partially in response to lower demand due to recession. At the same time, usage of the public courses in Bournemouth have also lost some patronage as disposable income levels have fallen during recession although not yet to a point where viability is being called into question.

There are no major quality, quantity or accessibility issues at courses in Bournemouth, from the evidence available, although there are minor improvements required at Solent Meads to supporting infrastructure. With a plentiful supply of golf courses within a 20 minute catchment of Bournemouth and no evidence to suggest there is significant unmet demand ‘on the ground’, there is no demonstrable need for additional golf courses or facilities.

Despite falling number of users / members at the courses in Bournemouth, the existing provision provides a good base from which to look to grow membership / use and compete with other clubs and courses in south east Dorset. There are opportunities at some clubs to adapt provision and

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introduce better sports development to ensure that new members, adult, junior and family based, are attracted to use the courses. A more strategic approach to provision across all levels of ability and promotional work to attract new members should be actively encouraged in order to help ensure the long-term viability of the game and courses in Bournemouth given the plentiful supply of competitive clubs across south east Dorset.

Bournemouth

The strategy approach for golf in Bournemouth is as follows:

 Ensure that courses and associated facilities are maintained in at least an ‘adequate’ condition, are ‘fit for purpose’ and make necessary improvements to supporting infrastructure at Solent Meads course;  Monitor the number and age / type of user of the public courses in Bournemouth to ensure that an up-to-date understanding is kept of use, particularly in light of falling numbers since the recession began. With a plentiful supply of courses in and around Bournemouth, course offers will need to remain competitive to residents in Bournemouth in order to remain viable. If numbers continue to fall as the economy recovers and levels of use bring viability of running courses into question, options will need to be considered in relation to re-aligning provision better to fit demand or to attract a higher number of players to meet any shortfall in income; and,  Improve membership and usage levels of courses and clubs in Bournemouth (working with England Golf / the Dorset Golf Partnership) by:  Providing a strategic network of provision for all levels of amateur golf across the Meyrick Park, Queen’s Park and Solent Meads courses / clubs in Bournemouth;  Introduce a package of offers as appropriate to encourage new, young, family and beginner members into golf, including discount offers, open days, beginners’ lessons, ‘play golf in a day’ and so on;  Introduce improved sports development pathways at clubs / courses where it is not present or improve the collective offer between the

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courses / clubs in Bournemouth, for example, introducing professional coaching where absent and viable; and,  Improved proactive promotion and communication of community accessibility and the clubs’ offer to the general public, schools / colleges / Academies and businesses to help promote facilities. For example, the SPOGO (https://spogo.co.uk/) site and / or other online communication tools (e.g. search engine listings and apps) should be utilised and advertised as the way in for an understanding of what is available, where and when.

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Fitness (Gyms)

Introduction

The Borough of Poole has requested a short assessment of the role that fitness suites (or ‘gyms’) play as part of the leisure centre offer that the Council owns and provides through the YMCA at The Junction Leisure Centre and through Everyone Active at the Dolphin, Ashdown and Rossmore Leisure Centres. This is in light of a changing nature in provision with many fitness centres and gyms being owned and operated by the private / commercial sector and in order to understand the contribution that gyms are making to the overall offer and demand for use at leisure centres.

UNDERSTANDING EXISTING PROVISION

Quantity, Location and Catchment Areas

Figure 144 lists the gyms available for at least some community use in Poole. As gym use is often subject to personal preference of one gym over another because of cost, quality, the existing ‘type’ of members or ‘atmosphere’, and because of proximity, gyms in Bournemouth are also listed. Together they demonstrate the volume of gyms available to people living in the conurbation. The leisure centre gyms have a total of 367 stations between them, while the rest of Poole has 706. By comparison Bournemouth offers 1,510 stations in total.

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Figure 144: Number gyms and stations (pieces of equipment) in Poole with some community use

Poole

No. of Location Operator type stations

Local authority owned, Everyone Active Leisure Centre Ashdown managed by other party 36

Everyone Active Leisure Centre Local authority owned, (Dolphin) Poole managed by other party 50

Everyone Active Leisure Centre Local authority owned, Rossmore managed by other party 35

Local authority owned, The Junction Sports and Leisure Centre managed by other party 98

Bournemouth University Sports Centre University 65

Canford School Sports Centre School 26

Corfe Hills School School unknown

Virgin Active Commercial 120

DW Sports Fitness Commercial 170

Fitness First Health Club (Poole) Commercial 132

Harmony at the Haven Commercial 18

Images Health & Fitness Club Commercial 21

LA Fitness (Poole) Commercial 100

Parkstone Grammar School School 11

St Edwards School School 22

The Hamworthy Club Commercial 21

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Bournemouth

No. of Location Operator type stations

Blue Water Spa and Leisure Club Commercial 19

Chine Roman Spa Commercial 11

De Vere Leisure Club Commercial 16

Durley Dean Hotel Commercial 13

Fitness First Health Club Commercial 161

Fitspace Commercial 134

Hallmark Health Club Commercial 18

Harewood College School 16

Local authority owned, Kings Park Athletics Centre managed by other party 14

Local authority owned, Littledown Centre managed by other party 111

Majestic Gym Ltd Commercial 65

Marriott Leisure Club Commercial 16

Oakmead College of Tech. (LeAF Academy) School 20

Local authority owned, Pelhams Park Leisure Centre managed by other party 110

Pure Gym Commercial 220

Local authority owned, Sir David English Sports Centre managed by other party 52

St Peters Catholic School (Upper) School 25

Local authority owned, Stokewood Leisure Centre managed by other party 51

The Bishop of Winchester Academy School 12

Local authority owned, The Club at Meyrick Park managed by other party 53

The Gym Commercial 170

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Bournemouth

No. of Location Operator type stations

Village Leisure Club Commercial 87

Waves Health & Leisure Club Commercial 8

Wessex Leisure Club Commercial 12

West Hants Lawn Tennis Club Commercial 60

YMCA Commercial 36

It is important to gain an understanding of the catchment areas of use for sports facilities. Catchments help to build the picture of use and illustrate a spatial distribution of facilities and coverage, showing gaps in provision where users would have to travel further to access facilities. Figure 145 shows the location and catchment of gyms in Poole (a 12 minute drive-time at 23 mph) based on consultation, previous experience of access by users elsewhere, proximity of facilities to one another, number of facilities available to the population and travel times by car established through Department for Transport and the South East Dorset Multi-Modal Transport Study data on average speeds50.

The catchments show that there are no spatial gaps in provision.

50 Road traffic speeds in predominantly urban areas will vary from peak to off-peak times and season to season but a good guide for average speed is to use Department for Transport average speeds, which for Poole in 2013 was estimated as being 23mph at peak times (see source, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congestion- on-local-authority-managed-a-roads-april-to-june-2013 ). The SE Dorset Multi-modal Transport Study suggests average speeds of between 41 and 46 kmph (25 – 28 mph) in 2008 (Fig. 10.4 http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=175733&filetype=pdf) between peak and inter peak periods. - 392 -

Figure 145: Mapped Location and Catchment Areas of Gyms in Poole

Source: Borough of Poole

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N.B. Map and key courtesy of Borough of Poole

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Supply – Demand Balance

There is no readily available method or calculator to provide an estimate of appropriate supply to meet demand of a given population for gyms. Therefore, the approach taken has been to have discussions with the managers of leisure centres to understand whether current supply at their facilities are meeting demand from users / members and supplement this information with any existing data available on the use of gyms.

Consultation with Everyone Active and YMCA

Discussion suggests that leisure centres will tend to work on a basis of providing around 30 pieces of equipment or ‘stations’ per member to cater for demand in peak periods. This estimate takes into account the multi-purpose nature of provision at leisure centres, as membership will often incorporate gym use even if a member wishes to predominantly use a pool or fitness classes.

Across Everyone Active leisure centres, between 2011/12 and 2012/13 membership levels have risen by around 1,000, 600 of which are gym based memberships, which it has been suggested is a result of a new gym at Rossmore, effective marketing and the impact of the Olympics and Paralympics. The gym and exercise classes are the most popular activities at leisure centres at the moment and generate a large proportion of income for the leisure centres. Demand is suggesting a need for additional gym space, particularly at the Dolphin Centre, although delivering this will be difficult within the existing space.

The Junction has also seen an increase in demand for gym (and fitness exercises) and as a result the centre is looking to extend the provision for gym space as part of a 2 storey extension to the centre which will also incorporate additional hallspace and space to accommodate additional activities alongside traditional gym equipment.

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Part of the attractiveness of joining a leisure centre or network of centres run by the same management group (in the case of Everyone Active, for example) is the choice of facilities which can be used. Some will join specifically because of the opportunity to go to fitness classes or use a pool in addition to being able to use the gym.

Local sports profile tool

The Local Sports Profile tool, reproduced for Poole in the Data Profile Report, sets out the top 5 sports (in terms of participation) in the Borough and compares them with participation figures for the south west and England. These figures are reproduced in Figure 146 below. They show that Poole sees a higher number of people using the gym than in the south west or England.

Figure 146: Top 5 Sports in Poole, 2012 (by participation rate and number)

Sport Poole South West England No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate (000s) (000s) (000s) Swimming 16.3 14.2% 546.1 12.7% 4,870.4 11.6% Cycling 13.4 11.7% 428.0 10.0% 3,486.0 8.3% Gym 13.1 11.4% 367.4 8.6% 4.475.7 10.6% Athletics 8.1 7.1% 301.7 7.0% 2,915.7 6.9% Football 4.5 3.9% 259.1 6.0% 3,016.2 7.2%

Source: Local Sports Profile Tool, Sport England, 2013 (primary source data Active People Survey 6and ONS Annual Population Survey 2012

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Market Segmentation Tool

The estimated picture of demand in Poole can be put together from a number of sources. Participation rates are one set of data that can be used to estimate demand. They are monitored through the Sport England / Department of Culture Media and Sport Active People Survey and illustrated through the Sport England Market Segmentation Tool. However, the figures mask gym use as they are collected for ‘keep fit and gym’ and will therefore include data on classes.

Estimated participation rates for ‘keep fit and gym’ across Poole suggest that most of the areas in Poole see around 10.1% - 20% of people taking part, equating to 19,065 residents. Figure 147 identifies the types of people currently taking part the most in keep fit and using the gym in Poole. The range of segments with whom the activity is popular suggests mass appeal across large parts of the population.

The tool also provides figures for the number of people wanting to participate but who are unable to do so (i.e. latent demand). In Poole this figure is 7,458. Across the Borough this equates to around 5.1% - 10% of the resident population. Without further detail available, a proportion of this total which represent interest in using gyms or leisure centre gyms specifically cannot be accurately estimated.

Examining the detail of the total figure for latent demand, the Market Segmentation tool suggests that there is a good spread amongst types of people wanting to participate in keep fit and using the gym. Knowing this sort of detail helps us to understand how best to respond and what the more likely causes of the latent demand are.

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Figure 147: Number of people participating in keep fit and using the gym in Poole by segment type (most popular segments)

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 2031 10.7 settling down with partner

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 1694 8.9 children and more time for themselves

Empty Nest Career Ladies: Mid-life professionals who have more time for Elaine 1678 8.8 themselves since their children left home

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, enjoying life in 1520 8 the fast lane

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image- 1465 7.7 conscious females keeping fit and trim

Roger & Early Retirement Couples: Free-time Joy couples nearing the end of their 1432 7.5 careers

Ben Competitive Male Urbanites: Male, recent graduates, with a ‘work-hard, 1404 7.4 play-hard’ attitude

Alison Stay at Home Mums: Mums with a 1250 6.6 comfortable, but busy, lifestyle

Jackie Middle England Mums: Mums juggling 1232 6.5 work, family and finance

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool 2013

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Figure 148: People wanting to participate in keep fit and use the gym in Poole: proportion of people above (or close to) 7% of total number wanting to play

Poole

Segment Summary Population %

Jackie Middle England Mums: Mums juggling 733 9.8 work, family and finance

Empty Nest Career Ladies: Mid-life professionals who have more time for Elaine 726 9.7 themselves since their children left home

Helena Career-Focussed Females: Single professional women, enjoying life in 715 9.6 the fast lane

Tim Settling Down Males: Sporty male professionals, buying a house and 651 8.7 settling down with partner

Philip Comfortable Mid-Life Males: Mid-life professional, sporty males with older 638 8.6 children and more time for themselves

Alison Stay at Home Mums: Mums with a 604 8.1 comfortable, but busy, lifestyle

Chloe Fitness class friends: Young image- 562 7.5 conscious females keeping fit and trim

Roger & Early Retirement Couples: Free-time Joy couples nearing the end of their 530 7.1 careers

Source: Sport England Market Segmentation Tool 2013

The figures suggest that the same types of people who currently access keep fit and gym are most likely to want to access these facilities. It is interesting, - 399 -

although not entirely surprising, that ‘Jackies’ currently do not go to keep fit or the gym as much as they would like to, featuring as the top segment who want to go but currently do not.

Benchmarking

Figure 149 below shows the ‘nearest neighbour’ authorities, statistically, to Poole. They suggest that North Somerset, Teignbridge, New Forest, Taunton Deane and Lewes are the five closest, using a variety of indicators51, to Poole characteristically.

Figure 149: Nearest Neighbours to Poole

Source: CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) Nearest Neighbours Model, CIPFA Statistical Information Service © 2013 (http://www.cipfastats.net/resources/nearestneighbours/profile.asp?view=results&dataset=england)

Using the Active Places Power too as the source for data, Figure 150 shows how many health and fitness suites that each of the nearest five comparator authorities have. Bournemouth, East Dorset and Christchurch have also been

51 Indicators selected are as follows: Population, % of population aged 0 to 17, % of population aged 75 to 84, % of population aged 85 plus, Enumeration district based density, ED based sparsity, Taxbase per head of population, % unemployment, % daytime net inflow, % foreign visitor nights, % domestic visitor nights, % day visitors, Offices per 1,000 population, Shops per 1,000 population, Housing benefit caseload (weighted), % of people born outside UK, Eire, EC, Old C'wealth & USA, % of households with less than 4 rooms, % of households in purpose-built flats rented from LA or HA, % of persons in lower social classes, Non-Domestic rateable value per head of population, % of properties in Bands A to D, % of properties in Bands E to H, Area cost adjustment (other services block), Number of Households, Indices of Multiple Deprivation

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added in as Poole’s closest neighbours spatially and the top three authority areas with similar population number and area to Poole’s have also been listed.

Figure 150: Number of health and fitness suites in Poole nearest neighbours

Local authority area No. of health and fitness suites No. of stations Poole 16 1,073 Similar Characteristics North Somerset 23 1,171 Teignbridge 16 446 New Forest 21 665 Taunton Deane 17 680 Lewes 13 306 Geographic Neighbours Bournemouth 29 1,510 East Dorset 5 281 Christchurch 3 86 Similar by Population and Area Cambridge 27 969 Stafford 17 594 Newcastle-under-Lyme 13 559

Source: Active Places Power tool, Sport England, 2013 and CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) Nearest Neighbours Model, CIPFA Statistical Information Service © 2013 (http://www.cipfastats.net/resources/nearestneighbours/profile.asp?view=results&dataset=england)

The figures show that Poole is well provided for in terms of supply compared to other authorities with the most similar characteristics, population density and immediate neighbours.

Other Key issues raised by consultation, the audit and surveys

Other key issues raised through consultation, the audit and surveys are as follows:

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 The overall quality of all leisure centre gyms has been identified in the audit and through discussion with leisure centre managers as ‘good’ or ‘very good’.  Gyms in Poole are popular amongst international students, adding to demand from the resident population. The Junction has identified that around 200 international students per year use the leisure centre, most of whom use the gym. The peak time of use by international students is over the summer months.

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MEETING DEMAND AND NEEDS: IDENTIFYING FUTURE DEMAND AND NEEDS

Housing growth and population change

As the Data Profile report highlights, the population of Poole will increase significantly in the period to 2026 as Figure 151 shows.

Figure 151: Population Change Projected to 2026 by Sub-area52

Poole Sub-area

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Total

2011 23,650 34,550 33,800 25,680 30,400 148,080

2026 24,840 37,400 36,270 27,150 33,210 158,870

Source: Bournemouth Borough Council, September 2013, using POPGROUP software developed by Bradford Council, the University of Manchester and Andelin Associates

These projections take into account allocated housing growth in the period to 2026. In addition to knowing how population might change during the plan period to help identify the implications for facilities, understanding where development is likely to happen and therefore where much of the population increase is likely to occur is important in order to understand where change in the provision of gyms might be needed. The adopted plans for the Boroughs identify around 10,000 dwellings to be provided in Poole between 2006 and 2026 in the following places.

52 Sub-areas contain the following wards: B1 - Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff; B2 – Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne; B3 – Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne; B4 – Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park; B5 – Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park; B6 – West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & Iford; P1 – Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town; P2 – Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown; P3 – Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney; P4 – Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West; P5 – Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood. - 403 -

Figure 152: Housing Allocations in Poole

Poole

1,850+ at the regeneration area sites fronting Back Water Channel between the lifting and twin sails bridges

350–700 in the Town Centre North area

1,450 in the rest of the town centre

6,000 in appropriate locations across the rest of the Borough

Sources: Borough of Poole Adopted Core Strategy February 2009

Implications of growth

Knowing how population could change into the future and applying that to existing levels of participation can help to estimate likely demand in the future. Figure 153 sets this out for Poole. The figures also set out a range of potential increases by introducing % changes in participation over the period as a whole to 2026.

Spatially, it is likely that there will be additional demand for fitness gyms as a result in the development at the regeneration sites and across Poole town in particular. There could be opportunities, therefore, for additional provision at a local scale (for example as part of any community buildings if required for the regeneration sites, or alongside a redeveloped and / or new pool).

The figures do not include young people under the age of 16 and so figures could be higher than estimated.

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Figure 153: Estimating the number of people likely to participate and wanting to participate in keep fit and use the gym in Poole by 2026

Market segmentation 2013 2011 2026

Estimated no. of People people People who participating or +1% +3% +5% who % of want to Total Popn. Popn. wanting to increase in increase in increase in partici- popn. partici- participate participation participation participation pate pate applying % of popn. in 2011

Poole 19,065 7,458 26,523 148,080 17.9% 158,870 28,438 28,722 29,290 29,858

Notes: figures do not include under 16 demand. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

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The figures suggest that there could be a range of between 28,438 and 29858 residents in Poole participating or wanting to participate in keep fit and use of gyms by 2026, taking into account projected growth in population and potential increase of up to 5% in participation rates. This is an additional 1,915 – 3,335 people playing or wanting to play by 2026. The data cannot be interrogated further to determine how many might use gyms only nor at leisure centre gyms only. However, if data from the Active People Survey 6 and market segmentation is used, it could be assumed that 68.6% (13,100) of the total keep fit and gym users figure (19,100 rounded) are people who use the gym. Applying this percentage to the range of potential keep fit and gym users in 2026 equates to potentially an additional 1,314 – 2,288 gyms users across Poole.

Alongside the figures above, should the figure of 30 members per station be used as a basis of understanding existing demand at leisure centres, this would give figures of 6,870 members or people participating at leisure centre gyms. Applying this as a proportion of existing population (4.6%) to future projected population in 2026 gives a figure of potentially 7,308 members (at 0% growth in participation rates) using gyms at leisure the centres, rising to a potential 7,673 by 2026 (applying a 5% growth over the period to 2026). These two figures (using the 30 members per station ‘rule of thumb’) would equate to between 244 and 256 stations needed by 2026 at leisure centres, an increase of between 15 and 27 stations in addition to current provision.

However, this assumes that current provision is sufficient at the centres to meet demand, although we are aware that there is interest at Dolphin Centre and The Junction to increase gym capacity now. The figures may therefore underplay demand in the period to 2026 at leisure centres. Other gyms may use a different ratio of members to stations and so the figure used by leisure centres should not be used to establish approximate demand elsewhere.

While figures cannot be translated into a specific requirement for additional gyms accurately, given the limitations of data, assumptions that have to be made and the many other factors influencing gym use such as cost, quality,

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disposable income and so on, they do at least give an indication of potential change in demand overall and therefore provide figures against which additional provision can be monitored during the life of the strategy. Ultimately, gym provision needs to respond closely to the demand that their users (and therefore the market) places upon them and so a robust business case should always accompany proposals to expand existing provision.

Identifying potential demand from international students

International students53 account for some estimated 45,000 - 50,000 additional people54 in Bournemouth and Poole over the period of a year with the peak time of foreign student attendance at international language colleges usually being over the summer months when the proportion of this total figure is likely to be substantial. There is little data to quantify how many students are present at the peak time over the summer, but estimates put figures at up to 9,000, while the lowest number off-peak in November and December is likely to be around 4,800 – 5,00055.

53 International students do not include students who attend Bournemouth University, although some foreign language schools and colleges utilise University facilities during the summer. University students are included in population projections (as they tend to stay for more than one year) and therefore estimations of demand from the resident population. 54 In 2013, it is understood that the number of accredited language schools is 24 with an estimated number of students across the last year being between 45,000 and 50,000. In 2009, the number of students was estimated to be 42,300 from 27 language schools in Bournemouth. There are very few language schools in Poole by comparison. These figures exclude the “mushroom schools” i.e. those Europe-based operators who bring over mainly young people, and set up "classes" in various places such as church halls etc. For these groups there are no recorded figures. 55 Figures estimated through discussion with the Chair of the International Education Forum and are based upon 24 colleges having an average of 350 students enrolled at peak. Some colleges have as many as 900 – 1,000, while some smaller colleges have fewer than 150.

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More work has been done to quantify the economic benefit of international students with English UK suggesting a value of almost £190m comes from 195,254 student weeks equivalent in 201156.

56 See http://www.englishuk.com/uploads/assets/english_uk/Estimate_of_the_value_of_ELT_to_the_UKs_Towns.pdf

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Estimating demand

For gyms, if the peak period snapshot is used as the basis for generating demand in Bournemouth, 240 international student members use BHLive gym facilities. Using a local industry standard of planning for 30 members per station or piece of gym equipment, this would equate to an additional need in Bournemouth for 8 additional stations. In Poole, no data was provided by Everyone Active and The Junction suggested that they have sufficient capacity to accommodate more international students.

For all proposed additional capacity, international colleges should discuss opportunities to bring forward facilities with the relevant Borough Council and schools / colleges / Academies to utilise existing opportunities to bring forward facilities and ensure that proposals tie in with the Sports Strategy.

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Conclusion

There is a good range of gym provision in Poole compared to both demand and local authority areas with similar characteristics as Poole. There is significant benefit to co-locating gyms with leisure centre or other multi-sport provision with each acting as an anchor for the other attracting more users than if a stand-alone facility.

Using the gym is becoming more popular despite challenges in the economy, as people who do have the disposable income and time choose to stay fit at gyms which provide flexibility and choice about where and when to go. In a competitive market, it appears that demand remains strong at leisure centre facilities, with interest in expanding at least two of the existing gyms identified from consultation.

Population increases suggest that there could be a need for between 15 and 27 additional gym stations in the period to 2026 at leisure centres in Poole if membership changes as anticipated.

There may be opportunities to tie in with recommended additional provision of other sports facilities identified in other assessments, such as possible changes to the Dolphin pool, where improvements to the site or relocation to a new site could increase the supply of gym stations and space to the local community. Other potential changes or reshaping of existing provision, for example, in relation to sports halls at leisure centres on shared sites, could also provide opportunities to expand provision where demand suggests a need locally.

In Bournemouth, demand generated by international students alone is estimated to be for around 8 gym stations, and provision amounting at least to this level should be explored by international colleges and Bournemouth Borough Council.

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Bournemouth Ice Rink

No assessment has been required on the provision of ice rink(s) in Bournemouth and Poole.

A significant amount of work has already been done by Bournemouth Borough Council to secure the outline planning permission for an Olympic sized facility which would be likely to serve a conurbation-wide and sub-regional catchment. The permission is for a facility on the south-western edge of King’s Park between the existing football pitches and the indoor bowls centre on King’s Park Drive.

An ice rink of this size cannot be delivered without significant private sector investment. At this time, a lack of confirmed investment (largely due to the changing nature of the economy), has meant that delivery is unlikely to happen in the near future. The option should remain open, however, should investment be found, particularly during the period for which the outline permission remains valid and assuming no other sub-regional ice rink is developed in a location which would have a detrimental impact on the viability of such a facility in the long-term.

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Appendix 1

Estimating the impact of non-residents on the use of facilities

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Estimating the impact of non-residents on the use of facilities

There are two additional groups of people who will have an impact on sports facilities in Bournemouth and Poole: temporary international students; and, tourists / visitors. These two groups of people are not naturally factored in to estimations of demand, supply and capacity, an omission which is difficult to rectify when populations of each are transient and vary in size and the degree to which they use sports facilities. However, it is necessary to try to get a good idea of the impact that these groups will have on sports facilities so that the additional demand is not masked and can be catered for in identifying current and future needs.

The analysis which follows responds to the brief set for the development of the Sports Strategy and focuses on the group for which we can make more quantifiable estimates of demand for facilities: international students. With regard to tourists / visitors, the brief has not asked for any in depth analysis. However, where possible, likely demand from tourists / visitors on leisure related informal sports such as beach and water sports has been considered as part of the assessment for these types of sports (and not separately here) where data has been made available from Bournemouth Borough and Borough of Poole. It is less likely that tourists / visitors will make use of built facilities such as sports halls, MUGAs and artificial grass pitches although it is likely that a proportion of visitors might access a facility such as a leisure (rather than standard 25m) pool.

International students

International students57 account for some estimated 45,000 - 50,000 additional people58 in Bournemouth and Poole over the period of a year with the peak time

57 International students do not include students who attend Bournemouth University, although some foreign language schools and colleges utilise University facilities during the summer. University students are included in population projections (as they tend to stay for more than one year) and therefore estimations of demand from the resident population. 58 In 2013, it is understood that the number of accredited language schools is 24 with an estimated number of students across the last year being between 45,000 and 50,000. In 2009,

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More work has been done to quantify the economic benefit of international students with English UK suggesting a value of almost £190m comes from 195,254 student weeks equivalent in 201160.

the number of students was estimated to be 42,300 from 27 language schools in Bournemouth. There are very few language schools in Poole by comparison. These figures exclude the “mushroom schools” i.e. those Europe-based operators who bring over mainly young people, and set up "classes" in various places such as church halls etc. For these groups there are no recorded figures. 59 Figures estimated through discussion with the Chair of the International Education Forum and are based upon 24 colleges having an average of 350 students enrolled at peak. Some colleges have as many as 900 – 1,000, while some smaller colleges have fewer than 150. 60 See http://www.englishuk.com/uploads/assets/english_uk/Estimate_of_the_value_of_ELT_to_the_UKs _Towns.pdf

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Estimating demand

In light of the above findings, the focus for estimating additional demand arising from international students focuses on sports halls, artificial grass pitches, swimming pools, gyms and MUGAs.

Using the estimated figures for the number of students at the peak and trough of the year, the Sport England sports calculator can be used to estimate the

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amount of pool, hall and artificial grass pitch space required for the population. Figure A1 identifies a range of requirements arising from population of international students at any one time. Using the total number of students over the whole year to understand demand would substantially over-count needs, as facilities need to cater only for the total number of students in the peak period.

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Figure A1: Estimated range of demand arising from international students at any one time

Range of estimated Estimated requirement generated by population for provision of: international artificial grass + # students numbers at sports halls swimming pools pitches~ any one time* courts halls vpwpp sqm lanes pools vpwpp pitches vpwpp

4,000 Lower end 1.57 0.39 254 48.62 0.92 0.23 295 0.39 286

5,000 of numbers 1.96 0.49 317 60.77 1.14 0.29 369 0.48 357

8,000 Upper end 3.13 0.78 508 97.23 1.83 0.46 590 0.77 572

9,000 of numbers 3.52 0.88 571 109.38 2.06 0.51 664 0.87 643

10,000 Growth 3.92 0.98 634 121.54 2.29 0.57 737 0.97 714 potential 11,000 4.31 1.08 698 133.69 2.52 0.63 811 1.06 786 numbers

Notes: ^ source: Sports Facility Calculator, Sport England, October 2013. The estimates assume a 50%/50% split of male and female students and that the majority of students will be between 16 and 24 years old. Although the calculations are based on use in the peak period, the process also assumes that the additional facilities are open for community use throughout the whole week (over 80 hours per week), including both peak and off peak periods. Planning to meet the demands of the new population using facilities which are not open for the whole week will need to make allowance for the reduced hours. For example, if a new development generated the need for a 4 court sports hall, which it is planned to be met by a dual use facility on a school site, community use may only be in after school hours, say 30 hours per week. This would obviously be significantly short of the 40 hours in the peak period, never mind the 80 hours of total community access needed. Figures assume no increase in participation rates. + sports halls are 4 badminton court halls # pools are 25m x 4 lane pools ~ artificial grass pitches are full size pitches which can accommodate an 11-a-side football match * based on estimated potential minimum and maximum number of students at lowest and highest months of the year. The range also allows for additional potential demand in the future should numbers increase over the strategy period.

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For pools, they suggest that demand will create an additional need for up to 2.06 lanes or half a 25m x 4 lane pool, with a potential further 0.46 of a lane should numbers in the peak grow to 11,000 in the peak period during the lifetime of the strategy. However, given the requirement is for part of a four lane pool, it is logical and practical to consider the addition of lanes to the existing identified requirement for pools space in Bournemouth, should funding from partners be secured. Alternatively, provision could be discussed with other partners, for example schools, colleges and Academies and could be provided from existing supply (as long as this does not compromise existing community access).

For artificial grass pitches, the requirement is for around 0.87 of a full size pitch, although planning for provision of one AGP would build in sufficient headroom for demand should peak time see around 11,000 students in the future.

For ensuring sufficient additional provision of MUGAs for international students, the provision standard developed for the residential population can be applied. This equates to 66.9 sqm per 1,000 population, although in reality, this could be higher for a population which is predominantly between the ages of 16 and 24. Applying this standard suggests that 602.1 sqm of space will be needed to accommodate demand from up to 9,000 people. A small ‘kick-about’ MUGA’s typical size is 18.5m x 40m. Allowing for a 15% additional area for ‘run-off’ etc, this increases the area required to 851 sqm. However, as suggested, the figure to accommodate the peak number of international students could be higher with the application of the student age profile to demand. It is suggested, therefore that one MUGA would be appropriate to cater for international students in addition to what is already provided and what is already recommended as additional provision to cater for the resident population.

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Conclusions

 Assessment suggests that there is a need for the following provision of built facilities (in addition to that identified for the resident population), should the student numbers remain relatively consistent in the period to 2026. Provision for formal built facilities (halls, pools and artificial grass pitches) are based upon provision being made to accommodate student demand only. Should arrangements be made for access to shared facilities, which would limit access, the requirement in terms of the amount of courts or space would increase.  A 4 badminton court sports hall;  2 lanes of a 25m swimming pool;  1 full size artificial grass pitch;  1 multi-use games area (marked out for basketball and five-a-side football); and,  8 additional gym stations.  Where possible, hall provision should be made within existing capacity if capacity can be unlocked at existing facilities as a result of the recommendations in the assessment for resident based demand for hallspace. If this cannot be achieved, consideration of new additional hallspace should be made.  Provision should be made to accommodate demand within a 20 minute walking catchment of one or more of the 5 biggest international colleges.  For all proposed additional capacity, international colleges should discuss opportunities to bring forward facilities with the relevant Borough Council and schools / colleges / Academies to utilise existing opportunities to bring forward facilities and ensure that proposals tie in with the Sports Strategy.  Opportunities for international students to use existing facilities should be better signposted. For example, Borough Councils and international colleges could work more closely to ensure that students know how and where to access facilities (both those identified above in terms of additional needs and other facilities such as tennis courts and the key fob system, which could introduce monthly membership to attract international students to join).

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SPOGO (https://spogo.co.uk/) or social media could be better utilised to raise awareness of facilities.  A pilot scheme could be established to mark out some outdoor courts for volleyball or handball in park spaces. Nets, goals and balls could be provided by colleges for a deposit for students to use and return. Alternatively, an enclosed area could be set-up, if funding could be found for initial capital costs, and a key fob system introduced for international students and residents to use courts marked out permanently for handball and volleyball.  In order to get an accurate picture of demand, monitoring should be introduced with the international colleges and Borough Councils working together to understand the levels of use of facilities and latent demand generated by students. This would involve getting a sample of responses from students when they arrive and again when they leave over a 1 month period initially and combining this with annual collation of data on the number of students coming to Bournemouth and Poole, where they stay and the duration of their stay.

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Appendix 2

Provision Standards

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Introduction

Caveats

The calculations are based upon pitches and facilities which have community access. Changes to provision implied by the figures will therefore not always be as straightforward as the data may suggest.

Standards for playing pitches do not include areas for ancillary facilities which would need to be calculated on a site by site basis. As a ‘rule of thumb’ a 10% - 15% allowance could be added on to the areas calculated for pitches to give an

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indication of additional space needed. However, calculations do include allowance for run-off around pitches. The sources used to identify pitch sizes are those issued by national sports governing bodies and Sport England between 2011 and 2013.

For built facilities, the standards also allow for run-off where appropriate. For swimming pools, the requirements are expressed as area of water or pool space and do not take into account the footprint of the building, which would need to be calculated on a site by site basis or allowance of an additional 15% of space as a ‘rule of thumb’.

Methodology

The process of establishing provision standards is broadly as follows.

1. Establish the current provision standard (number of hectares per 1,000 people) from data on the supply of pitches and existing population.

2. Establish the latent demand (in terms of pitches and equivalent land area) from the existing population.

3. Establish the current surplus and deficiencies in the number of pitches and equivalent land area.

4. Estimate the future surplus and deficiencies in the number of pitches and equivalent land area using projections of population and demand.

5. Establish future provision standards from existing and future pitch needs and population projections.

The figures used to calculate the standards below can all be found in the assessments for pitches and facilities.

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The detail of the calculations used is captured in Figures A2.2 and A2.3 at the end of this appendix.

Provision Standards

In summary, the playing pitch and facility provision standards are as follows. Pitch requirements are expressed as hectares per 1,000 population and built facilities as square meters per 1,000 population.

Figure A2.1: Provision Standards Summary

Suggested standard per 1,000 population for

Pitch / Facility Type 2026

Bournemouth Poole

Swimming pools 8.9 m2 11.6 m2

Sports halls 58.3 m2 59.4 m2

Outdoor tennis courts 428.4 m2 334.1 m2

Multi-use Games Areas 56 m2 117.8 m2

Outdoor netball courts 169.2 m2 18.9 m2

Athletics tracks 139.7 m2 173.7 m2

Squash 1.5 m2 8.1 m2

Artificial Grass Pitches 172.8 m2 322.3 m2 (full size)

Fitness gyms not requested for strategy 8.9 m2

Wheel parks 15.9 m2 14.5 m2

Grass playing pitches 0.5 ha 0.24 ha

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Figure A2.2i: Built Facility Standards for Bournemouth

Pools ~ (equivalent Sports Halls Outdoor MUGAs (open Netball number of standard (badminton court tennis courts and partial (outdoor Athletics & Squash AGPs (full size) Wheel Parks ## size lanes) equivalents) ^ ** access) * courts) #

A Number of existing facilities 30.6 63.0 110.0 7.0 34.0 1.0 4.0 1.0 6.0 Minimum size (including % for run B off, ancillary provision, etc. for dry 50.0 172.5 769.2 851.0 982.8 27,600.0 71.8 8,533.0 190.0 facilities) C Current provision (sqm) (A x B) 1,530.0 10,867.5 84,611.5 5,957.0 33,415.3 27,600.0 287.0 8,533.0 1140.0 Number of identified shortfalls D 4.4 3.8 0.0 6.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 10.0 (unmet demand or spatial gaps) E Minimum size 50.0 172.5 769.2 851.0 982.8 27,600.0 71.8 8,533.0 200.0 Future additional requirements F 220.0 646.9 0.0 5,106.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 25,599.0 2000.0 (sqm) (D x E) G Total Requirements to 2026 (C + F) 1,750.0 11,514.4 84,611.5 11,063.0 33,415.3 27,600.0 287.0 34,132.0 3140.0 H Population in 2026 197,510.0 197,510.0 197,510.0 197,510.0 197,510.0 197,510.0 197,510.0 197,510.0 197510.0 Total requirements per 1,000 I population in 2026 (sqm) (G / 2026 8.9 58.3 428.4 56.0 169.2 139.7 1.5 172.8 15.9 population x 1,000)

For notes, see over.

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Notes for Figures A2.2i and 2.2ii.

& - athletics based upon guidance www.sportengland.org/media/32312/Athletics.pdf ~ pools based on number of 25m x 2m lane equivalents. Standard for area of water required. Allow +15% for ancillary facilities in addition to area for standard. * - open and partial access MUGAs. Typical size for a 'kick-about MUGA for basketball and football - see http://www.sportengland.org/media/30552/Artificial-Surfaces-for-Outdoor- Sports-2012.pdf (18.5m x 40m + 15%) The number identified as a shortfall is based purely upon spatial gaps in provision and number of areas of search identified for exploring potential locations for new MUGAs. < - squash courts include those re-opened in December 2013 at the Poole Sports Centre. Court dimensions based on single court size of 9.75 x 6.4 m - http://www.sportengland.org/media/32339/Comparative-Sizes-Checklist-April- 2011.pdf ** based on length of 40m x width of 5.5m per rink (http://www.sportengland.org/media/32384/Indoor-bowls.pdf) # Netball dimensions based upon http://www.sportengland.org/media/32339/Comparative-Sizes-Checklist-April- 2011.pdf > - based on 5 sqm per piece of equipment / station http://www.sportengland.org/media/32375/Fitness-and-exercise-spaces.pdf Leisure centre gyms (i.e. for those in which the Council still has an interest) included only. *** - tennis courts include mini courts and floodlit courts - 36.57 x 18.29m - http://www.sportengland.org/media/32339/Comparative-Sizes-Checklist-April- 2011.pdf ## wheel parks size does not include commercial skate parks. Curent area of provision is estimated. The number of facilities required is actualy the number of areas of search and the actual number needed on the ground is likely to be less.

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Figure A2.2ii: Built Facility Standards for Poole

Pools ~ (equivalent Sports Halls Outdoor MUGAs (open Indoor Netball Fitness AGPs (full number of standard (badminton court tennis and partial Bowls (outdoor Athletics & Squash < gyms Wheel Parks ## size) size lanes) equivalents) courts *** access) * (rinks) ** courts) # (stations) >

A Number of existing facilities 34.4 52.0 69.0 13.0 11.0 30.0 1.0 18.0 219.0 4.0 5 Minimum size (including 15% for B run off, ancillary provision, etc. for 50.0 172.5 100 dry facilities) 769.2 851.0 253.0 982.8 27600.0 71.8 5.8 8533.0 C Current provision (sqm) (A x B) 1718.0 8970.0 53074.5 11063.0 2783.0 29484.0 27600.0 1291.7 1259.3 34132.0 500 D Number of identified shortfalls 2.4 2.7 0.0 9.0 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 27.0 2.0 9 E Minimum size 50.0 172.5 769.2 851.0 253.0 982.8 27600.0 71.8 5.8 8533.0 200 Future additional requirements F 118.0 469.2 0.0 7659.0 220.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 155.3 17066.0 1800 (sqm) (D x E) G Total Requirements to 2026 (C + F) 1836.0 9439.2 53074.5 18722.0 3003.1 29484.0 27600.0 1291.7 1414.5 51198.0 2300 H Population in 2026 158870.0 158870.0 158870.0 158870.0 158870.0 158870.0 158870.0 158870.0 158870.0 158870.0 158,870 Total requirements per 1,000 I population in 2026 (sqm) (G / 2026 11.6 59.4 334.1 117.8 18.9 185.6 173.7 8.1 8.9 322.3 14.5 population x 1,000)

For notes, see preceding page.

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Figure A2.3i: Playing Pitch Standards for Bournemouth

Football Rugby Mini / Cricket Total Notes Senior Youth Junior Mini Senior Junior Existing number of A 33 4 4 19 11 0 14 85 pitc hes Pitch area (max. size for 1 pitc h in 70x106 97x60 88x56 61x 43 154x80 80x53 111.56x128.04 - B metres) Pitch area 7420 5820 4928 2623.00 12320 4240 14284.14 - (metres squared)

Existing total area Row B x (A / 10,000) and C 24.49 2.33 1.97 4.98 13.55 0.00 20.00 67.32 of pitches (ha) sub-totals summed. Existing D 183,460 population (2011) Row C / (D / 1,000). Area (ha) per Figures are based on 1,000 population requirements for pitches E 0.37 (existing provision and do not include land standard) area for ancillary facilities.

Existing surplus / F deficiency 6.25 0.5 -0.5 -5 -4 0 0 - (number) Existing surplus / G deficiency (area 4.64 -0.20 -1.30 -4.93 0.00 0.00 -1.79 Row B x (F / 10,000) ha)

Existing defic it Source: ECB for cricket H from non-replac ed - pitches. pitches (number)

Existing defic it Row H x (B / 10,000) and I from non-replac ed 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 sub-totals summed. pitches (area ha) Surplus / defic ienc y arising Difference between row J 4.64 0 -1.30 -4.93 0.00 0 -1.79 G and row I and sub- from existing totals summed. population (ha) Existing K 183,460 See note to row D. population

Existing defic ienc y L area (ha) per -0.02 Row J / (K/1,000) 1,000 population

Projec ted surplus M / defic ienc y by -18.5 0 0 0 -7.5 0 -5 -31 2026 (number) Projec ted surplus Row B x (M / 10,000) N / defic ienc y by -14 0.0 0.00 -9.24 0.00 -7 -30.11 and sub-totals summed. 2026 (area ha) Also, see note to row M. Surplus / defic ienc y arising Difference between row J O from additional 18.36 0.20 1.30 -4.31 0.00 -7.14 8.41 and row N and sub-totals population (area summed. ha) Projected Also, see note to rows M P 197,510 population 2026 and D. Projected additional Row P - row D. Also, Q 14,050 population to see note to row P. 2026 Area per 1,000 Row O total / (row Q / R population 0.60 1,000). (additional)

Projected total pitch area Row N total + row J total. S defic ienc y by -31.90 Also, see note to row P. 2026 (ha) (+ = surplus) Projected total pitch area Difference between row T 99.22 S and row C. Also, see required by 2026 note to row P. (ha) Projected area Row T / (row P / 1,000). (ha) required per Also, see note to row P. 1,000 population Figures are based on U 0.50 requirements for pitches by 2026 (future and do not include land provision area for ancillary standard) facilities.

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Figure A2.3i: Playing Pitch Standards for Poole

Football Rugby Cricket Total Notes Senior Youth Junior Mini Senior Mini Existing number of A 38 0 9 12 3 1 12 75 pitc hes Pitch area (max. size for 1 pitc h in 70x106 97x60 88x56 61x 43 154x80 80x53 111.56x128.04 - B metres) Pitch area 7420 5820 4928 2623.00 12320 4240 14284.14 - (metres squared)

Existing total area Row B x (A / 10,000) and C 28.20 0.00 4.44 3.15 3.70 0.42 17.14 57.04 of pitches (ha) sub-totals summed. Existing D 148,080 population Row C / (D / 1,000). Area (ha) per Figures are based on 1,000 population requirements for pitches E 0.39 (existing provision and do not include land standard) area for ancillary facilities.

Existing surplus / F deficiency 17.25 0 -1 16.25 1.5 0 1 - (number) Existing surplus / G deficiency (area 20.87 -0.40 4.22 1.85 0.00 1.43 27.96 Row B x (F / 10,000) ha)

Existing defic it Source: ECB for cricket H from non-replac ed - pitches. pitches (number)

Existing defic it Row H x (B / 10,000) and I from non-replac ed 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 sub-totals summed. pitches (area ha) Surplus / defic ienc y arising Difference between row J 20.87 0 4.22 1.85 0.00 1 27.96 G and row I and sub- from existing totals summed. population (ha) Existing K 148,080 See note to row D. population

Existing defic ienc y L area (ha) per 0.24 Row J / (K/1,000) 1,000 population

Projec ted surplus M / defic ienc y by 0.5 0 0 0 -3.6 0 -3 -6.1 2026 (number) Projec ted surplus Row B x (M / 10,000) and N / defic ienc y by 0 0.0 0.00 -4.44 0.00 -4 -8.35 sub-totals summed. 2026 (area ha) Also, see note to row M. Surplus / defic ienc y arising Difference between row J O from additional 20.49 0.40 -4.22 -6.28 0.00 -5.71 4.68 and row N and sub-totals population (area summed. ha) Projected Also, see note to rows M P 158,870 population 2026 and D. Projected additional Row P - row D. Also, Q 10,790 population to see note to row P. 2026 Area per 1,000 Row O total / (row Q / R population 0.43 1,000). (additional)

Projected total pitch area Row N total + row J total. S defic ienc y by 19.61 Also, see note to row P. 2026 (ha) (+ = surplus) Projected total pitch area Difference between row T 37.43 S and row C. Also, see required by 2026 note to row P. (ha) Projected area Row T / (row P / 1,000). (ha) required per Also, see note to row P. 1,000 population Figures are based on U 0.24 requirements for pitches by 2026 (future and do not include land provision area for ancillary standard) facilities.

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