Sports Facilities

Strategy for West

Report by

April 2009

Table of Figures ...... 5 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 9 2 METHODOLOGY ...... 10 3 STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS ...... 13 3.1 National Policy Documents ...... 13 3.2 Regional Policy Documents ...... 14 3.3 County Policy Documents ...... 16 3.4 Joint Planning Unit ...... 17 3.5 District /Borough Plans ...... 18 4 GOVERNING BODY OF SPORT NEEDS ...... 21 4.1 Introduction ...... 21 4.2 Archery ...... 21 4.3 Athletics ...... 22 4.4 Badminton ...... 22 4.5 Basketball ...... 23 4.6 Boxing ...... 24 4.7 ...... 24 4.8 Cricket ...... 25 4.9 Cycling ...... 26 4.10 Equestrian ...... 27 4.11 Fencing ...... 27 4.12 Football ...... 28 4.13 Golf ...... 28 4.14 Gymnastics ...... 29 4.15 Handball ...... 30 4.16 Hockey ...... 31 4.17 Martial Arts ...... 32 4.18 Modern Pentathlon ...... 32 4.19 Netball ...... 32 4.20 Rowing ...... 33 4.21 Rugby Union ...... 33 4.22 Sailing ...... 34 4.23 Shooting ...... 35 4.24 Squash ...... 35 2 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

4.25 Swimming ...... 36 4.26 Table Tennis ...... 37 4.27 Tennis ...... 37 4.28 Triathlon ...... 38 4.29 Volleyball ...... 38 4.30 Weightlifting ...... 39 4.31 Wrestling ...... 39 5 PARTICIPATION IN SPORT IN THE WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AREA ...... 40 6 POPULATION AND GROWTH IN THE WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AREA ...... 43 7 NEEDS AND DEMANDS ...... 45 7.1 Introduction ...... 45 7.2 Sports Halls ...... 48 7.3 Swimming Pools ...... 62 7.4 Health and Fitness Centres ...... 75 7.5 Indoor Bowls ...... 85 7.6 Indoor Tennis Centres ...... 92 7.7 Synthetic Turf Pitches ...... 96 7.8 Athletics Tracks ...... 104 7.9 Golf Courses ...... 109 7.10 Ski Slopes ...... 117 7.11 Ice Rinks ...... 119 7.12 Watersports Facilities ...... 121 8 FACILITY COSTS AND TARIFFS ...... 123 8.1 Funding Streams ...... 125 9 IMPACT OF 2012 ...... 126 10 FUTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AREA AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 127 10.1 Overview ...... 127 10.2 West Northamptonshire ...... 130 10.3 District ...... 134 10.4 ...... 134 10.5 Summary of Issues ...... 135 11 ACTION PLANS ...... 141 11.1 Introduction ...... 141 3 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

11.2 Proposed new facilities required up to 2026...... 143 Appendix A- Sports Facilities Calculator Outputs...... 151 Appendix B - Summary of Strategic Documents ...... 153 Appendix C - Strategic Documents at a Glance ...... 168 Appendix C – Summary of Sports Facility Provision Standards ...... 172 Appendix D - Glossary ...... 173 Appendix E - Active Places and Sports Facilities Calculator ...... 176

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Table of FiguresFigure 1 - Gymnastics Clubs and their associated disciplines 29 Figure 2 - Location of Gymnastics Clubs in West Northamptonshire 30 Figure 3 - % adult population participating in periods of 30mins activity per week or per month. 40 Figure 4 – Adults who are members of Clubs 41 Figure 5 adults who had taken part in organised competitive sport in last 12 months 41 Figure 6 Population Projections for West Northamptonshire to 2026 43 Figure 7: Projected housing development (sites of more than 100 houses (approx)) 43 Figure 8 - Key for accessibility of facilities 47 Figure 9: Sports Halls in 49 Figure 10: Comparison of Sports Hall Provision in Daventry District 49 Figure 11: Drive time to sports halls in Daventry District 50 Figure 12: Areas in Daventry District outside of a 20min drive times from a sports hall 50 Figure 13: Projected number of Sports halls in Daventry District by 2026 51 Figure 14: Adequacy of supply of sports halls in Daventry District 51 Figure 15: Sports halls in Northampton 53 Figure 16: Walk and drive times to sports halls in Northampton 54 Figure 17: 20 min walk times from existing sports hall in Northampton 54 Figure 18: Projected number of Sports halls in Northampton by 2026 55 Figure 19: Adequacy of supply of sports halls in Northampton 55 Figure 20: Sports halls in 58 Figure 21: Walk and drive times to sports halls in South Northamptonshire 59 Figure 22: Areas of South Northamptonshire outside of 20 min drive time from a sports hall 59 Figure 23: Projected demand for Sports halls by 2026 60 Figure 24: Adequacy of supply of sports halls in South Northamptonshire 60 Figure 25: Swimming Pools in Daventry District 62 Figure 26: Comparison of Provision of Swimming Pools 63 Figure 27: Walk and drive times to swimming pools in Daventry District 63 Figure 28: Areas in Daventry District outside of 20 min drive times from a swimming pool 64 Figure 29: Projected Demand for swimming pools in Daventry District 64 Figure 30: Adequacy of supply of swimming pools in Daventry District 65 5 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Figure 31: Swimming Pools in Northampton 67 Figure 32: Walk and Drive times to swimming pools in Northampton 68 Figure 33: Northampton showing 20 min walk time from pools with total and club access 68 Figure 34: Projected demand for swimming pools in Northampton 69 Figure 35: Adequacy of supply of swimming pools in Northampton 69 Figure 36: Swimming Pools in South Northamptonshire 71 Figure 37: Walk and drive times to swimming pools in South Northamptonshire 72 Figure 38: Areas of South Northamptonshire outside of 20 min drive time from a swimming pool 73 Figure 39: Projected Demand for Swimming Pools in South Northamptonshire 73 Figure 40: Adequacy of supply of swimming pools in South Northamptonshire 74 Figure 41: Health and fitness facilities in Daventry District 76 Figure 42: Comparison of provision of health and fitness facilities 77 Figure 43: Walk and drive times to health and fitness facilities in Daventry District 77 Figure 44: Areas of Daventry District outside of 20 min drive time from a health and fitness facility 78 Figure 45: Health and Fitness facilities in Northampton 80 Figure 46: Walk and drive times to health and fitness facilities in Northampton 80 Figure 47: Northampton showing 20 min walk times from a health and fitness facility 81 Figure 48: Health and Fitness Facilities in South Northamptonshire 82 Figure 49: Walk and drive times to health and fitness facilities in South Northamptonshire 82 Figure 50: Areas of South Northamptonshire outside of 20 min drive time from a health and fitness facility 83 Figure 51: Indoor Bowls facilities in Daventry District 85 Figure 52: Comparative provision for indoor bowls facilities 85 Figure 53: Drive times to indoor bowls facilities in Daventry District 86 Figure 54: Projected Demand for indoor bowls facilities 86 Figure 55: Adequacy of supply of indoor bowls in Daventry District 86 Figure 56: Indoor Bowls facilities in Northampton 87 Figure 57: Drive times to indoor bowls facilities in Northampton 87

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Figure 58: Projected demand for indoor bowls in Northampton 87 Figure 59: Adequacy of supply of indoor bowls facilities in Northampton 88 Figure 60: Indoor Bowls facilities in South Northamptonshire 88 Figure 61: Drive times to indoor bowls facilities in South Northamptonshire 88 Figure 62: Projected demand for indoor bowls in South Northamptonshire 89 Figure 63: Areas of South Northamptonshire outside a 20min drive time from an indoor bowls facility 89 Figure 64: Adequacy of supply of indoor bowls facilities 90 Figure 65: Drive times to indoor tennis facilities in Daventry District 92 Figure 66: Indoor tennis facilities in Northampton 92 Figure 67: Comparative supply of indoor tennis facilities 93 Figure 68: Drive times to indoor tennis facilities in Northampton 93 Figure 69: Drive times to indoor tennis facilities in South Northamptonshire 93 Figure 70: Travel times to indoor tennis facilities outside of the West Northamptonshire area 94 Figure 71: Location of Indoor tennis centres 94 Figure 72: Synthetic Turf Pitches in Daventry District 96 Figure 73: Comparative supply of Synthetic Turf Pitches 96 Figure 74: Drive times to Synthetic Turf Pitches in Daventry District 97 Figure 75: Areas of Daventry outside of a 20 min drive times from a synthetic turf pitch 97 Figure 76: Synthetic turf pitches in Northampton 99 Figure 77: 20min walk time from a synthetic turf pitch in Northampton 99 Figure 78: Drive times to synthetic turf pitches in Northampton 100 Figure 79: Synthetic Turf Pitches in South Northamptonshire 101 Figure 80: Drive times to synthetic turf pitches in South Northamptonshire 101 Figure 81: Areas in South Northamptonshire outside a 20min drive time from a Synthetic Turf Pitch 102 Figure 82: Athletics tracks in Daventry District 104 Figure 83: Comparative supply of Athletics Tracks 104 Figure 84: Drive times to athletics tracks in Daventry District 105 Figure 85: Athletics tracks in Northampton 105 Figure 86: Drive times to Athletics tracks in Northampton 106 Figure 87: Athletics tracks in South Northamptonshire 106 Figure 88: Drive times to athletics tracks in South Northamptonshire 107 Figure 90: Golf facilities in Daventry District 109

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Figure 91: Comparative supply of golf courses 110 Figure 92: Drive times to golf courses in Daventry District 110 Figure 93: Location of Golf facilities in Daventry 111 Figure 94: Golf facilities in Northampton 112 Figure 95: drive times to golf courses in Northampton 112 Figure 96: Areas of Northampton outside a 10min drive time from golf facilities 113 Figure 97: Golf facilities in South Northamptonshire 114 Figure 98: Drive times to golf courses in South Northamptonshire 114 Figure 99: Golf courses – South Northamptonshire 20 min drive times 115 Figure 100: Travel times to ski slopes 117 Figure 101: Drive times to ski slopes 117 Figure 102: Ski slopes- West Northamptonshire 30 min drive times 117 Figure 103: travel times to ice rinks 119 Figure 104: Drive times to ice rinks 119 Figure 105: 45 minute drive time from an ice rink 120 Figure 106: Watersports facilities in West Northamptonshire 121 Figure 107: 20 minute drive time from a watersports venue 121 Figure 108 - Costs per household of sports facilities in Daventry 124 Figure 109 - Costs per household of sports facilities in Northampton 124 Figure 110 - Costs per household of sports facilities in South Northamptonshire 125 Figure 111: Impact of neighbouring market towns on the West Northamptonshire area. 129 Figure 112 - Current and proposed facilities in the "Sporting Quarter" 131 Figure 113: The Northamptonshire Sporting Quarter 133 Figure 114 - Summary of issues and potential actions 140

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1 INTRODUCTION In January 2008 Syzygy Leisure was commissioned by Daventry District Council, on behalf of the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (WNJPU) to undertake the development of a Sports Facilities Strategy. This strategy will ultimately form part of the evidence base for the Local Development Frameworks for the West Northamptonshire Local Authorities of Daventry District, Northampton Borough and South Northamptonshire District. It will provide a comprehensive local assessment and strategy for sports facilities in West Northamptonshire. West Northamptonshire forms part of the Milton Keynes and South Growth Area in the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future (ODPM February 2003). The population of West Northamptonshire is due for significant growth as a result of proposals for the towns of Daventry (Sub-Regional Centre), Northampton (Principal Urban Area) and and (Rural Service Centre). It is anticipated that this growth will have a significant impact on the provision of sports facilities in the area.

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2 METHODOLOGY The methodology undertaken for this Strategy has comprised a number of stages. Stage 1: - Examination of all strategic documents relevant to this study. This included planning, sports and health related documents at national, regional, sub regional, county and district level. The information was also cross referenced with other data such as Planning Policy Guidance 17 studies. Stage 2: - Contact was made either by phone, email or in person with over 30 national governing bodies of sport to identify their specific facility requirements for the West Northamptonshire area. These sports included: Football Triathlon Golf Cricket Canoeing Netball Rugby Union Equestrian Squash Hockey Rowing Badminton Athletics Shooting Boxing Tennis Archery Handball Swimming Basketball Table Tennis Gymnastics Fencing Modern Pentathlon Cycling Martial Arts Weightlifting Sailing Volleyball Wrestling

A small number had facility strategies in place for their sport, but most of these were not site specific. Where contact could not be made, or where Northamptonshire was not identified at any strategic level, regional, county or local staff (voluntary and professional) were contacted. Where possible, current trends in the sports were also identified and this was coordinated with London 2012 proposals in relation to identified Training Camps and National Governing Body requirements. Stage 3: - An audit of facilities utilising Active Places, internet searches, Governing Body of Sport, educational establishments and local authority databases. A single database was developed which was then sent to all local authorities for verification and identification of gaps. Concentration was given to the following facility types: • sports halls (4 badminton • indoor bowls centres (min 4 courts plus) rinks) • swimming pools (min 25m) • indoor cricket centres • health & fitness facilities (min • ice rinks 20 stations) • athletics tracks (min 6 lane) • synthetic pitches (min • indoor & outdoor tennis (min 2 75mx48m) courts) • golf courses (min 9 holes) 10 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

• riding centres • watersports facilities • ski slopes

Stage 4: - Site visits were undertaken to facilities to verify information and condition of facilities. Stage 5: - Consultation meetings were held with: • Daventry District Council • Moulton College • Northampton Borough Council • N Sport • Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd • Northamptonshire Gymnastics Association • Northamptonshire Football Association • South Northamptonshire Council • University of Northampton • West Northamptonshire Development Corporation Discussion was held with other sporting bodies by telephone or email to ensure information was correct and to gather local information Stage 6: - Once site information was verified, facilities were mapped and data on population forecasts was gathered. Maps were also produced to indicate where new housing developments were planned or in construction. In addition, work was undertaken to identify what people currently do, what they want and how new facilities can provide this. This was done to take account of Active People and Market Segmentation data. Stage 7 – Modelling of facility provision and requirements was undertaken using a variety of established tools, which included the Sports Facilities Calculator and Active Places Power. On their own, these tools have certain drawbacks, e.g. they do not compare like with like, they consider each area as an island (This is an area that is considered in total isolation and takes no account of external factors outside of the immediate area), and do not make consideration for other factors such as quality, age, import and export or accessibility of facilities. Consideration was given to the fact that there is a degree of import and export of demand between the three Local Authorities in the study area, and with other neighbouring Local Authorities outside the area. In addition consideration was also given to local factors which are based on local knowledge about participation which affect facility requirements. This is something that is not considered by either of the Sport tools. This study aims to predict demand for facilities in the future. It is known that there will be significant changes to the population in the West Northamptonshire area between now and 2026. The most significant will be

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in the form of urban extensions. It is acknowledged that in many instances these extensions will require the development of facilities to serve their residents, and the use of facilities will not be affected by historical import and export patterns which have previously been experienced in the area. However in other areas when population growth is not significant, current patterns are likely to continue. These factors have been taken into consideration within the calculations that have been made where urban extensions are known will be developed. For the purposes of this report this assessment has been undertaken by using knowledge of the locality. More detailed studies may need to be undertaken in the future using other tools such as Sport England’s Sports Facilities Planning Model and this work could be incorporated within studies that each individual authority within West Northamptonshire will be taking forward at a more localised level. See section 7.1 for more information, and appendix E for details of the tools Stage 8 – Throughout the report, a number of issues relating to facility development were identified. These were summarised, and used as the basis for the development of the Action Plans. There are four separate tables one for each Local Authority, and a fourth for facilities which could be located anywhere in the West Northamptonshire area. These were compiled from the mathematical tools used, overlaid by specific sporting requirements as identified by local knowledge and the Governing Body of Sports identified needs. A priority rating was given to each of these, along with indicative costs which where possible were based upon Sport England’s Cost Indicators. These costs were based on 2008 costings. NB - it is important to note that all of the investigative work was undertaken between January and March 2008.

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3 STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS There are a number of key strategic documents that this Facility Strategy will need to be aware of when identifying potential facility shortfalls and other new developments planned. A full list of the documents summarised below can be found at Appendix B. 3.1 National Policy Documents At a national level, one of the key documents which this strategy and other sports facility strategies need to take account of is Planning Policy Guidance Note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation (2002). It states that local authorities need to undertake robust assessments of the existing and future needs of their communities for open space, sport and recreational facilities. These assessments should cover the distinctive needs of the population for open space and built sports and recreational facilities. Key to major facilities is the need to ensure good quality and design as well as meeting regeneration and access needs.

Sport England sees the emergence of the spatial planning system as an opportunity to deliver both its own aspirations for sport and active recreation, whilst contributing to the aspirations of its partners in public, private and voluntary sectors. Spatial Planning for Active Sport and Recreation (2005) is a guidance document outlining Sport England’s role in the planning process and how through better partnership working and a planned approach to the provision of facilities, sport and recreation can become one of the main ways of planning and delivering sustainable communities.

It outlines six principles under which Sport England will engage with the planning system to promote the interests of sport and active recreation. These are • Environmental sustainability – sport and recreation can demonstrate and contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources. • Community Safety – sport can help to directly reduce social exclusion and disaffection. • Local Economic Viability – sport directly and indirectly contributes to local and national economic vibrancy. • Quality of Life and Well-Being – physical activity contributes to peoples’ perceptions and experience of well-being and sense of attachment to their surroundings. • Health Improvement – physical activity should be a natural part of everyday life. • Raising Standards in Schools – the foundations of life-long health and sporting excellence lie in early opportunities for taking part in sport and active recreation.

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The document goes on to provide examples under each of the six principles on how spatial planning can enable sport and active recreation to play a role in fulfilling those objectives. Just launched in June, is the new Sport England Strategy 2008 – 2011. The consultation that led to this document identified three key challenges facing community sport in this country. These were • Increasing participation in sport • Tackling drop off • Developing talent. Approximately 25% of Sport England’s investment will focus on developing and accelerating talent. National Governing Bodies of Sport will have the main responsibility and will focus on ensuring that the right level of coaching provision is delivered at all levels. Approximately 60% of Sport England’s investment will focus on sustaining current participants in sport by ensuring that people have a high quality experience and by taking action to reduce the ‘drop-off’ in sports participation between 16 and 18. This will be done through working with at least five sports to reduce their drop-off by 25%.

Approximately 15% of Sport England’s investment will be focused on increasing regular participation in sport by 200,000 adults per annum (1m in total by 2012-13). Part of this will include helping more young people access five hours of sport a week. A key outcome will be increasing participation in NGB-accredited clubs to a third of all 5-16 year-olds by 2010.

The overall direction in this work will be an increased focus on working with NGB’s, commissioning them to deliver the key outcomes in the strategy and focusing work on the development of coaching, volunteers and clubs. In the latter, there will be a move to develop more multi-sport clubs that will provide a diverse range of opportunities to fit in with modern lifestyles and needs.

Nationally, Choosing Activity, a physically activity action plan (2005) produced by the Department of Health and the DCMS, outlines a clear strategy to go towards implementing the recommendations as set out in the Chief Medical Officer’s report – at least five a week. This detailed the need for children and young people achieving at least 60 minutes of at least moderate-intensity physical activity each day. For adults, it recommended for general health benefit a total of at least 30 minutes a day of at least moderate- intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week. The plan is cross departmental and highlights the development of physical activity initiatives in schools, communities (with a major emphasis on cycling and public spaces), active healthcare and activity in the workplace.

3.2 Regional Policy Documents At a regional planning level, key to any proposed developments are two documents –the Regional Spatial Strategy for the (RSS8 14 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

and the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy.). Key to developments for future sport and recreational facilities is the need to ensure that these dovetail with PPG17, Game Plan, Change 4 Sport and the Regional Environment Strategy. The Regional Spatial Strategy replaces the existing Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands. It identifies the need to have a hierarchy of facilities in place which cater for people across the sporting spectrum – beginners to those at an international level. It is envisaged that following proposed changes by the Secretary of State in summer 2008, and subsequent public consultation the document will be published in its final format by the end of the year. These need to be sustainable, easily accessible and well designed. It states that it is also important to identify that recognised need in one administrative area can sometimes best be met be developing facilities in another. The MKSM Sub Regional Strategy identifies Northampton as a Principal Urban Area, Daventry as a Sub Regional Centre and Towcester and Brackley as Rural Service Centres for Growth. Both the East Midlands Strategy for the 2012 Games and the Cultural Strategy for the East Midlands support this, identifying the benefits of links with the 2012 Olympic Games as well as increasing community participation in sport across the whole spectrum. In the East Midlands, the current Sport England regional strategy Change 4 Sport focuses on a 4% increase in sports participation and picks up on the main themes expressed elsewhere regarding stronger and safer communities, improved health and the strengthening of the local economy. The links between health and physical activity have been proven for some time and there are some key regional documents relating to health which potentially have a bearing on future leisure provision in West Northamptonshire. The Public Health Annual Report 2006/07 produced by the Northamptonshire Teaching PCT highlights the growing obesity crisis in developing countries and Great Britain particularly where since 1980 the prevalence of obesity has trebled. The report outlines some of the initiatives taking place in the county to address this issue such as Referral Schemes and the Heartbeat Award. Public Health – The Way Forward in Northamptonshire published by the Northamptonshire Teaching PCT in 2006 identifies “increasing the number of people who participate in physical activity” as one of its key drivers citing the numbers of reception age children and Year 6 pupils who are obese as a major concern for the county. The report calls for linking the traditional health service outlets with council facilities such as leisure centres and other public service organisations. The Northamptonshire Local Delivery Plan 2007/08 Investing in Health outlines the additional funding available to support a number of key initiatives including

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• An extra £455,000 to establish a team of Health Trainers to work with communities on promoting healthy lifestyles and improving health. • An extra £290,000 to develop services and support for adults and children who are overweight and obese.

3.3 County Policy Documents Northamptonshire Sport has recently produced a draft Physical Activity Framework for Northamptonshire 2008-2011. The consultation period for this closed in April 2008. This outlines how Northamptonshire residents are going to be given the opportunity to improve their life chances by becoming more physically active more often. It also sets out the current position regarding physical activity in Northamptonshire and sets out targets over the next four years. The main purpose of the document is to provide coordination between relevant organisations and their strategies or plans. It also aims to maximise the impact of current and future investment available for physical activity. Once the framework is finalised, the intention is to produce detailed Action Plans for each of the 7 identified priority areas. The aim is to update these annually. Prior to the introduction of the new planning system, The Northamptonshire County Structure Plan was the planning blueprint of the county and set out the land use strategy for Northamptonshire. With the introduction of the new planning system the Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands and the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy now provides the strategic land use planning context for Northamptonshire. Documents such as the Community Strategy for Northamptonshire 2004 – 2013 and the Sustainable Communities Strategy 2008 – 2031 (currently a consultation document) pick up on the themes of • safer, stronger and secure communities, • economic vitality, • concerns about the local environment • ensuring that the right types of facilities are located where people can easily access them either by cycle, walking or by public transport. The Strategy for Sport for Northamptonshire 2006 – 09 focuses on providing a clear vision for sport in the county and picks up on the key themes of having a framework for sport which encompasses all sectors of the county, using physical activity to improve the health and well being of residents. It also establishes specific programmes that encourage lifelong participation in sport and the development of high quality skills and education to help develop the county’s sporting workforce. Commissioned by N Sport in 2002, the countywide Playing Pitch Strategy identified a surplus of almost 102 adult football pitches across the West Northamptonshire area. In contrast however, the study by PMP identified an

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existing shortfall across the same area of almost 39 junior pitches. Projecting forward to 2016, taking into account a predicted countywide population increase of almost 66,000, the figures for adult and junior pitches drop to a surplus of almost 93 adult pitches and a surplus of almost 48 junior pitches. Taking the relevant local authorities separately, the above information relates to current shortfalls only being identified in Northampton and South Northamptonshire for junior pitches as well as in the projected figures for 2016. In both cases, Daventry District has a small surplus of junior pitches. The strategy recommends the shortfall in junior pitches being addressed through re-designation of adult pitches and negotiation with schools. It also recommends closer working in partnership with all Local Authorities to advocate the inclusion of the priorities highlighted within the playing pitch strategy within each Local Plan. The Neighbourhood Renewal and Community Safety Strategies both have implications for future facility developments in areas of deprivation or ‘priority intervention’ areas. These may be small and low key facilities, but they are crucial to encouraging more people in these areas to take up sport, as well as providing diversionary activities which can help develop leadership, coaching and volunteering skills.

3.4 West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit Daventry District, Northampton Borough, South Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire County Councils have established the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (JPU) to prepare the Joint Development Plan Documents, including the Joint Core Strategy and the Joint Supplementary Planning Documents. Each Borough and District Council continues to be responsible for preparing its own Local Development Documents addressing local matters although co-ordination of the overall programme by the JPU will be necessary. The JPU is responsible to the West Northamptonshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee which has been set up by Parliamentary Order. The Joint Committee is a council-led planning authority, but will be giving a formal role to the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation in particular to ensure plans are deliverable via the Corporation’s development control and regeneration powers. With the planned growth in housing, adequate and suitable provision must be made for sports facility provision, whilst taking into account the strategic need as well as being mindful of the local environmental impact, transport and sports development needs.

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3.5 District /Borough Plans 3.5.1 Daventry District Council The key objectives as cited in both the Daventry District Council Corporate Plan 2007 – 2010 and the Sustainable Community Strategy 2006 - 2009and beyond are identical, focusing on • Improving the Business Economy • Protecting and Enhancing the Local Environment and • Healthy, Safe and Strong Communities and Individuals Common to these documents is also the need for more community facilities in the designated growth areas. These include the town of Daventry and link to the Daventry Town Council Strategic Plan 2006 – 2009 as well as the proposed Daventry Town Development Plan Document (DPD). The Daventry Master Plan 2006 provides the Council’s vision for the future development of Daventry town centre. Daventry has been identified as a sub- regional centre under the Milton Keynes – South Midlands Sub Regional Strategy. This indicates that Daventry will grow towards a population of about 40,000 by 2021 almost doubling its population size (currently around 23,000). Apart from the potential growth areas identified in the plan and explored later in this study, there are also significant plans around the expansion of , neighbourhood renewal activity in Southbrook and the development of a Knowledge Corridor unifying the main educational and related activities in the town. Key to the South Area developments is a potential new 18-hole competition golf course. The recent Daventry Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities Study provides a detailed PPG17 assessment for the whole district. Its objectives are to • Provide an assessment of existing green space across Daventry District • Identify local needs and aspirations through consultation, a strategic review and a review of existing provision standards • Recommend standards of provision (quantity, quality and accessibility) in accordance with Planning Policy Guidance Note17 (PPG17) Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation (2002) • Inform the future enhancement and management of green spaces The document is still in draft form and therefore its conclusions and recommendations are subject to change. All of the above documents need to link to the Daventry District Council Sports Development Strategy 2006 – 2009. A key strand of that document is about club development in all of its meanings. Where community facilities may be lacking, there may be opportunities to support specific club development to the benefit of local people. There are no specific facilities identified.

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3.5.2 Northampton Borough Council The Economic Regeneration Strategy 2007 – 2021 identifies 10 Critical Themes one of which is Sport and Leisure. This relies heavily on the PMP Open Space Report - 2006 identifying shortages in sports hall and swimming pool space. It also concludes that there is potential for a major sports facility in the town, together with a water-based facility/attraction. The Open Space report also identifies a shortfall of indoor space equivalent to 20 badminton courts. The Council’s draft Corporate Plan 2008 – 2011 and Interim Cultural Strategy 2008 – 2011 both support the need to develop more sports opportunities for people in the deprived wards and strengthen partnerships with agencies that can help deliver those objectives. The need to provide more activities for young people is a theme common across all the Council’s documents. These views are further reinforced in the Northampton Community Strategy 2002 - 2012 which states “the need to provide improved recreational, sport and cultural opportunities for young people and to protect and enhance community and recreational facilities and parks”. 3.5.3 South Northamptonshire Council There are a number of strategic documents relevant to this report. The Council’s Performance Plan 2007- 08 outlines the important priorities for the District for 2007/8. Within those is the need to promote leisure and cultural activities to improve people’s physical, social, mental and emotional well- being. The plan reinforces the need to influence the growth plans for Towcester and ensure that the sports and leisure facilities address both the growth needs and the historic deficit. This view is reinforced in the Playing Pitch Strategy 2007 which noted that Towcester contained the highest overall shortfall in pitch provision which would be exacerbated by future population growth projections in the town. The Community Strategy 2004 – 09 was due to be updated at the end of 2007 – 08. There is no specific emphasis on sport and leisure within the strategy but key themes such as Social and Community Well Being and Community Safety can be linked to the priorities identified in the Sports Development Action Plan 2008 -09 which addresses the issues of physical activity, community safety and economic regeneration. The Action Plan states that it needs to be “central to the contribution of achieving many of the long term strategic aims as identified in the 2007/2008 Performance Plan. However, the role that sports development plays and the expectations set by the council must be balanced by the resources available.” 3.5.4 Summary The provision of sports facilities is key to helping the government, local authorities and other partners achieve wider social objectives such as crime reduction, community cohesion and healthier lifestyles. In summary, this review of strategic documents, of which there are many, highlights the need to ensure that as the population of the West Northamptonshire area grows over the next 20 years, the provision of sports 19 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

facilities must grow alongside it to ensure that both rural and urban communities have easy access to facilities of their choice. The opportunities and expectations that the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring also requires the need to maintain existing facilities whilst at the same time ensuring that new facilities are built to a high standard capable of catering for both recreational as well as competitive participants.

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4 GOVERNING BODY OF SPORT NEEDS 4.1 Introduction Each of the 30 Governing Bodies of Sport identified in the consultants brief were approached to ascertain their needs. This was undertaken by a combination of accessing strategies (where they existed), and communication with relevant officers by email, telephone or meeting. It was stressed that priority needs were to be identified, rather than a wish list of facilities which were not necessarily achievable. All information gathered has been given by the Governing Bodies, either at National, Regional or County level. It is important to note that there was considerable variation in the quality of information available from Governing Bodies of Sport from extremely detailed local knowledge, to little or no information at all. Frustratingly several Governing Bodies were in the early stages of developing their own Facilities Strategies, but unfortunately these were not going to be available to meet the timescales of this project. During the evolution of this report there was major change in the way that sport is to be funded for the future. Many of the Governing Bodies of Sport indentified in this report were required to submit a Whole Sport Plan to Sport England which would lay out their priorities for the next four years, and their funding requirements for the delivery of this. At the time of publication of this report, funding allocations were known, but no detail was available as to the plans of the Governing Bodies and therefore any future plans or requirements for facility development or funding.

4.2 Archery Archery within Northamptonshire is thriving and growing. There are currently four clubs in the West Northamptonshire area with two in Northampton, one each in and Wicken. One of the clubs, British Timken is currently homeless due to the loss of the British Timken Sports Club site. It is hoped that in due course the club will be able to re-establish its base in the area. The Grand National Archery Society (GNAS) has identified a need to develop a network of Centres of Excellence across the country. Currently the County and Regional Squads have to rely on the goodwill of local clubs to allow them to train at their venues thereby having to relinquish their own training sessions. The County Association would like to develop its own Centre of Excellence in the county which would incorporate both indoor and outdoor training facilities. The outdoor facilities would need to be a minimum of 160m in length and have sheltered shooting bays, similar to those found at a golf driving range. Indoor facilities would need to be approximately 30m by 30m, but could be accommodated in an agricultural building with heating and lighting. Both would require storage facilities. 1. Issue – GNAS have identified a need for a county centre for Archery 2. Issue – British Timken Archery Club is currently homeless

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4.3 Athletics UK Athletics has produced a facilities strategy for Athletics - Athletics Facilities Planning and Delivery (2007 – 12). The document identifies that “A hierarchy of provision is required for competition and training purposes for both outdoor and indoor facilities”. As a rule of thumb there should be • One outdoor synthetic track (6 or 8 lanes) per 250,000 within 20 minutes drive (45 minutes in rural areas). Each County Athletics Association should have an eight lane track with covered spectator provision and floodlighting. • One indoor training centre per 500,000 people living within 30 minutes drive (45 minutes in rural areas) There is a recognition that in some areas the criteria for a 6 or 8 lane track cannot be met, and therefore a smaller track perhaps a 300m oval, or a 200m J track1 or a 110m straight may be provided. These ideally should be located on educational sites. The UK Athletics strategy identifies a need for an indoor training facility to be developed in Northampton and for the track at Sixfields to be relocated. It is understood from UK Athletics (although not stated in the documentation) that this is due to a need to expand the facilities at Northampton Football Club. 3. Issue – UK Athletics have identified a need for an indoor training centre in Northampton 4. Issue – UK Athletics has identified the need for the track at Sixfields to be relocated

4.4 Badminton “Club Future” is Badminton England’s national strategy for club development; it was launched in 2007 and identifies a hierarchy of facilities based on its Club Accreditation programme. There are 6 levels to the structure: • Affiliated Clubs • Foundation Clubs • Premier Clubs • Performance Centres • High Performance Centres • National Badminton Centre

1 A J track is a 200m track in the shape of a J – or half a conventional 400m oval 22 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

The latter two are specialist facilities, with the National Badminton Centre being located in Milton Keynes. Northamptonshire as a County currently has four Premier Clubs in , Towcester, and . Brixworth Badminton Club plays at . The County Development Officer states that the biggest issue facing the sport is being able to access affordable court time in existing school facilities or leisure centres. Costs are spiralling upwards and becoming prohibitive to many families and coaches wanting to set up new sessions. Court time is becoming increasingly difficult to access especially during peak booking times after 6pm. The County Development Officer has stated that this is particularly marked in the South Northamptonshire area, especially in Brackley. There have been discussions for some time about a new six court hall at the Wrenn School in Wellingborough which although outside of the scope of this study, could (if it happens) have some impact on the clubs on the north eastern fringes of Northampton. 5. Issue: Increasing cost of hall hire is pricing some clubs out of facilities 6. Issue: A specific need for more court space has been identified in the Brackley, and South Northamptonshire area

4.5 Basketball The England Basketball Facilities Strategy (2005 – 2009) identified the need for a club managed two-basketball court facilities offering a minimum of 25 peak time hours for basketball at affordable rates. Locations for these have not been specifically identified. The opening of a new dedicated basketball centre at Northampton School for Girls in 2007 has gone some way to addressing this deficiency. The centre at Northamptonshire School for Girls (NSG) houses two full sized courts alongside each other. It is also included within the East Midlands 2012 Pre Games Training Camp guide. However, concern has been expressed that because the facility is heavily utilised by Northampton Basketball Club, other county development initiatives are finding it difficult to be accommodated at the Centre. Moulton College also houses a Basketball Academy as part of its Sports Studies programme, allowing students the opportunity to develop their skills and sporting ambitions alongside a nationally recognised vocational qualification. An issue concerning the County Association is the lack of spectator and social provision at all school based sports halls, especially those developed under the Private Finance Initiative. Examples of this include Community College and Magdalen College School in Brackley. From a developmental stance, the lack of spectator provision means that non players / potential players are not being given the chance to see the sport in action. Lack of social facilities means that people are not encouraged to come and watch matches, therefore clubs find it hard to foster the type of club atmosphere found in other sports such as rugby and football.

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Other key issues identified include the spiralling cost of court hire. This is particularly an issue when a facility is required for 2 hours and with the session is aimed at young children whose families may not be able to afford those costs. Access to dedicated time in Council run facilities is also an issue due to competition from other activities such as 5-a-side football which tends to dominate bookings. Ideally, the area requires an additional dedicated facility, but it is recognised that this is unlikely to receive external funding support due to the existence of the NSG centre.

7. Issue – The dedicated basketball centre at NSG is not able to fully provide for the county’s development needs due to the demands of Northampton Basketball Club 8. Issue - There is a lack of spectator and social provision in new and existing school sports halls which hampers development 9. Issue – Spiralling hall costs are making it hard for the sport to keep its prices at affordable levels

4.6 Boxing The Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) has recently undergone a significant change in the way it delivers its services. This has resulted from significant increases in people wanting to participate in the sport. Boxing has traditionally been a male domain, but there are increasing numbers of women taking up the sport. There is currently no facilities strategy for the sport, and much of the provision has centred in areas of significant deprivation. It is recognised that the lack of facilities is causing a “bottleneck of provision” and there is a need to undertake some development work with clubs to ascertain their precise facility needs. There are currently 5 boxing clubs in operation in the West Northamptonshire area. These are Far Cotton ABC, Kingsthorpe Boys ABC, Northampton ABC and Northampton Ex- Servicemen ABC which are all located in Northampton, and Daventry and District ABC which is located in Weedon. 10. Issue – Work needs to be undertaken with local boxing clubs to identify their specific facility requirements, this is especially needed to respond to the growth of women’s boxing and the sport in general

4.7 Canoeing The Nene Whitewater Centre is situated on the south east urban fringe of Northampton and due to its location serves a significant part of Bedfordshire in the eastern region as well. This site caters for rough water canoeing and is home to the Northamptonshire Clubs for Young People, Northampton and Club and Northampton Rowing Club.

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Notwithstanding regional boundaries, the area is served well for specialist facilities with flat-water sprint racing to be accommodated at the proposed Cambridge Lakes site and at Willington near Bedford as well as the existing National Centre at Holme Pierrepont in and sites in Peterborough and Broxbourne. The new Olympic course will be at the Showground in Broxbourne. Post Olympics, this site will be developed to become the White Water Canoe Centre in Broxbourne. Canoe England is also working with the Environment Agency to identify canoe trails along the Great Ouse and Nene rivers. These would include back channels and loops to enable more canoe type touring and recreational access. One of the main priorities identified by Canoe England for the planning period 2006 – 2013 is access to water including access to swimming pools for , coaching, competitions and recreation. Many of the other priorities identified in the original facilities strategy 1999 – 2004 are still relevant as progress has been slow. None of these affect the West Northamptonshire area. Canoe Polo requires a Performance Centre in each region as well as two Development Centres per region. The sport is played on a 35m by 23m flat water pitch and the National League in England is usually played indoors over the winter period. Once again, no venue has been identified. At a local level, there is a need to establish access to water where people can walk to it rather than drive. This could include utilising large ornamental lakes, river tributaries or water around large recreation grounds where steps could be developed into the water and changing and parking facilities shared with adjacent sports clubs. Sites are currently being identified by Canoe England. 11. Issue – There is a need for more access points for recreational canoeing 12. Issue – There is a need for more access to indoor water for training and for canoe polo

4.8 Cricket The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) produced a National Facilities Strategy in 2000, which set out the priorities for the next five years. This is currently being redeveloped, and was scheduled to be available in September 2008. There is currently little information and guidance available to guide their current thinking on facilities. Northampton County Cricket Club provides excellent facilities at the County Cricket Ground which include indoor as well as outdoor facilities. In addition the Club provides a wide variety of coaching opportunities as well as afterschool clubs and work with schools. During discussion at a local level with the County Cricket Development Officer, he stated there are many factors which are limiting the development of teams. These are not restricted to facility issues alone, but also include recruitment of players, volunteers and coaches. There is an issue at 25 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Towcester Cricket Club which currently shares its ground with Towcester Rugby Club and increasingly they have overlapping seasons, creating difficulties with programming. The Cricket Club is seeking to relocate. There are a number of sports halls which provide cricket nets, however some of these fall below the ECB recommended minimum length of 33.62m and many have poor lighting. 13. Issue – Many cricket clubs are unable to cater for current demand due to a lack of pitches and the overlap of seasons with other sports 14. Issue – Towcester Cricket Club has specific site issues and is a priority for relocation 15. Issue – Development of new indoor cricket nets need to meet ECB standards

4.9 Cycling Within cycling there are a number of different disciplines, all of which have differing facility needs. British Cycling will develop a facilities strategy in 2009. British Cycling has identified two priority needs for track cycling. In order to build on the success of cyclists at World Championships and Olympic Games there is a need for more facilities to allow young people to learn to ride bikes and develop their cycling skills. The priorities are: • Outdoor banked tracks • 1km closed road circuits It is recommended that these are available within 1 hour’s drive of the population. The nearest facilities of this type are available at Milton Keynes Bowl (road circuit) and Gosling Sports Park, Welwyn Garden City (banked track). There is a big demand for recreational mountain biking. There are few facility requirements, but there are major issues with access. The nearest serious BMX facility is at Pineham in Milton Keynes, but this site is in need of redevelopment and is not in an ideal location. It also has problems with flooding. British Cycling is keen to develop facilities in a multisport environment as some of the facilities such as the closed road circuit can be used by other sports. Examples of good practice include Shrewsbury Sports Village, Preston Sports Arena and Litherland Sports Centre, Sefton – where cycling facilities have become part of a multisport facility providing cross over training opportunities and exposure to a wider market. They are also very keen to develop facilities on school sites perhaps as part of a Building Schools for the Future project. 16. Issue – There is poor access in the West Northamptonshire area to closed road circuits and banked tracks as much of the area sits outside of the recommended drive time distance for cycling facilities

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4.10 Equestrian The British Equestrian Federation is currently undertaking the development of a Club and Equestrian Facilities Database. This will build on the publication of the Facilities Strategy for Equestrian Sport and Recreation which was published in 2006. Once the database is complete they will be able to identify facility requirements across the country. The 2006 strategy does however give some clues about current provision and issues nationally. The majority of equestrian centres, farms and riding schools were privately owned. Whilst these were normally freehold many organisations especially Pony Clubs are renting or hiring facilities. Some equestrian disciplines were well supplied with facilities however the development of driving, reining, endurance and vaulting were seriously hampered by a lack of facilities. Across the board disability access was not good. The majority of equestrian venues had plans to develop their sites, but were unable to do so because of lack of finance, planning restrictions, punitive levels of business rates and a lack of space for expansion. The biggest single barrier was a lack of return on their investment. There was a widespread need to make the most of existing traffic free routes, and to develop new ones as the British Horse Society estimates that there are more than 3000 road accidents involving horses every year. 17. Issue – Improvements are need to the rights of way network for horse riders

4.11 Fencing Northampton Fencing Club is based at the John Ashby Sports Hall at Mouton College. The College site has been identified as a venue for fencing within the East Midlands 2012 Pre Games Training Camp guide. The club has seen a rise in membership over the last few years and appears to be in a stable position with a new venue and successes in various local, regional and national competitions. The only other affiliated club in the West Northamptonshire area is the Touché Fencing Club which trains at Towcester Leisure Centre. The nearest other club, not in the county but adjacent to the area, can be found at Market Harborough. Fencing pistes and their accompanying electronics are normally temporary facilities and can be accommodated in any standard sports hall. The issue is therefore about access to existing sports halls around the county if the sport is to develop further. 18. Issue – Fencing facilities can be easily integrated into any sports hall, but access is difficult

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4.12 Football The Football Association has committed considerable resources to facility planning across the country. They have produced “local area data” based on each local authority area which highlights: • Population makeup • Number of teams registered with the FA • Leagues registered with the FA • How these compare with the remainder of England In the South Northamptonshire District area there is a very high level of participation in football. This is especially so in the case of youth male football (30% in comparison with 22.8% in England), adult male football (7.2% compared to 5.3%) and mini soccer (9.7% compared to 8.2%). Daventry District has high levels of participation in adult male play (6.9%), and mini soccer (10%). Participation rates in Northampton are lower, and especially poor for mini soccer (6.7%). According to the Football Association there are very strong correlations between participation levels and the provision of green space. Facility needs in the area show a need for artificial turf pitches in Brackley and Towcester, and in Daventry as the current pitch is over subscribed. Within Northampton there is no additional need for any more ATP’s, although there are issues over pricing. There is an acute need for additional grass pitches in Towcester where there is a shortage of between 5 and 6 pitches. In addition there is a need to spend in the region of £400k on the pitches at Grange Park to bring the drainage and land up to the necessary standards for football. There are real concerns that the location of the pitches is hampering development of the sport. The FA have identified that the location of new pitches in new areas of housing should be on a main road through the area, and ideally a minimum of four pitches in size. Anything less than this will reduce the sustainability of any clubs operating on the site. There is a need to ensure that pitches are specified properly to Football Association published standards otherwise the FA will not provide funding to undertake remedial works. 19. Issue – There is a need for a 3rd Generation Pitch (rubber crumb) ATP’s in Brackley, Towcester and Daventry There are also sports development opportunities at all levels through Northampton Town Football Club, who not only offer through their football in the community scheme, opportunities through schools, but also the football academy which is based at Moulton College.

4.13 Golf The structure of golf has traditionally been complex, with different bodies for the men’s, women’s and professional game. Recently the English Golf Partnership has been formed. It is anticipated that a Facilities Strategy will be 28 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

available by the end of 2008. There has been no local need identified at a county level.

4.14 Gymnastics There are 10 gymnastics clubs operating in the West Northamptonshire area shown on the map in Figure 2. These clubs cover almost the full spectrum of gymnastics sports as shown below in Figure 1. Lings Forum GC Northampton RGC Bellinge RGC Danes Camp GC Northampton Trampoline Academy Northampton Boys GC Towcester LC Wade GC Daventry GC Men’s Artistic Women’s Artistic Recreational Disability Rhythmic Trampolining Sports Acro Figure 1 - Gymnastics Clubs and their associated disciplines In the last few years two clubs have closed in Northampton. These were Bective Gymnastics Club and Gymnastics Club. According to Northamptonshire Gymnastics Association both of the clubs were located on school sites, but when the schools were closed or redeveloped the clubs were not accommodated elsewhere. Sadly it would appear that all but a handful of the gymnasts have been accommodated at other clubs. Within the county, most of the clubs are based at sites where equipment has to be erected for each session. This means that time is limited and the range of equipment that can be offered, especially sprung floors is not available. The County Association is very concerned about the long term sustainability of three clubs due to potential threats to their sites. Lings Forum Leisure Centre is the home to Lings Forum Gymnastics Club and Northampton Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, and, as discussed elsewhere in this document, with proposals to redevelop the leisure centre, the clubs are concerned as to whether they will have a long term future as a result. In addition is the potential threat to Daventry Phoenix Gymnastics Club. The Club is located at the Phoenix Centre in Ashton Lane, Daventry. This site is part of a proposed new Learning Quarter for Daventry and as such the current site would be demolished and redeveloped. The Club currently attracts over 600 young people from a wide catchment area, as well as being the main competition venue for not only Northamptonshire, but also Leicestershire. 29 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Figure 2 - Location of Gymnastics Clubs in West Northamptonshire

All clubs have a waiting list for their activities, and they are limited by the lack of quality facilities to develop more activities. Additional clubs are needed in the west of Northampton and in the Brackley area. Suitable facilities are needed to accommodate these. 20. Issue – Additional facilities are required for Gymnastics clubs to be established in the west of Northampton and Brackley 21. Issue – Due to proposed redevelopment there is a threat to Daventry Phoenix Gymnastics Club

4.15 Handball Whilst Handball is a relatively major sport played across Europe, in England it is a minority sport with only a handful of clubs across the country. This may

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change leading up to and post 2012 where Great Britain will be fielding a team as the host nation. The size of the playing court for Handball for international matches is a minimum of 20 x 40m. There are few if any halls in England that can accommodate the sport. However, a mini version exists for up to 9/10 year olds and can be played in school halls. England Handball recently undertook a National Participation Survey the results of which were very encouraging for the sport. It showed that over 10,000 people had played the sport in the last 12 months in schools, colleges, universities and clubs around the country. Every School Sport Partnership and club in the country was contacted. Regional Hotspots are Lancashire, London & South East and South West. Over 100 schools nationally have also approached England Handball asking for help with developing the sport in schools. The governing body is currently in a consultation phase with clubs, players, teachers, school sports partnerships and county sports partnerships to help shape its strategic framework for the sport building on 2012. There are currently no registered clubs in the Northamptonshire area the nearest being at Oxford and Nottingham Universities.

4.16 Hockey England Hockey does not currently have a facilities strategy for Hockey. Northamptonshire is fairly well provided for in terms of hockey facilities. The village of Moulton has two pitches situated at the College and the School with an additional water based pitch planned for the College on its site. The pitch at Unity School, Northampton, despite being an excellent pitch for hockey, appears to be no longer used for hockey. This is partly because the club previously based there (Northampton Lions) have moved to Moulton College due to the School not wanting the pitch to be monopolised by one club and instead be more community based. As a result the pitch is now mainly used for football. Welford Hockey Club plays their matches at Market Harborough and has a strong junior section. However, they train on a multi use games area (MUGA) at as there are no other suitable facilities nearby. There has been talk of potentially developing a pitch at Guilsborough School. Northampton Saints play their matches at Moulton School and there are ongoing discussions taking place with the Lions about amalgamation to form one club based in Moulton. The Artificial Turf Pitch (ATP) at Campion School in is underused due to its hire costs and its perceived rural isolation. 22. Issue – there is a strong hockey base in the north of Daventry District which would be better accommodated in the Guilsborough area 23. Issue – there is a lack of a central base for hockey in Northampton 31 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

4.17 Martial Arts No specific needs have been identified, but in the main Martial Arts Clubs will use sports halls and small meeting rooms for their activities.

4.18 Modern Pentathlon The High Performance Centre for Modern Pentathlon is based at Bath University where there is a state of the art Fencing Hall and Electronic Shooting range alongside an existing 50m swimming pool and Athletics track. The World Class Talented athlete programme is based at Hartpury Modern Pentathlon Academy in Gloucestershire. This acts as a feeder centre to Bath University. The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) is an integral part of the World Class Performance Programme and aims to provide a seamless transition for Modern Pentathletes filling the gap in current provision and providing a stepping stone for non-funded athletes to the World Class programmes whilst encouraging athletes to pursue an academic career. Currently there are a number of TASS supported athletes at HE establishments throughout the country. The Modern Pentathlon Association of Great Britain (MPAGB) has a wish to establish strong centres in London/South East and North West. Because Modern Pentathlon consists of 5 diverse disciplines (run, swim, shoot, fence, ride) it is nearly impossible to find a venue that can cater for all five sports. Whilst not an identified site, Moulton College lends itself to the development of a partnership with the MPAGB due to the broad range of facilities already developed or under consideration. 24. Issue – Moulton College could be come a centre for Modern Pentathlon

4.19 Netball The All England Netball Association (AENA) is in the process of undertaking a national facilities audit. This will be used to develop a framework for strategic facilities for the future. The East Midlands Development Officer has identified a need for indoor facilities which are capable of accommodating two indoor courts to be developed. At present this is only possible at Benham Sports Arena where the Northampton adult and junior leagues are based. It is cited as an ideal venue for netball, but expensive for them to use. In Daventry the number of players in the league is decreasing, and this is believed by the AENA to be due to the lack of adequate indoor facilities. 25. Issue – AENA have identified a need for more indoor facilities which are capable of accommodating two netball courts to be developed 26. Issue – There are a lack of indoor netball facilities in Daventry 32 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

4.20 Rowing There is one rowing club based in Northampton on the at the Nene Watersports Centre. It has recently received planning consent for a new boat house. There have in the past been discussions about potentially relocating the club to an alternative point on the river perhaps at Sixfields which would have alleviated the problem of the short span of river available to them for rowing. The development of the new boat house will mean that the club will remain at their current site despite these limitations. The development of a new rowing lake at Bedford adjacent to Priory Marina will provide more specialist facilities within a reasonable distance for the West Northamptonshire area. This will complement the lakes that exist at Dorney Lake, Windsor and Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham and the shorter rowing course at Milton Keynes.

4.21 Rugby Union The National Facilities Strategy for Rugby Union in England (2007) has established a number of priorities for development. These priorities will: • Increase the provision of integrated changing facilities that are child friendly and can sustain concurrent male and female activity at the club • Improve the quality and quantity of natural turf pitches • Increase the number of Artificial Turf Pitches (ATP’s) • Improve the quality and quantity of Community Use floodlighting • Improve the quality and quantity of Competition floodlighting • Provide a safe environment for all rugby and sporting activity • Support central venues for player, coach, official and volunteer training • Support the development of multi-sports clubs • Other projects that assist clubs to become sustainable These priorities are based on an estimate that there will be an increase in participation in rugby of 6%. This will mean that there will be an additional half a million people taking part in the sport. The total cost of facilities required will be in the region of £605m over the next 10 years. At a local level the following projects have been identified as a priority by the Rugby Football Union (RFU): • Towcestrians RFC – development of 2 new pitches and clubhouse development • Northampton BBOB RFC – Pitch improvements • Brackley RFC – development of 2 additional pitches, car parking and upgrade to training facilities, changing room extension. Brackley Rugby Club is close to new housing development in the town which will 33 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

include areas for sports pitches and open space. It may be possible to examine ways of integrating the two projects • Bugbrooke RFC – extension to clubhouse to increase changing provision and match flood lights • Daventry RFC – Additional changing rooms and pitch improvements and match lights • Northampton Old Scouts RFC - Extension and refurbishment of clubhouse and changing rooms, upgrade to floodlights and pitch drainage 27. Issue - Brackley Rugby Club may benefit from the development of new housing nearby in order to achieve its new pitch requirements 28. Issue – Most of the clubs have identified improvements to their sites As with the other major team sports, Rugby Union through Northampton Saints has a very strong development programme which goes across all levels from links with schools at the Steelback Centre through to the Academy which is once again based at Moulton College. 4.22 Sailing There is no current facilities strategy for sailing at a national level. There are four sailing clubs located in the West Northamptonshire area, Northampton Sailing Club on Pitsford Reservoir, Sailing Club on Hollowell Reservoir, Banbury Sailing Club which is based on Boddington Reservoir and Rugby and Daventry Sailing Club on Drayton Reservoir. All of these are in the District of Daventry. There are no sailing clubs in the South Northamptonshire District area. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) was unable to provide any strategic priorities for development, although there are some early discussions relating to the potential to develop Northampton Sailing Club as a destination for tourism. The most up to date information about trends in sailing comes from the Watersports and Leisure Participation Survey 2007 done on behalf of the RYA, Sunsail and British Marine Federation by Arkenford Market Modelling and Research Company. The survey covered a huge range of watersports and showed that overall; there was a 1.6% increase in participation rates from the 2006 figures (28.03% up to 29.63%). General facts arising from the survey also include that • There has been a slight decline in rowing (0.24%) • There has been a gradual decline in windsurfing since 2002 (1.2% down to 0.48% in 2007) • Water skiing has seen a slight recovery in 2007 (0.78%) but still hasn’t reached the figures of 2002 (1.75%) • Canoeing has seen a slight decline of 0.05% from 2006 (2.21% down to 2.16%)

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• Small sail boat sailing and yacht racing have seen steady increases since 2006 The survey also looked at regional participation based on the ITV regions. When only taking regions in mainland Britain into account the highest participation rate was recorded for the London/ East/ South East region, closely followed by Wales/ West/ South West. The Midlands, which showed the highest participation rate in 2006 dropped to 3rd place of the British regions, which constitutes a significant drop, driven by decreases in both the sail and manual categories. 29. Issue - there are no sailing facilities in South Northamptonshire 30. Issue – there is the potential to develop Northampton Sailing Club further as a tourism destination

4.23 Shooting Currently a myriad of shooting organisations represent the various disciplines involved in the sport. Shooting is currently going through a modernisation process seeking to establish one unified body for all target shooting sports. An online questionnaire to members of the various bodies showed overwhelming support for a new unified shooting body. As a result, a Steering Group has been established to take the process forward and is working with consultants to develop a draft constitution and financial model which would then be considered by the boards of over 40 UK shooting discipline sector bodies. In light of the above, it is recommended that any decisions on strategic shooting facilities are deferred until the results of the unification process are known. The timescale for this is not known. 31. Issue – Further consideration to be given to the development of shooting facilities once the Governing Body Unification process is complete

4.24 Squash England Squash is currently developing a new strategy to take them through to 2013. This is due to be available in early autumn 2008. There are no county facility development plans for squash, but the principles of the national plan are applied. The main club in the county is based at Daventry Squash Club at Stefan Hill, which has recently received a small grant to improve facilities. There are some other clubs including those at Lings Forum and Benham Sports Arena. England Squash are keen to work with these clubs, although their facilities are not ideal. There are several other facilities across the county, either private clubs or council facilities however there are very few which could be used for

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tournaments and events either because of the limited number of courts, state of repair, or lack of viewing facilities. As a result of this, Squash in the county is suffering and a facility with glass back courts, seating and viewing areas would make a huge difference and would enable England Squash to run training and events in the county again. A large facility is not needed. However, one with 2 or 3 good courts with viewing and good accessibility which could be hired out to clubs as well as members of the public would be far more important. England Squash currently recommend installation of ASB courts as they have moveable walls so 3 courts can be converted into a large sports hall area at the push of a button. This allows for dual use and in daytimes for example schools, aerobics classes etc can all use the space, and then they can be converted back into squash courts in evenings for club use. 32. Issue - There is a need for additional facilities with 2 or 3 squash court to be developed. Ideally these should be constructed with moveable walls so that the space can be used more flexibly

4.25 Swimming The Amateur Swimming Association’s (ASA) National Development Plan outlines the following facility requirements: • Swimming clubs in any local authority area have agreed access to 25m pools at appropriate times and cost • Within every local authority area, there is at least one 25m 6-lane pool with timing equipment and adequate accommodation for competitors and spectators to stage local galas and events • Within every English county and major conurbation there is at least one 25m 8-lane pool with timing equipment and accommodation for competitors and spectators, capable of staging county galas and league events. • For ASA District competitions, each of the 9 Sport England regions should have at least one 8-lane, 50m and one 8-lane 25m competition pool. • The ASA has also identified the need for Regional Performance Centres to cater for elite swimming where there is no High Performance Centre within a reasonable travel time. These pools should be 50m pools (6-lane minimum) providing at least 22 hours access for elite swimmers together with access to land conditioning sports science and sports medicine services on site or close by. At a regional level the ASA are working to ensure that: • Everyone has an opportunity to learn to swim • Everyone can achieve his or her personal goals

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• Everyone has the opportunity to enjoy swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle • We achieve gold medal success They have stated that due to the development of the 50m pool at there would not be a need for another similar sized pool in the county. A 25 x 8 lane pool with flexible usage would be seen as important in the main towns such as Northampton. This is especially important in light for the scale of growth predicted in the area. It is recognized that as areas grow there will be a need to include additional swimming facilities. Where these are provided on school sites there will need to be appropriate community access. An example of good practice in the planning of leisure facilities can be found in Aylesbury Vale District Council. 33. Issue – There is a need identified in sports development terms for an 8 lane 25m pool in Northampton

4.26 Table Tennis No requirements have been indicated by the English Table Tennis Association

4.27 Tennis The Lawn Tennis Association has developed a system of identifying 3 priority projects within each defined area. Northamptonshire shares an area with Bedfordshire. These projects will be funded through the Community Club Development Fund. The main aim will be to deliver the Blueprint for British Tennis which has “winning” as its aim. In order to deliver this aim it will: • Get the best coaches working with the best talent in the best facilities • Provide the best technical and sports science support and advice in the most accessible way, to the right people when they need it • Establish a straightforward, high quality competitive framework that gives juniors the stimulus they need to get on, and stay on, the winning pathway Funding for facilities will be prioritised to those clubs which are able to provide the full spectrum of opportunity for play from mini tennis right through to high performance. Smaller clubs will not be supported financially, but supported through external funding. At present the main project for development in the West Northamptonshire area is Daventry Tennis Club which is looking to relocate to Stefen Hill. In addition, there are plans to double the number of indoor courts at the Kings Park Tennis Centre in Northampton by covering the existing outdoor American clay courts. 34. Issue – Daventry Tennis Club are seeking to relocate from their current site at William Parker School to Stefen Hill 37 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

4.28 Triathlon The main High Performance Centre for British Triathlon is situated at Loughborough University with satellite centres at Swansea and Stirling. There are currently two triathlon clubs affiliated to Triathlon England based in Northampton – Wootton Road Runners and Northamptonshire Tri Club. Three main issues affect the development of the sport generally: • Use of open water for training and competition • Lack of pools where there is easy transition access to grass and track. This limits where races can be held. • Easily accessible safe off road cycling for training. As they can’t take juniors on the road, they often have to resort to indoor turbo sessions. The nature of the sport is such that it is difficult to develop specific facilities as it requires a variety of different elements.

4.29 Volleyball England Volleyball is in the process of finalising their draft facilities strategy. They have identified a number of levels at which the game is played, and these all have differing facility requirements. The aim of the strategy is to “achieve a network of facilities and venues which satisfy demand on both a geographical basis and respond to the needs of volleyball development.” At a school level there are few specialist requirements beyond a space where a net can be erected. For community volleyball the priorities are for a hall with a minimum clear height of 7m with in a standard sports hall. Participation can be further encouraged if two full size courts in one venue are provided, which allows for use by varying standards of players or separately by men and women over different height nets. England Volleyball is keen to develop a network of regional centres. These need to be for a minimum of two or preferably three courts being provided with spectator accommodation for competitions. At present there is no identified facility for Northamptonshire, although there is a move to use the sports arena at Kettering. However, the facilities will need improvement if the venue is to be used. It is unlikely that any venue will be nominated in the West Northamptonshire area Above this is the need for facilities that can be used at a national level. These venues will need spectator seating for between 500 and 2500 people. A specific requirement has been identified for venues to host the National age group tournaments and festivals. These will require 4 courts. The other specific requirement is for National Performance training centres. These will have not only playing space, but also other back up facilities in terms of fitness monitoring, medical back-up, treatment area, lecture space, technical library, and preferably access to accommodation. These can be associated with English Institute for Sport hub sites e.g. Sheffield, Bath and Loughborough.

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Beach volleyball is increasing in popularity in the UK; unfortunately Northamptonshire does not lend itself to the location of natural outdoor facilities. Volleyball England is seeking to develop a network of indoor beach facilities to allow training and competitions to take place throughout the year, this could be provided in Northamptonshire, although no specific location has been identified. 35. Issue – England Volleyball are seeking to develop a network of indoor beach volleyball facilities

4.30 Weightlifting No requirements have been indicated

4.31 Wrestling Freestyle wrestling is an Olympic Sport and as such will feature in the 2012 London Games. It is still a minority sport in this country with only 3 affiliated clubs in the Midlands region. The ideal area for wrestling is 20m x 20m. This includes a 12m x 12m playing area and allows for sufficient room around the mat as safety/ warm up area. The safety area can be made up of crash mats or jigsaw mats. As a sport, wrestling requires very little equipment, just space. It can therefore be accommodated in most sports halls or large ancillary studios in sports centres where martial arts activities take place.

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5 PARTICIPATION IN SPORT IN THE WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AREA In order to be able to plan facilities for the future it is important to understand the patterns of participation in the West Northamptonshire area. The most useful tool available is Sport England’s Active People Survey as this gives a benchmark to participation in the area. This can be supplemented by the more recent Market Segmentation Study which was also undertaken by Sport England. More information can be found at www.sportengland.org . The Active People Survey 2006 is the largest single survey of sport and active recreation ever undertaken in Europe and provides more detail on sports participation than any previous research. It was commissioned by Sport England and was carried out by Ipsos MORI. It provides statistical information about the levels of participation in sport and active recreation in England. It allows data to be examined at a local authority level as well as giving a breakdown of levels of participation in different sports and the proportion of people volunteering to support sport. The data collected for the West Northamptonshire area showed a big variation in participation. Daventry District had the highest participation levels with 25% of residents reaching the Government’s target of at least three periods of moderate physical activity per week. (See figure 3). This was in comparison with Northampton Borough at 20% which fells below the national average of 21%.

Figure 3 - % adult population participating in periods of 30mins activity per week or per month.

Surprisingly the club membership rates differed strongly from the participation rates, (figure 4). Although all parts of the area were above or equal to the

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national average. Club membership was highest in the South Northamptonshire District area (28.9%) and lowest in Daventry District (25.1%).

30

29

28 27 % 26

25

24 23 National Daventry Northampton S Northants

Figure 4 – Adults who are members of Clubs

Despite having relatively low club membership levels, a relatively high number of Daventry District residents were taking part in competitive sport compared to the national average (18.2%) as shown in Figure 5. Conversely people living in Northampton had low levels of competitive participation despite having higher rates of club membership (Figure 5).

25

20

15 % 10

5

0 National Daventry Northampton S Northants

Figure 5 adults who had taken part in organised competitive sport in last 12 months Market segmentation is a study which has been carried out by Sport England to understand the participation characteristics of the population of England more effectively. The population has been divided into 19 different groups which share common characteristics, each of these groups have been identified by a first name. These groups help to identify the sports and activities that specific groups are likely to be interested in and types of marketing that they will respond to as 41 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

well as that groups propensity to participate in sport, and achieve the three times 30mins of physical activity per week. More information can be found at www.sportengland.org .

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6 POPULATION AND GROWTH IN THE WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AREA Figure 6 illustrates how the population of the West Northamptonshire area is set to grow in the coming years to 2026. Throughout this document the following figures have been used as a basis for calculating the standards. 2006 2026 increase % increase Daventry District 78,200 104,500 26,300 33.63% Northampton Borough 200,100 261,300 61,200 30.58% South Northamptonshire 88,800 98,600 District 9,800 11.04% West Northamptonshire 367,000 464,300 97,300 26.51% Figure 6 Population Projections for West Northamptonshire to 20262 However it is not simply a matter of identifying the population growth, but where that growth will occur. Whilst there are small pockets of new housing development identified across the whole area, there are key points where significant housing development may take place. These are shown in the map below (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Projected housing development (sites of more than 100 houses (approx))

2 Source: Northamptonshire Demographic Model v3: 2006-based Population Forecasts (Northamptonshire County Council)

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The largest areas of proposed development are (approximate): • Daventry, north of the A45 – 5,000 houses3 • Daventry – Long Buckby Rd – up to 4,000 houses3 • Dallington Grange – 3500 houses • Towcester Extension – 3,000 houses • Upton Lodge – 1600 houses • Nunn Mills – 1200 houses • Brackley – 1000 houses

3 These are current planning applications and have yet to be determined 44 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

7 NEEDS AND DEMANDS 7.1 Introduction The assessment of supply and demand below has been undertaken using tools and techniques available from a variety of sources. Sport England in particular has developed a range of resources, which are constantly being developed, and the assessment below represents a snapshot of the current and future situations using the techniques currently available. While this assessment is considered to reflect the information and data currently available, it is suggested that the recommendations are kept under constant review, to ensure that any additional or updated analysis, particularly from Sport England, is incorporated into further planning standards as this becomes available. The data used below is taken from Sport England’s Active Places Power (APP) Database. As part of this study all of this data has been verified by each of the local authorities in the West Northamptonshire area as being correct. The APP data is based on strict guidelines and criteria, implicit in the system, and may not be entirely compatible across the board, e.g. sports halls with courts can exclude some facilities where the number of courts is not known. The analyses are based on 2001 Census information, which has not been updated, although some of the other assessments not using APP utilise more recent population projections. APP relies on the accuracy of the database for other local authorities outside the study area, which have not been verified. Despite these provisos the website gives a broad basis for comparing and benchmarking existing facilities. NB - There may be a discrepancy in some instances between figures in the tables and the corresponding maps due to the rounding of figures. In particular, there are a variety of ways of estimating the adequacy of supply in relation to demand. • Sport England’s Sports Facilities Calculator (SFC) can be used to assess the demand that could be expected for particular facilities by the local population. It uses Census data and applies empirical participation rates collected from national surveys to assess overall demand. It can be adjusted to reflect local participation rates, taken from the most recent Active People survey. It must be treated with some caution however as it only deals with demand for facilities from within the district, and takes no account of facilities and demand outside, and cross boundary movements. As a basis for assessing demand therefore it provides only a baseline, which must be considered in conjunction with other measures. • APP can be used to compare demand and supply available within a discrete area such as West Northants, but this adopts slightly different criteria based on visits per week to a facility, which is not entirely compatible with the Calculator above.

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• Sport England’s Facility Planning Model (FPM) is the most comprehensive method of estimating facility provision, and takes into account existing and future supply, demand and facility catchments, including consideration of adjoining local authority areas. It also considers the age and attractiveness of facilities. A full FPM run would need to be commissioned from Sport England separately, and this was not available for this study. • Sport England has undertaken a national assessment using FPM data and methods which gives an overview of the current situation for sports halls and swimming pools in each local authority in the country, using general assumptions about facility provision and usage (NFA assessment). Current availability of this model is restricted to authorities within Sport England’s Facilities Improvement Service or when resources allow, to be interpreted by Sport England or its specialist consultants. In this instance this was not possible. Nonetheless the monitoring of this study should seek to use this tool if available in the future. The demand assessment for this study was therefore restricted mainly to the use of the SFC and APP, together with any local data available. One example of local data which has been built into the calculations includes import and export of demand. This has been considered necessary to overcome the problems of using some of the existing tools. Other recent studies in the West Northamptonshire area have not taken this factor into account, but it obvious from the real world that members of the local community do not respect district and borough boundaries when using sports facilities. This is particularly important in the West Northamptonshire area where there are a number of facilities on the edges of individual districts, both within West Northamptonshire and bordering Rugby, Milton Keynes and other districts. To ensure that a consistent approach has been taken import/export calculations have been based on those considered by the Facilities Planning Model. Import and export are a combination of a variety of factors. People will visit facilities in other districts because they are closer to home (e.g. those in the north of Daventry may use sports halls in Market Harborough or Rugby because these are nearer than halls in Daventry town) or because halls in their own district are at capacity, or for a variety of other reasons. The source of the above figures makes assumption about where people go depending on location, capacity and age. It is not possible without additional information to say precisely where users of individual halls live and therefore where the imported or exported demand goes/comes. It is considered therefore that this enables a more comprehensive assessment to be made than is available in other local studies recently undertaken for this purpose. NB – Due to the difference in the way the various tools can be used, there may be variations in the figures produced by this study and other studies undertaken in the area. The key below shows the different classifications which have been used through out this document.

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Fully available for pay and play Available for Club or association at all times use only Partially available for pay and Private use only play Fully available at all hours for Closed members only Figure 8 - Key for accessibility of facilities

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7.2 Sports Halls Sports halls host a variety of formal sport and active recreational activities. National research indicates that they tend to attract use by a limited section of the population, but that this use tends to be regular. Sports halls cater for a population normally within quite a large catchment, up to 20 minutes travel time. This is seen by Sport England as the time within which the majority of people travel to a sports hall, by car in rural areas and on foot in towns. For the purposes of this assessment, sports hall facilities that are below four badminton courts in size are not included due to the restrictions this puts on the mix of sports that can be played in the hall. 7.2.1 Daventry District Audit There are 6 sports halls of 4 courts or more available for some degree of community use in Daventry District, located in 6 main locations, together with 2 smaller halls, comprising a total floor space of 4462m2. Full community access on a pay and play basis is available only at Daventry Leisure Centre and Moulton Sports Complex. These comprise of one 6 court hall and one 4 court hall of 1427m2 (or 32% of the total). The remainder are primarily available on education sites, on a club, prior booking or membership basis, and these comprise floor space of 3035 m2. The current ratio of provision of sports halls of 4-court and above (the normal Sport England benchmark) in full community use is 1 hall per 31,250, or 1 hall per 11,600 for all halls with some form of community use.

Ownership Year Site Name Courts Type Access Built Refurbished DAVENTRY LEISURE 33 x Local CENTRE 6 26 Authority Pay and Play 1996 - 32.5 MOULTON SPORTS x Community COMPLEX 4 17.5 school Pay and Play 1992 2005 Registered MOULTON COLLEGE 33 x Further Membership (John Ashby SC) 4 18 Education use 2000 - Registered MOULTON COLLEGE 40 x Further Membership (PITSFORD CENTRE) 4 20 Education use 2007 -

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Sports Club / DAVENTRY WILLIAM 18 x Community Community PARKER SCHOOL 2 17 school Association 1980 - Sports Club / GUILSBOROUGH 33 x Community Community SCHOOL 4 17 school Association 1965 2004 Sports Club / GUILSBOROUGH 18 x Community Community SCHOOL 1 10 school Association 1965 2006 NORTHAMPTON Sports Club / COLLEGE AT 33 x Further Community DAVENTRY 4 18 Education Association 1970 2006

Figure 9: Sports Halls in Daventry District Comparative Provision With reference to the information contained in APP, it is possible to benchmark existing facility provision in the area with other local authorities in the region, and the regional and national averages. The figures are not entirely comparable with the above, owing to variations in the method of data collection and the use of 2001 census data, but the comparison for sports halls of four courts and larger in Daventry District is as follows:

m2 per 1000 population Daventry District 44.2 Northampton 59.7 South Northamptonshire District 65.5 Study Area 57.8 Northamptonshire 50.0 East Midlands 50.1 England 50.2 Best provision in East Midlands 119.5 () Figure 10: Comparison of Sports Hall Provision in Daventry District

Existing provision of all 4+-court halls in Daventry District is therefore lower than the average for the local study area, county, region and England. 36. Issue – Daventry District has a lower than average 4 court hall provision Quality With the exception of Daventry William Parker School, all sports halls were built or refurbished after 1996. There is therefore little impact on usage due to qualitative factors.

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Accessibility Main Halls, all 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ Community Use mins 20 30 45 Walk 35% 24% 7% 10% 25% Car 57% 41% Figure 11: Drive time to sports halls in Daventry District Almost the whole population of Daventry District is within a 20 minute drive of a sports hall with some community use (Figure 11), although of this provision is from outside of the District. Areas that are particularly affected include those around the villages of Old and . In terms of walk time 59% of the population is within a 20 minute walk, but 35% are more than 30 minutes walk away, and therefore effectively outside a reasonable catchment. 37. Issue - there are small areas of the Daventry District that fall outside the 20min drive time for sports halls

Figure 12: Areas in Daventry District outside of a 20min drive times from a sports hall

Supply and Demand Assessment The current and future requirement for sports halls from the Sports Facility Calculator in Daventry District is as follows. The 2006 requirement includes a 15% allowance for existing high participation rates in sports in Daventry District, and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% increase to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth. The totals include all halls of any size. 50 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Courts Halls 2006 25.56 6.39 2026 no participation 34.16 8.54 increase 2026 20% increase 40.1 10.02 Figure 13: Projected number of Sports halls in Daventry District by 2026 Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period.

Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met Sports halls (Community 7234 3313 3921 218% Use all ownership) Sports hall (Community 2025 3313 -1288 61% Use Local Authority) Figure 14: Adequacy of supply of sports halls in Daventry District Assessment There are 6 sports halls of 4+ courts in Daventry District, comprising 26 courts (plus 2 smaller halls with 4 courts) to meet an identified demand for 25.5 courts in 2006, and this is more than adequate to meet the overall demand, as confirmed by the % of demand met (see above) in all halls in community use. However only 2 halls are available to the community for pay and play (as confirmed by the 61% of demand met). It is likely that some demand is met in neighbouring districts (particularly in Rugby, Towcester, Wellingborough and Market Harborough). Bearing in mind this export of demand to neighbouring districts, it is estimated that about two thirds of the calculated capacity requirement of halls is needed in Daventry, representing about 20 courts or 5 halls in full community use. Additional sports halls are therefore not required at this stage as long as some existing school facilities are made available in peak time for community use. However if community use to these halls is not available then there may be the need for an additional hall (4 courts).

38. Issue – There is sufficient sports hall provision in Daventry District to meet current demand, assuming that some school facilities are made available for community use in peak time

Local Need The AENA have identified a need for indoor netball facilities in Daventry. Future Requirements In 2026, with an increased population and higher participation levels, there is a requirement for 10 sports halls (40 courts) to meet Daventry District’s 51 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

demand for halls. Some of this will continue to be met outside of the district in similar locations to at present, and at the same proportion as at present. It is calculated that an additional 14 courts (or 3.5 halls) will be required in Daventry District leading up to 2026. At the anticipated population of 104,500, this will require a future standard of provision of one 4 court hall per 13,100 people. This equates to a future standard of 0.32 courts per 1000 population (this is slightly higher than in the draft PPG17 study, but includes a participation growth factor). 39. Issue - There will be a need for 3.5 additional full size sports halls to meet demand by 2026 7.2.2 Northampton Audit

Ownership Access Year Site Name Courts Type Type Built Refurbished DANES CAMP Local Pay and LEISURE CENTRE 4 33 x 18 Authority Play 1990 2007 LINGS FORUM Local Pay and LEISURE CENTRE 6 36 x 25 Authority Play 1975 - BENHAM SPORTS Pay and ARENA 9 45 x 42 Other Play 1990 2005 Sports Club / THE DUSTON Community Community SCHOOL 4 33 X 18 school Association 2007 - Sports Club / THE DUSTON Community Community SCHOOL 2 18 x 18 school Association 2007 - Sports Club / KINGSTHORPE Community Community COLLEGE 4 33 x 18 school Association 2007 - MEREWAY Sports Club / COMMUNITY Community Community COLLEGE 4 30 x 20 school Association 1974 - MEREWAY Sports Club / COMMUNITY Community Community COLLEGE 2 20 x 16 school Association 1991 - Other Sports Club / NORTHAMPTON HIGH Independent Community SCHOOL 4 33 x 17 School Association 1988 - Sports Club / NORTHAMPTON Foundation Community SCHOOL FOR BOYS 4 33 x 17 School Association 1992 - THE NORTHAMPTON Sports Club / SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Community Community (EAST SITE) 1 18 X 10 school Association 1960 - THE NORTHAMPTON Sports Club / SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Community Community (WEST SITE) (2) school Association 2007 - Higher Sports Club / THE UNIVERSITY OF Education Community NORTHAMPTON 4 27 X 17 Institutions Association 1974 - Sports Club / Voluntary Community UNITY COLLEGE 4 33 X 18 Aided School Association 2004 - 52 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

WESTON FAVELL UPPER SCHOOL Sports Club / SPORTS PLUS Community Community CENTRE 4 33 X 18 school Association 1998 - THE NORTHAMPTON Sports Club / SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Community Community (EAST SITE) - 10 X 5 school Association 1960 - Sports Club / NORTHAMPTON Community ACADEMY 4 33 x 18 Academies Association 2006 - MEREWAY COMMUNITY Community COLLEGE 4 33 x 18 school - - CRIPPS RECREATION Health CENTRE 1 18 x 10 Authority Private Use 1974 - CRIPPS RECREATION Health CENTRE 2 18 x 18 Authority Private Use 1974 - THOMAS BECKET Voluntary CATHOLIC SCHOOL 1 18 X 10 Aided School Private Use 1975 - THOMAS BECKET Voluntary CATHOLIC SCHOOL 1 18 X 17 Aided School Private Use 1975 2006 Other QUINTON HOUSE Independent SCHOOL - 18 X 10 School Private Use 1970 - THE NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Community (WEST SITE) 6 36 X 25 school Private Use 2007 - NORTHAMPTON Foundation SCHOOL FOR BOYS - 18 X 10 School Private Use 1957 - Sports Club / THE DUSTON Community Community SCHOOL (CLOSED) 4 33 X 18 school Association 1970 - THE NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Sports Club / (WEST SITE) Community Community (CLOSED) 4 33 X 17 school Association 1990 - Other QUINTON HOUSE Independent SCHOOL (PLANNED) 3 27 X 17 School Private Use - - Figure 15: Sports halls in Northampton There are 14 sports halls of 4-courts or more available for some degree of community use in Northampton, together with a number of smaller halls, comprising a total floor space of 11,596m2. There are 2 local authority pay and play centres, and one other facility in full community use, comprising 2871 m2 (25% of the total) and a further 15 halls on school sites (6475 m2, or 56%). There are 7 halls, on school or other sites, which are used privately (2250 m2 or 19%). Using the normal Sport England benchmark the current ratio of provision of sports halls of 4-court and above in full community use is 1 hall per 42,150, or 1 hall per 13,600 for all halls with some form of community use. Comparative Provision The comparative provision using APP for sports halls in Northampton is shown above (see Daventry District). Provision overall is slightly higher than 53 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

the average for the study area, and appreciably better than the county, regional or national averages. 40. Issue – Provision of sports halls in Northampton is above the average Quality Of those sports halls with some community use, a number were built before 1980 and have not been refurbished – Lings Forum, Mereway Community College, Northampton School for Girls (small hall), and the University of Northampton. Danes Camp and Benham Sports Arena have been refurbished in the last 3 years, and a number of new school facilities have been constructed since 2006 as part of the Northampton Schools Improvement Programme. Accessibility

Main Halls, all 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ Community Use mins 20 30 45 Walk 24% 46% 23% 6% Car 99% 1% Figure 16: Walk and drive times to sports halls in Northampton Almost all Northampton residents are within a 10 minute drive of a sports hall and 70% are within a 20 minute walk. Only 29% live outside the reasonable catchment of a sports hall (20 minutes walk). These areas are shown in Figure 17 below.

Figure 17: 20 min walk times from existing sports hall in Northampton

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41. Issue – 29% of the population of Northampton live outside a 20min walk time from a sports hall Supply and Demand Assessment The demand assessment has been undertaken using the tools available at present (see pages 44-45). The current and future requirement for sports halls from the Sports Facilities Calculator in Northampton is shown below. The 2006 requirement includes a 5% reduction for existing low participation rates, and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% increase to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth. Courts Halls 2006 55.84 13.96 2026 no participation 72.92 18.2 increase 2026 20% increase 88.27 22.07 Figure 18: Projected number of Sports halls in Northampton by 2026 Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period.

Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met Sports halls (CU all 9275 9256 19 100 ownership) Sports hall (CU LA) 2025 9256 -7231 23 Figure 19: Adequacy of supply of sports halls in Northampton Assessment There are 14 sports halls of 4+ courts in Northampton, comprising 65 courts (plus a number of smaller halls with 4 courts) to meet an identified demand from within Northampton for 56 courts in 2006. It is estimated that there is a net export of demand from Northampton equating to 13%. There is slightly higher capacity than average in Northampton, and overall it is considered that there is an adequate supply overall at present, confirmed by the APP data. However only 3 of these halls are in full pay and play use, including 2 in local authority ownership, and there is therefore a significant shortfall in meeting demand if only these are considered (see APP). Current demand can only be met by bringing all existing school and other halls into community use including those currently used privately. It is unlikely that this will happen to the level that is required, and therefore new pay and play provision can be justified in the Dallington area and on the western flank of the town.

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42. Issues – There is sufficient supply to meet demand in Northampton only if community use can be applied to all sports halls, however this is unlikely to be fully achieved 43. Issue – additional provision can be justified in the Dallington area and on the Western flank Local Issues The University of Northampton have plans to develop their sports facilities at the Boughton Green site. Currently they have a 4 court hall which is located to the front of the site. Their plans are being formulated at present, but their intention is to develop a new sports hall and ancillary facilities elsewhere on the campus. It is not clear at this stage whether the existing hall will be retained. Northampton Borough Council is currently entering into discussion about the redevelopment of the Lings Forum Centre. This will be part of an aspirational extensive redevelopment on the site involving the library, Primary Care Trust and Health Centre, the Weston Favell Housing Office, Emmanuel Church and the Shopping Centre. The proposals under consideration at present include an 8 court sports hall to replace the existing 6 court hall. Basketball is a very popular sport in Northampton, and although a specialist basketball centre has been developed at Northampton School for Girls, the county’s development needs can not be met at this venue on it’s own. Additional sports halls with a basketball focus are needed. A new pricing policy has recently been introduced as part of the recent Private Finance Initiatives (PFI). This has led to concerns being expressed that some clubs can no longer afford to access school facilities. Future Requirements In 2026 with an increased population and higher participation levels, it is calculated that an additional 32 courts (or 8 halls) are actually required in Northampton up to 2026, making a total of 22 sports halls (88 courts). At the anticipated population of 261,300, this will require a future standard of provision of one 4 court hall per 11,900 people. This equates to a future standard of 0.34 courts per 1000 population (this is slightly higher than in the PPG17 study, but includes a participation growth factor). In the main these should be located in the main housing growth areas and connected with the new schools that are being proposed as part of the developments. There is however additional demand on the Eastern flank of Northampton, but this may be integrated into a redeveloped Lings Forum. 44. Issue – there will be a need for 8 additional sports halls in the Northampton area by 2026 (25 courts)

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7.2.3 South Northamptonshire District Audit

Court Ownership Year Refurbish Site Name s Type Access Type Built ed BRACKLEY LEISURE 33 x CENTRE 4 18 Local Authority Pay and Play 1991 2003 TOWCESTER CENTRE FOR 33 x LEISURE 4 18 Local Authority Pay and Play 1992 2005 WILLISON 33 x Foundation CENTRE, 4 18 School Pay and Play 1994 2001 CAROLINE CHISHOLM SCHOOL, 33 x Community Wootton 4 18 school Pay and Play 2004 CAMPION Sports Club / SCHOOL, 33 X Community Community BUGBROOKE 4 17 school Association 1977 - Sports Club / CAMPION 18 x Community Community SCHOOL 0 17 school Association 1977 - Sports Club / CAMPION 18 x Community Community SCHOOL 0 10 school Association 1977 - Sports Club / CHENDERIT 33 x Community Community SCHOOL 4 17 school Association 1975 - KINGSBROOK SPECIALIST BUSINESS AND Sports Club / ENTERPRISE 18 x Community Community COLLEGE 1 10 school Association 1975 - KINGSBROOK SPECIALIST BUSINESS AND Sports Club / ENTERPRISE 27 x Community Community COLLEGE 3 17 school Association 1975 - SPONNE SCHOOL & Sports Club / TECHNOLOGY 33 x Community Community COLLEGE 4 17 school Association 1999 - SPONNE SCHOOL & Sports Club / TECHNOLOGY 18 x Community Community COLLEGE 0 10 school Association 1950 2005 Other Sports Club / WINCHESTER 33 x Independent Community HOUSE SCHOOL 4 18 School Association 1979 1998 MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL Voluntary Sports Club / (WAYNFLETE 20 x Controlled Community SITE) 2 15 School Association 1900 -

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Court Ownership Year Refurbish Site Name s Type Access Type Built ed MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL Voluntary Sports Club / (WAYNFLETE 30 x Controlled Community SITE) 4 18 School Association 2003 - Sports Club / 18 X Community Community VILLAGE HALL 1 10 Organisation Association 1981 - MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL Voluntary (WAYNFLETE 18 x Controlled SITE) 2 15 School Private Use 1900 - MAGDALEN COLLEGE Voluntary SCHOOL (ST 18 x Controlled JOHN'S SITE) 2 15 School Private Use 1957 - Figure 20: Sports halls in South Northamptonshire There are 9 sports halls of 4-courts or more available for some degree of community use in South Northamptonshire District, together with a number of smaller halls, comprising a total floor space of 7,518 m2. There are 2 local authority pay and play centres, and 2 school pay and play halls, with a total floor space of 2376m2 (32% of the total) and a further 11 halls on school sites with limited use by clubs and associations (4422m2, or 59%), and 2 small school halls used privately and one large village hall (720m2 or 9%). The current ratio of provision of sports halls of 4-court and above in full community use is 1 hall per 22,200, or 1 hall per 9,900 for all halls with some form of community use.

Comparative Provision The comparative provision using APP for sports halls in South Northamptonshire District is shown above. South Northamptonshire District has the best ratio of provision in the study area and easily exceeds the county, regional or national averages. 45. Issue – Current sports hall provision in South Northamptonshire District easily exceeds national averages Quality All facilities with full community use were built or refurbished after 2001, but most of the school halls were provided in the 1970s. This means that the quality of halls available through schools is relatively poor. 46. Issue – There is an issue over the aging stock of school sports halls in the area

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Accessibility Main Halls, all 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ Community Use mins 20 30 45 Walk 43% 17% 6% 15% 18% Car 77% 23% Figure 21: Walk and drive times to sports halls in South Northamptonshire The majority of residents in South Northamptonshire District live within a 20 minute drive time, and three-quarters live within 10 minutes. Those that are outside a 20min drive time are areas around Weston, , and to the South East of Horton (Figure 22). 60% are within a reasonable walking catchment (20 minutes), though one-third lives further than a 30 minute walk.

Figure 22: Areas of South Northamptonshire outside of 20 min drive time from a sports hall

47. Issues – Some areas fall outside the 20min drive time of a sports hall in South Northamptonshire

Supply and Demand Assessment The current and future requirement for sports halls in South Northamptonshire District from the Sports Facilities Calculator is shown below. The 2006 requirement includes a 5% increase for existing high participation rates, and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% increase to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth.

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Courts Halls 2006 26.22 6.56 2026 no participation 29.11 7.28 increase 2026 20% increase 34.66 8.66 Figure 23: Projected demand for Sports halls by 2026 Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period.

Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met Sports halls (CU all 7328 3607 3721 203 ownership) Sports hall (CU LA) 1560 3607 -2046 43 Figure 24: Adequacy of supply of sports halls in South Northamptonshire Assessment There are 9 sports halls of 4+ courts in South Northamptonshire District, comprising 36 courts (plus a number of smaller halls totalling 7 courts) and 2 private halls (4 courts) to meet an identified demand for 26 courts in 2006. There is therefore an adequate supply overall at present, confirmed by the APP data. However only 4 of these halls are in full pay and play use, including 2 in local authority ownership, and pay and play demand is only 40% met. Much of the remaining supply is by an aging stock of halls which are not so attractive for public use. Due to the proximity of sports halls in neighbouring districts, some of South Northamptonshire District’s demand is met outside the district (particularly in Banbury, Milton Keynes and Northampton); despite this South Northamptonshire is a net importer of demand. However given the current over supply of halls in the area there is no additional current demand for sports hall. In total current demand represents about 20 courts or 5 halls in full community use. Currently there are 4 pay and play halls and a number of school facilities, and additional sports halls are therefore not required at this stage, as long as some existing school facilities will be made available in peak time for community use. 48. Issue – although there are sufficient halls to meet current demand, this is reliant on some halls being made available for community use, there are however questions about the quality of these halls and their suitability for public use Local Issues There are some concerns being expressed about the continued community access to the sports facilities at the Willison Centre in Roade. This facility has been a vital part of the sports hall network in the area, and steps must be taken to ensure continued access.

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The All England Badminton Association has identified that there is a need for more courts in the South Northamptonshire area, and in Brackley specifically. Future Requirements In 2026, with an increased population and higher participation levels, there is a requirement for 9 sports halls (35 courts) to meet South Northamptonshire’s’ demand for halls. Some of this will continue to be met outside of the district in similar locations to at present, and at the same proportion as at present, it is calculated that an additional 8 courts (or 2 halls) are actually required in South Northamptonshire up to 2026, making a total of 28 courts or 7 halls. At the anticipated population of 98,600, this will require a future standard of provision of one 4 court hall per 14,100 people. This equates to a future standard of 0.29 courts per 1000 population. 49. Issue - 2 additional 4 court halls are required in the South Northamptonshire District area to meet additional population growth in the area

7.2.4 WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE SUMMARY Sports halls provision depends on relatively local catchments of up to 20 minutes, on foot in towns and by car in more rural areas. Sports hall users do not respect local authority boundaries, and there is clearly some transfer of demand between the three Local Authorities in the study area, and also outside, to and from neighbouring districts such as Milton Keynes, Rugby, Wellingborough and Harborough. However it is reasonable to develop a standard for future provision based on meeting local need primarily within each individual district. Based on the foregoing assessment, current levels of sports hall provision are only adequate to meet demand if school and other facilities are fully available for access by the community, and this is clearly not always the case. Future provision levels assume that all existing sports halls are brought into more intensive community use. In addition new provision is required as follows in the West Northamptonshire area by 2026: • Daventry District, future standard of 0.32 courts per 1000 people (1 4 court hall per 13100 people), requiring an additional 3 halls (12 courts) • Northampton, future standard of 0.34 courts per 1000 people (1 4 court hall per 11900 people), requiring an additional 8 halls (32 courts) • South Northamptonshire, future standard of 0.29 courts per 1000 people (1 4 court hall per 14100 people), requiring an additional 2 halls (8 courts)

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7.3 Swimming Pools Swimming pools attract both casual and competitive activity and swimming continues to be one of the most populate leisure pastimes. Usage is similar to sports halls in that pools attract people from a relatively wide area up to 20 minutes according to most research. Pools have traditionally been provided by local authorities and as part of school facilities, but there is increasing provision in the private/commercial sector as the result of the growth of health and fitness centres. 7.3.1 Daventry District Audit

Ownership Year Refurbis Site Name Lanes Type Access Type Built hed

Main pools DAVENTRY LEISURE CENTRE 6 25 x 13 Local Authority Pay and Play 1996 - DAVENTRY LEISURE CENTRE 0 12 x 6 Local Authority Pay and Play 1996 - AZURE AT STAVERTON Registered PARK 0 15 x 6 Commercial Membership use 2000 - BODYSENSE LEISURE CLUB Registered (DAVENTRY) 0 15 x 9 Commercial Membership use 1991 - OVERSTONE Registered PARK 0 17 x 8 Commercial Membership use 1994 2005 SPIRIT HEALTH Registered CLUB (RUGBY) 3 15 x 7 Commercial Membership use 1989 2004 CLUB AT SEDGEBROOK Registered HALL 0 13 x 5 Commercial Membership use 2000 - REFLECTIONS LEISURE CLUB ( Registered LAKES) 0 10 x 6 Commercial Membership use 2001 - Figure 25: Swimming Pools in Daventry District The total amount of water space for swimming in Daventry District is 988m2. There is only one pool of 25m plus in length in Daventry District, and pay and play access to water totals 397m2 (40%). The remainder of swimming provision in Daventry District comprises smaller pools at commercial health and fitness centres totalling 591 m2 (60%). The ratio of 4 lane 25m pools (or equivalents) in community use in Daventry District (the normal benchmark) is 1:50,200. Comparative provision In the same way as sports halls it is possible to benchmark provision of pools in Daventry District against provision elsewhere (with the same provisos about

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sources and comparability of information as above). Relative provision is as follows:

m2 per 1000 population Daventry District 13.2 Northampton 21.3 South Northamptonshire District 14.4 Study Area 18.15 Northamptonshire 18.44 East Midlands 17.41 England 18.44 Best provision in East Midlands 32.9 (Rutland) Figure 26: Comparison of Provision of Swimming Pools Existing provision of all water space in Daventry District is significantly lower than the local, county, regional and national averages. 50. Issue – provision of water space in Daventry District is significantly lower than average Quality All remaining pools in Daventry District have been built or refurbished since 1996. Accessibility All pools with CU except 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ commercial mins 20 30 45 Walk 23% 27% 11% 15% 24% Car 65% 35% Figure 27: Walk and drive times to swimming pools in Daventry District All Daventry District residents live within a 20 minute drive of a pool. 50% live within a 20 minute walk, though 39% live further than a 30 minute walk away. However when drive time is calculated for pools that are open for public use, there are areas that fall outside the 20min drive time. These are shown in yellow in Figure 28 and are an area west of the A5199 north of , a smaller area to the east of the A5199 just south of , around Long Buckby, parts of Woodford Halse, and to the north of Byfield.

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Figure 28: Areas in Daventry District outside of 20 min drive times from a swimming pool

Supply and Demand Assessment The demand assessment has been undertaken using the tools available at present (see pages 44-45) Using the Sports Facility Calculator, the current and future requirement for swimming pools in Daventry District is shown below. The 2006 requirement includes a 15% increase for existing high participation rates in the district (taken from Active People), and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% further increase to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth.

m2 Lanes Pools 2006 930.47 17.51 4.38 2026 no participation 1243.41 23.41 5.85 increase 2026 20% increase 1459.65 27.48 6.87 Figure 29: Projected Demand for swimming pools in Daventry District

Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period, and the current situation in Daventry District is as follows:

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Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met Swimming pools (all 11232 4200 7033 267 CU) Swimming Pools (LA) 6980 4200 2780 166 Swimming pools 3002 4200 -1198 72 (commercial) Figure 30: Adequacy of supply of swimming pools in Daventry District

These figures, however, include the outdoor pools at Daventry, which have closed. If these pools are excluded, it is estimated that the capacity of local authority pools is reduced by two-thirds overall. There are therefore insufficient pools in local authority ownership to meet total demand, although commercial and other pools do make up this difference. Assessment There is broadly sufficient water overall to meet current demand. However there is only one pool (6 lanes plus ancillary water 397 m2) available for pay and play use together with a further 591 m2 of water at commercial pools. It is estimated, given the proximity of pools outside the edge of Daventry, that some 40% demand is met in neighbouring districts (particularly in Rugby, Northampton, Wellingborough and Market Harborough). Bearing in mind this export of demand to neighbouring districts, it is estimated that about two thirds of the calculated capacity requirement of pools is needed in Daventry District, representing about 600 m2 in full community use. There is thus a shortage of about 200m2 of water to meet public use. Unless this shortfall can be met from commercial pools, additional ‘public’ pools are required to meet demand. 51. Issue - there is a need for publicly accessible pools in Daventry District to be made available Local Issues Moulton College is looking to develop a new swimming pool complex on the Pitsford Road site. This will be for either an 8 lane 25m pool which is the preferred option, or for a smaller 6 lane 25m pool. The pool will primarily be for club and College use, but there may be some restricted public access. It is understood that funding is in place to support this development. Future Requirements In 2026, with an increased population and higher participation levels, there is a requirement for seven 4-lane pools or 28 lanes for community use (about 1450m2). Some of this will continue to be met outside of the district in similar locations to at present, and at the same proportion as at present, it is calculated that an additional 400m2 or (2 x 4-lane pools) are actually required in Daventry District up to 2026, making a total of 1000m2 (or about 5 pools). At the anticipated population of 104,500, this will require a future standard of provision of one 4 lane 25m pool per 21,000 people or 10.1m2 of water per

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1000 people. (This is slightly lower than in the draft PPG17 study, but takes into account some demand exported to other local authority areas). There is only one community pool currently available in Daventry District and the following locations could be considered for future provision: Daventry, Moulton, Guilsborough and possibly Woodford Halse. In addition increased community access to commercial and other pools should be sought. 52. Issue – by 2026, up to 2 additional 4-lane pools are required for community use in accessible locations throughout the district

7.3.2 Northampton Audit

Ownership Year Refurbis Site Name Lanes Size Type Access Type Built hed Main pools LINGS FORUM LEISURE CENTRE 6 25 x 10 Local Authority Pay and Play 1975 - MOUNTS BATHS 20 x LEISURE CENTRE - 7.5 Local Authority Pay and Play 1936 - MOUNTS BATHS 30 x LEISURE CENTRE 6 12.2 Local Authority Pay and Play 1936 - THE NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL FOR Community GIRLS (WEST SITE) 5 25 x 10 school Pay and Play 1990 2002 Sports Club / THE DUSTON Community Community SCHOOL 5 25 x 10 school Association 1970 - Sports Club / NORTHAMPTON 23 x Foundation Community SCHOOL FOR BOYS 4 9.1 School Association 1965 2006 Other Sports Club / NORTHAMPTON Independent Community HIGH SCHOOL 4 25 x 10 School Association 1988 - Sports Club / UNITY COLLEGE Voluntary Aided Community (?closed) 4 20 x 8 School Association 1965 - Sports Club / Community Community BARRY ROAD POOL 4 20 x 8 School Association 1900’s 2006 WESTON FAVELL UPPER SCHOOL SPORTS PLUS Community Registered CENTRE 5 25 x 10 school Membership use 1998 2007 CANNONS HEALTH CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 2 20 x 8 Commercial Membership use 2000 - ESPORTA HEALTH & FITNESS Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 2 20 x 8 Commercial Membership use 2000 -

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Ownership Year Refurbis Site Name Lanes Size Type Access Type Built hed JJB FITNESS CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) - 20 x 8 Commercial Membership use 2007 - LIVINGWELL HEALTH CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 2 18 x 9 Commercial Membership use 1991 2006 TOPNOTCH HEALTH CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 4 15 x 6 Commercial Membership use 2002 2006 VIRGIN ACTIVE CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 5 25 x 10 Commercial Membership use 2001 - INN ACTION HEALTH & FITNESS Registered (NORTHAMPTON) - 10 x 6 Commercial Membership use 1998 - MARRIOTT LEISURE CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) - 13 x 6 Commercial Membership use 1987 - VIRGIN ACTIVE CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) - 12 x 8 Commercial Membership use 2001 - CRIPPS RECREATION CENTRE 0 25 x 10 Health Authority Private Use 1974 - KINGSTHORPE COMMUNITY Sports Club / COLLEGE SPORTS Community Community CENTRE (CLOSED) 4 20 x 7 school Association 1975 - KINGSTHORPE Sports Club / GROVE SCHOOL Community Community (CLOSED 4 20. x 8 School Association ??

Leisure pool DANES CAMP LEISURE CENTRE - 25 x 8 Local Authority Pay and Play 1990 1994 Lido ESPORTA HEALTH & FITNESS Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 2 20 x 10 Commercial Membership use 2004 - Figure 31: Swimming Pools in Northampton There are 8 pools of 25+ metres in Northampton, and the total amount of indoor water space for swimming in Northampton is 3761m2, with an additional 200m2 of outdoor water/lido at Esporta Health and Fitness. Local Authority pay and play provision is made at 3 pools (966m2) and there is one school pay and play pool (250m2). Total pay and play provision is therefore 1016m2 (30% of the total). There are 5 school pools with club or membership use (1029m2 or 28%) and 9 commercial pools and the Lido with registered membership use only (1416m2 or 35%). There is one pool in private use. The ratio of 4 lane 25m pools (or equivalents) in community use in Northampton (the normal benchmark) is 1:22,750.

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Comparative provision The comparative provision of water space in Northampton is shown above. Northampton has a very high ratio of water space per 1000 people, which is appreciably higher than the local county, regional and national averages. Quality There is a wide range in the quality of facilities. The main local authority pay and play pools are relatively old and date from 1936. Most school pools were built from the 1960s onwards, although there has been some refurbishment, and the commercial pools were mostly built within the last 10 years. 53. Issue – many of the pools in Northampton are ageing, and this has issues relating to their maintenance and longevity

Accessibility All pools CU except 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ commercial mins 20 30 45 Walk 28% 51% 18% 3% Car 100% Figure 32: Walk and Drive times to swimming pools in Northampton As might be expected in a densely populated urban area, all Northampton residents live within a 20-minute drive of a community pool, and nearly 80% within a 20 minute walk. Very few residents live outside a reasonable walking catchment (Figure 33).

Figure 33: Northampton showing 20 min walk time from pools with total and club access

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Supply And Demand Assessment Using the Sports Facility Calculator, the current and future requirement for swimming pools in Northampton is shown below. The 2006 requirement includes a 5% reduction for existing low participation rates in Northampton, and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% increase in current activity rates to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth.

m2 Lanes Pools 2006 1998.23 37.61 9.4 2026 no participation 2609.39 49.12 12.28 increase 2026 20% increase 3158.73 59.46 14.86 Figure 34: Projected demand for swimming pools in Northampton Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period, and the current situation in Northampton is as follows:

Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met Swimming pools (all 22166 11532 10634 192 CU) Swimming Pools (LA) 7079 11532 -4453 61 Swimming pools 7964 11532 -3568 69 (commercial) Figure 35: Adequacy of supply of swimming pools in Northampton Assessment There are 9 pools of 25m plus in Northampton comprising 3801 m2, which easily exceeds demand for 2000m2 (as confirmed by APP). It is estimated, because of the lack of facilities in these areas, that some demand is imported from the immediately surrounding villages in South Northamptonshire and Daventry District, so the actual overall demand for pools in Northampton is increased by about 10%. There is higher capacity than average in Northampton, and overall it is considered that there is an adequate supply overall at present, confirmed by the APP data. However, pay and play provision within Local Authorities and at schools is only 1216 m2 (30% of the total) and only meets about two-thirds of the community demand. Commercial provision alone is sufficient to meet two- thirds of total demand, but this is unavailable to much of the population and unlikely to meet the shortfall. Current demand can therefore only be met if all school pools currently not used extensively by the public are utilised, and increased access is negotiated at commercial pools. There are however significant issues affecting provision based on the quality of the pools in the town.

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54. Issue – There is sufficient water overall, but current demand can only be met if all school pools are able to be used by the public and access to commercial pools is negotiated Local Need The University of Northampton has plans to develop its sports facilities at the Boughton Green site. There are currently plans to develop a 6 lane 25m pool as part of the redevelopment, but at this stage it is not clear as whether the finance can be realised for this project. This pool would meet the need for a pool to serve the north west of the town, which has been identified by both the Borough Council and N Sport. The critical issue will be the way the pool will be managed and how accessible it is to the public. Options for shared management with the Borough Council should be explored in order to ensure that all parties are able to maximise their desired needs. This need has been identified as a result of the closure of several small pools in the area in the last few years. These pools served a vital part in the "Learn to Swim" programme and club swimming in the town. There is now real pressure on other pools due to these closures. This will be further compounded if the small pool at Unity College also closes. Consideration also has to be given to sustainability of the small pool at Barry Road which has been a vital part in the swimming network. Over the last few years there have been continued maintenance issues which have resulted in a series of temporary closures in recent years. Northampton Borough Council is currently entering into discussion about the redevelopment of the Lings Forum Centre. This may be part of an extensive redevelopment on the site involving the library, Primary Care Trust and Health Centre, the Weston Favell Housing Office, Emmanuel Church and the Shopping Centre. The proposals under consideration at present include an 8 lane 25m swimming pool. It is stressed that these proposals are in early stages, at present are aspirational with no budgetary provision committed. The Mounts Baths are likely to become a listed building in the near future as an excellent example of an Art Deco Pool. An application is to be made to the Heritage Lottery Fund to undertake refurbishments. Although the tools used do not identify a need for a pool larger than a 6 lane 25m pool, there is a clear requirement for competitive swimming for a 8 lane 25m pool which will complement the 50m which is under development in Corby. Future requirements In 2026 with an increased population, higher participation levels in line with Sport England targets and maintaining Northampton’s current role as an importer of demand for swimming, it is calculated that about 3500m2 of water is required, the equivalent of 16.5 pools in total (4 lanes). This equates to a future standard of provision of one 4-lane pool per 16,000 people, or about 13m2 of water per 1000 population (this is slightly higher than in the PPG17 study, but includes a growth in participation of 20% and a continued element

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of imported demand). These calculations do not refer to the existing quality of pools available, and assume that all existing pools will remain available. To meet the need for 3500m2 of water, the following are required: • Retention of the 4 current local authority pools in pay and play use • More intensive usage of existing school pools by the adoption of more formal community use agreements • More community usage of commercial pools at health clubs On the assumption that schools will only ever be available at most for two thirds of available community time and commercial pools contribute say 25% to community usage, there will be a shortfall by 2026 of about 1400m2 of water, which is the equivalent of 6.5 4-lane pools. These should therefore be provided as new facilities. While the unit ‘4 lane’ pools is used to calculate demand, a combination of 6-8 lanes pools may be a better means of meeting future demand. New pools should be considered in the Dallington area and the Western flank development. It is likely that additional demand from the North East of the town may be absorbed by the proposed developments at the University of Northampton and Moulton College. 55. Issue – An additional 6.5 4 lanes pools along with enhanced access to existing pools is required by 2026 to ensure that 16.5 pools are available for community use

7.3.3 South Northamptonshire District Audit

Ownership Year Site Name Lanes Type Access Type Built Refurbished Main pools BRACKLEY SWIMMING 25 x Local POOL 5 10 Authority Pay and Play 1975 - TOWCESTER CENTRE FOR 25 x Local LEISURE 5 10 Authority Pay and Play 1992 - WILLISON 23 x Foundation CENTRE, ROADE 4 9 School Pay and Play 1965 2007 Registered HALL LEISURE 19 x Membership CLUB AND SPA 0 15 Commercial use 1999 - Leisure pool TOWCESTER CENTRE FOR 15 x Local LEISURE 0 10 Authority Pay and Play 1992 - Figure 36: Swimming Pools in South Northamptonshire There are two 25m pools in South Northamptonshire District, and the total amount of water space is 1142m2. The majority of this (75%) is available for pay and play, either through local authority pools (650m2) or school pools

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(207m2). There is only one commercial pool of 285m2 (25%). The ratio of 4 lane 25m pools (or equivalents) in community use in South Northamptonshire District is 1:23,500.Comparative provision The comparative provision of water space in South Northamptonshire District is shown above. Overall provision in South Northamptonshire District is appreciably lower than the local, county, regional and national averages. 56. Issue – there is below average provision of water space in South Northamptonshire District Quality There is a wide range in the quality and age of pools in South Northamptonshire District. Of these the pool at Towcester Leisure Centre is the newest and as such is in reasonable condition. However, the pool at the Willison Centre is much older, although recently refurbished, but was built in 1965. Brackley Swimming Pool is now showing its age and there are questions raised about its long term viability. 57. Issue – the current provision of pools in South Northamptonshire District is aging

Accessibility All pools CU except 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ commercial mins 20 30 45 Walk 22% 26% 7% 20% 25% Car 69% 30% 1% Figure 37: Walk and drive times to swimming pools in South Northamptonshire Almost all residents in South Northamptonshire District live within a 20 minute drive, nearly 70% within 10 minutes. However, in common with many rural areas, less than half live within a 20 minute walk and nearly half more than a reasonable walk (30 minutes). The areas outside of a 20min drive time from a publicly accessible pool are shown in yellow in Figure 38 below. The largest area is around , , Weston and . Other areas are around Upper Boddington, to the south east of Horton and .

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Figure 38: Areas of South Northamptonshire outside of 20 min drive time from a swimming pool

Supply and Demand Assessment According to the outputs from Sport England’s Facilities Planning Model, there is no one location in South Northamptonshire where unmet demand for pools is at a sufficiently high level that more than about 1 lane of additional swimming pool space can be justified at the present time. Relative share varies throughout the district, depending on the location of the main population and the pools, but is generally above average provision in the east, and at or below in the west. Using the Sports Facility Calculator, the current and future requirement for swimming pools in South Northamptonshire District is shown below. The 2006 requirement includes a 5% increase for existing high participation rates, and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% increase to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth.

m2 Lanes Pools 2006 957.74 18.03 4.51 2026 no participation 1063.44 20.02 5.0 increase 2026 20% increase 1266 23.83 5.96 Figure 39: Projected Demand for Swimming Pools in South Northamptonshire

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Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period, and the current situation in South Northamptonshire District is as follows:

Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met Swimming pools (all 8623 4587 4036 188% CU) Swimming Pools (LA) 5030 4587 443 110% Swimming pools 2316 4587 -2271 51% (commercial) Figure 40: Adequacy of supply of swimming pools in South Northamptonshire Assessment Because of the proximity of swimming pools in neighbouring districts, some of South Northamptonshire’s demand is met outside the district (particularly in Banbury, Milton Keynes and Northampton). Bearing in mind this export of demand to neighbouring districts, it is estimated that about three quarters of the calculated capacity requirement of pools is needed in South Northamptonshire to meet local need, representing about 750m2 of water or 3.5 4-lane pools. There is 1142m2 of water overall in South Northamptonshire District, which is broadly sufficient to meet total demand. Of this 857m2 is available for pay and play in local authority or school management, which is adequate to meet community demand without the use of existing commercial pools which contribute a further 285m2. 58. Issue – current demand in the South East and South West of the district is being met from outside the District Local Issues South Northamptonshire Council has identified a need for an additional 25m pool to be developed in the area to meet public demand. This is compounded by the swimming club having difficulties in accessing pool time for training. South Northamptonshire DC is currently reviewing plans for Brackley Swimming Pool. The pool was built in 1975 and will require considerable investment to retain the pool for community use. Options are being considered as to whether to relocate the pool to the Brackley Leisure Centre site, which would create a single centre for indoor sports in the town, or to retain a pool either as a new build or refurbished on the existing site. There are also some concerns being expressed about community access to the pool at the Willison Centre. This pool has been a vital part of the pool network in the area, and steps must be taken to ensure continued access. Future Requirements In 2026 with an increased population and higher participation levels, there is a requirement for six 4-lane pools or 24 lanes for community use (about 1250m2). Some of this will continue to be met outside of the district in similar 74 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

locations to at present, and at the same proportion as at present, it is calculated that an additional 200m2 (or 1 4-lane pool) are actually required in Daventry District up to 2026, making a total of 950m2 (or about 4.5 pools). At the anticipated population of 104,500, this will require a future standard of provision of one 4 lane 25m pool per 23,000 people or 9.2m2 of water per 1000 people. There are 3.5 community pools currently available in South Northamptonshire and one additional pool should therefore be located in Daventry Town in the new growth area. 59. Issue – by 2026, 1 additional 4-lane pools is required for community use in an accessible location within the district

7.3.4 West Northamptonshire Swimming pool provision depends, like sports halls, on relatively local catchments of up to 20 minutes, on foot in towns and by car in more rural areas. Similarly swimmers do not consider local authority boundaries when visiting a pool, and there is clearly some transfer of demand between the three Local Authorities in the study area, and outside, to and from neighbouring districts such as Milton Keynes, Rugby, Wellingborough and Harborough. However it is reasonable to develop a standard for future provision based on meeting local need primarily within each individual district. Based on the foregoing assessment, current levels of swimming pool provision are adequate to meet demand, but only in Northampton and Daventry District if school and other facilities are fully available for access by the community, which is not always the case. Questions have to be raised about the quality of provision of some pools which are nearing the end of their lifespans and consideration will need to be given to their long term usage. Future provision levels assume that existing swimming pools are brought into more intensive community use. In addition new provision is required as follows in the West Northamptonshire area: • Daventry District, future standard of 10.1m2 per 1000 people (1 4-lane pool per 21,000 people), requiring an additional 4 pools • Northampton, future standard of 13m2 per 1000 people (1-4 lane pool per 16,000 people), requiring an additional 6.5 pools • South Northamptonshire, , future standard of 9.2m2 per 1000 people (1-4 lane pool per 23,000 people), requiring an additional 1 pool 7.4 Health and Fitness Centres With the trend towards individual leisure pursuits and forms of physical activity, and the increasing influence of the commercial leisure sector, health and fitness centres have become established in most areas within the last 15 years. Apart from pools, which are incorporated in many health and fitness centres, a wide range of other facilities is included. The data below concentrates on health and fitness stations.

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7.4.1 Daventry District Audit

Ownership Year Site Name Stations Type Access Type built Refurbished DAVENTRY Local LEISURE CENTRE 83 Authority Pay and Play 1996 2007 MOULTON SPORTS Community COMPLEX 20 school Pay and Play 1992 2005 BUCKBY HEALTH & LEISURE LTD 24 Commercial Pay and Play 1992 - AZURE AT Registered STAVERTON PARK Membership GC 18 Commercial use 2000 - BODYSENSE Registered LEISURE CLUB Membership (DAVENTRY) 10 Commercial use 1991 - CLUB AT Registered SEDGEBROOK Membership HALL 20 Commercial use 2000 2006 HALL Registered HOTEL HEALTH & Membership FITNESS CLUB 20 Commercial use 2002 - Registered OVERSTONE PARK Membership G & CC 65 Commercial use 1994 2001 Registered ONE 2 ONE GYM Membership (DAVENTRY) 21? Commercial Use ? 2003 REFLECTIONS Registered LEISURE CLUB Membership (HELLIDON LAKES) 40 Commercial use 2001 2005 Registered SPIRIT HEALTH Membership CLUB (RUGBY) 17 Commercial use 1989 1998 MOULTON Registered COLLEGE Further Membership ( CENTRE) 16 Education use 2000 2007 NORTHAMPTON COLLEGE AT Further DAVENTRY 8 Education Private Use 1992 - BIG GUNS GYM (CLOSED) 21 Commercial Pay and Play - 2003 Figure 41: Health and fitness facilities in Daventry District There are 13 health and fitness centres in Daventry District, totalling 362 stations. Three centres are available on a pay and play basis with 127 stations (35% of the total), but the majority of centres are commercial, and access is by registered membership (211 stations or 58%). There are two small centres on college sites, although one is restricted to private usage. Comparative provision In the same way as other facilities it is possible to benchmark provision of health and fitness centres in Daventry District against provision elsewhere

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(with the same provisos about sources and comparability of information as above). Relative provision is as follows:

Stations per 1000 population Daventry District 4.62 Northampton Borough (best in 7.56 East Midlands) South Northamptonshire District 5.1 Study Area 6.41 Northamptonshire 4.79 East Midlands 5.42 England 4.72 Figure 42: Comparison of provision of health and fitness facilities Existing provision of health and fitness in Daventry District is slightly below the national and county averages, though below provision in the local area and regionally. Quality All centres in Daventry District have been provided within the last 17 years, and the majority of these have been refurbished mainly since 2006. Accessibility All centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Walk 36% 28% 6% 9% 21% Car 74% 26% Figure 43: Walk and drive times to health and fitness facilities in Daventry District Three quarters of Daventry District residents live within a 10 minute drive, and all within 20 minutes of a centre apart from a very small area to the west of Welford (Figure 44). 64% live within a 20 minute walk, but 30% further than 30 minutes, partly because some of the centres are in rural locations.

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Figure 44: Areas of Daventry District outside of 20 min drive time from a health and fitness facility

Supply and Demand Assessment The Daventry PPG17 study used assumptions about market penetration derived from the Fitness Industry Association to assess future demand, based on length of stay, capacity of facility, participation rates and other factors. This methodology tends to underestimate demand resulting in an apparent surplus of provision. Given that much health and fitness provision is made in the commercial sector, reality shows that if there is a surplus of provision centres will simply close. The standard recommended in the study was based was 2.3 stations (pieces of equipment) per 1000 people, which was reduced to 1.7 in line with the then standard of ‘public’ provision. For the current assessment, it is recommended that this methodology is not adopted, and that existing levels of provision are reiterated as meeting demand. In that case the future standard should be 4.4 stations per 1000, which by 2026 gives a requirement of 455 stations, or a current shortfall of 99 stations. Half of the future provision should be for ‘public’ availability. This should be located in the new growth area in Daventry town. 60. Issue – there will be a need for an additional 99 stations in Daventry by 2026, half of this should be for public availability

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7.4.2 Northampton Borough Audit Ownership Site Name Stations Type Access Type Year Built Refurbished DANES CAMP LEISURE CENTRE 60 Local Authority Pay and Play 1990 2006 LINGS FORUM LEISURE CENTRE 55 Local Authority Pay and Play 1996 2006 MOUNTS BATHS LEISURE CENTRE 60 Local Authority Pay and Play 1990 2006 BETTER BODIES GYM 50 Commercial Pay and Play 1992 2004 DERNGATE GYM 120 Commercial Pay and Play 1986 2005 CANNONS HEALTH CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 110 Commercial Membership use 2000 2006 ESPORTA HEALTH & Registered FITNESS (NORTHAMPTON) 70 Commercial Membership use 2000 2003 FITNESS FIRST FOR Registered WOMEN (NORTHAMPTON) 34 Commercial Membership use 2004 2005 FITNESS FIRST HEALTH Registered CLUB (NORTHAMPTON) 112 Commercial Membership use 1975 2004 IMAGE UNIQUE FITNESS Registered CENTRE 130 Commercial Membership use 1996 2003 INN ACTION HEALTH & Registered FITNESS (NORTHAMPTON) 18 Commercial Membership use 1998 2006 JJB FITNESS CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 174 Commercial Membership use 2007 - LIVINGWELL HEALTH CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 25 Commercial Membership use 1991 2005 MARRIOTT LEISURE CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 16 Commercial Membership use 1987 2004 TOPNOTCH HEALTH CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 70 Commercial Membership use 2002 2006 VIRGIN ACTIVE CLUB Registered (NORTHAMPTON) 220 Commercial Membership use 2001 - WESTON FAVELL UPPER SCHOOL SPORTS PLUS Community Registered CENTRE 39 school Membership use 1998 - Sports Club / Community Community KINGSTORPE COLLEGE 9 school Association 2007 - NORTHAMPTON ACADEMY 24 Academies Private Use 2006 - NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL Foundation FOR BOYS 30 School Private Use 2006 - CRIPPS RECREATION Health CENTRE 13 Authority Private Use 1974 2005 Higher THE UNIVERSITY OF Education NORTHAMPTON 20 Institutions Private Use 2007 - Voluntary UNITY COLLEGE 11 Aided School Private Use 2004 -

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KINGFISHER HEALTH STUDIO (CLOSED) 38 Commercial Pay and Play 1981 2003 MEREWAY COMMUNITY Community COLLEGE (PLANNED) - school - - Figure 45: Health and Fitness facilities in Northampton There are 23 health and fitness centres in Northampton Borough, totalling 1417 stations. Twelve centres have more than 50 stations, and 6 are very large centres with more than 100 stations. Five centres are available on a pay and play basis with 340 stations (23% of the total), but the majority of centres (11) are commercial, and access is by registered membership (979 stations or 69%). There are two small centres on school sites, and five centres for private usage. Comparative provision Northampton Borough has the best ratio of health and fitness stations in the region, and exceeds the county, regional and national averages by about 50%. Quality With one exception all centres in Northampton Borough have been built or refurbished within the last 10 years, most much more recently than that (12 in the last two years). Accessibility All centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Walk 30% 48% 19% 3% Car 99% 1% Figure 46: Walk and drive times to health and fitness facilities in Northampton Almost all residents of Northampton Borough live within a 10 minute drive. Nearly 80% could walk to a centre within 20 minutes, and almost all within 30 minutes (Figure 47). The main areas which are outside the 20min walk time are in the Western Flank of Northampton

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Figure 47: Northampton showing 20 min walk times from a health and fitness facility

Local Issues The University of Northampton have plans to develop their sports facilities at the Boughton Green site. These include a 120 station gym and dance facilities as part of the complex. Supply and Demand Assessment For the same reasons as above, future provision should be made at a similar standard of provision as now, which is 7.1 stations per 1000, giving a 2026 requirement for 1850 stations, a current shortfall of about 400 stations. It is likely that this would be located in the Western Flank in the areas of high population growth. 61. Issue – There is a requirement for 400 stations to be provided in areas where there is projected to be high population growth.

7.4.3 South Northamptonshire District Audit

Ownership Site Name Stations Type Access Type Year Built Refurbished BRACKLEY LEISURE CENTRE 65 Local Authority Pay and Play 1991 2003 BRACKLEY SWIMMING POOL 17 Local Authority Pay and Play 1975 2003 TOWCESTER CENTRE FOR LEISURE 65 Local Authority Pay and Play 1992 2002 WILLISON CENTRE, Foundation ROADE 20 School Pay and Play 1994 2001

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Ownership Site Name Stations Type Access Type Year Built Refurbished ENERGIE FITNESS CLUB (BRACKLEY) 60 Commercial Pay and Play 2001 2007 Sports Club / CAMPION SCHOOL Community Community (BUGBROOKE) 7 school Association 1977 2006 KINGFISHER HOTEL GOLF AND COUNTRY Registered CLUB 14 Commercial Membership use 2005 - WHITTLEBURY HALL LEISURE CLUB AND Registered SPA 47 Commercial Membership use 1999 - SPONNE SCHOOL & TECHNOLOGY Community COLLEGE 15 school Private Use 2007 - RAF CROUGHTON TRACK 68 MOD Private Use - 2007 MAGDALEN COLLEGE Voluntary SCHOOL (ST JOHN'S Controlled SITE) 12 School Private Use 1990 - MAGDALEN COLLEGE Voluntary SCHOOL (WAYNFLETE Controlled SITE) 14 School Private Use 1995 - Figure 48: Health and Fitness Facilities in South Northamptonshire There are 12 health and fitness centres in South Northamptonshire District, with a total of 404 stations. Five centres are available on a pay and play basis with 227 stations (56% of the total). There is one very small centre at a school (7 stations 2%), and unusually only one commercial health and fitness club (60 stations 15%). There are four centres used privately, and in particular a large centre at RAF Croughton, with a total of 109 stations (27%). Comparative provision Relative provision in South Northamptonshire District of health and fitness stations is higher than the county average and between the national and regional averages. Quality With the exception of two private school centres all centres in South Northamptonshire District have been provided or refurbished since 1999. Accessibility All centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Walk 36% 13% 11% 19% 22% Car 79% 21% Figure 49: Walk and drive times to health and fitness facilities in South Northamptonshire Almost all residents of the district can access a health and fitness centre within 20 minutes drive and 80% within 10 minutes. Walking accessibility is the lowest in the study area, with less than half within a 20 minute walk. Over 40% of residents are outside the reasonable walking catchment, a reflection of 82 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

both the rural nature of the district, and the location of some centres in the countryside. Areas outside of a 20min drive time are around and to the south east of Horton (see fig 49 below).

Figure 50: Areas of South Northamptonshire outside of 20 min drive time from a health and fitness facility

Local Issues There are also some concerns being expressed about community access to the sports facilities at the Willison Centre. This centre has been a vital part of the fitness facilities network in the area, and steps must be taken to ensure continued access. Supply and Demand Assessment For the same reasons as above, future provision should be made at a similar standard of provision as now, which is 4.5 stations per 1000, giving a 2026 requirement for 445 stations, a current shortfall of about 40 stations. This is the size of a small gym and should be located in areas of high housing growth. 62. Issue – there will be a need for an additional small gym in South Northamptonshire by 2026. This should be located in areas of high housing growth

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7.4.4 West Northamptonshire Current levels of provision for health and fitness vary between about 4.4 stations per 1000 and 7, and are higher in Northampton where there is a larger market for such facilities, much of which is based on after work activity. These levels of activity are broadly commensurate with local and regional averages and form a realistic standard for future provision. It is recommended therefore that these standards are maintained, giving a future requirement for 99 stations in Daventry District, 400 in Northampton and 40 in South Northamptonshire to meet future need arising from the increased population, half of which should be provided at facilities available to the wider community on an accessible basis.

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7.5 Indoor Bowls Indoor Bowls Centres allow the mainly outdoor game to be played all year round, and the activity has been traditionally favoured by more mature participants, although in fact at elite level bowls is still a relatively young persons sport. Because of the specific nature of the sport and the relatively low participation rates, existing facilities are fewer and tend to be located within larger, normally driving, catchments. 7.5.1 Daventry District Audit

Ownership Year Site Name Rinks Size Type Access Type Built Refurbished DAVENTRY INDOOR 36 x Registered BOWLING CLUB 6 27m Commercial Membership use 1998 - KINGSTHORPE INDOOR BOWLS 36 x Registered CLUB 6 36m Commercial Membership use 1990 2001 Figure 51: Indoor Bowls facilities in Daventry District There are two indoor bowls centres in Daventry District with a total of 12 rinks (although Kingsthorpe Indoor Bowls Club is directly on the edge of the Northampton conurbation). Both centres are run commercially and access is by registered membership. This is the normal model for such facilities. Comparative provision In the same way as sports halls it is possible to benchmark provision of pools in Daventry District against provision elsewhere (with the same provisos about sources and comparability of information as above). Relative provision is as follows:

Rinks per 1000 population Daventry District 0.167 Northampton Borough 0.041 South Northamptonshire District 0.063 Study Area 0.072 Northamptonshire 0.075 East Midlands 0.06 England 0.04 Best provision in East Midlands (South 0.209 Holland) Figure 52: Comparative provision for indoor bowls facilities Daventry District has the second best provision per 1000 in the East Midlands region, and three to four times the regional or national average proportion of rinks. Quality Both centres have been built or refurbished in the last 10 years.

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Accessibility All Centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 41% 57% 2% Figure 53: Drive times to indoor bowls facilities in Daventry District Indoor Bowls Centres are not as well distributed as other sports facilities such as sports hall and car travel time is a more appropriate means of assessing accessibility. 98% of Daventry District residents live within a 20 minute drive of a bowls centre. Supply and Demand Assessment The current and future requirement for indoor bowls in Daventry District is shown below. The 2006 requirement from the Sports Facilities Calculator includes a 15% increase for existing high participation rates, and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% increase to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth.

Rinks Centres 2006 5.17 0.86 2026 no participation 6.91 1.16 increase 2026 20% increase 8.11 1.36 Figure 54: Projected Demand for indoor bowls facilities Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period, and the current situation in Daventry District is as follows:

Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met All centres 2985 646 2339 462% Figure 55: Adequacy of supply of indoor bowls in Daventry District

Assessment There are two indoor bowls centres in Daventry District comprising 12 rinks. At national participation rates, including the 15% enhancement, there appears more than adequate supply of facilities to meet demand and this is confirmed by the APP assessment. It is highly likely that Daventry District’s facilities meet a wider than local need and accommodate a high proportion of bowlers from neighbouring Local Authorities. Future requirements In 2026 with an increased population and higher participation levels, there is a requirement for 8 rinks (1.3 centres), which is already met. This is the equivalent of one 6 rink centre per 77,000 people. If current levels of provision are maintained, the 2026 provision increases to 16 rinks (2.6 86 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

centres), or 1 centre per 40,000 people. This is broadly similar to the recommendations of the PPG17 study. However it is clear that the location of the Kingsthorpe centre skews the locational assessment, and the future needs for the whole West Northamptonshire area are considered below.

7.5.2 Northampton Borough Audit

Ownership Year Site Name Rinks Type Access Type Built Refurbished NORTHAMPTON & DISTRICT INDOOR Registered BOWLING 36 x Membership ASSOCIATION 8 36 Sports Club use 1985 2004 Figure 56: Indoor Bowls facilities in Northampton Comparative provision The comparative provision of indoor bowls in Northampton Borough is shown above. Relative provision in Northampton Borough is almost exactly the national average, but quite low compared with provision in the study area, county and region. Quality The centre has recently been refurbished. Accessibility All Centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 36% 64% Figure 57: Drive times to indoor bowls facilities in Northampton Inevitably all residents of Northampton Borough are within a 20 minute drive of indoor bowls and over one-third within 10 minutes. Supply and Demand Assessment The current and future requirement for indoor bowls in Northampton Borough is shown below. The 2006 requirement from the Sports Facilities Calculator includes a 5% decrease for existing low participation rates, and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% increase to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth.

Rinks Centres 2006 10.07 1.68 2026 no participation 13.15 2.19 increase 2026 20% increase 15.92 2.65 Figure 58: Projected demand for indoor bowls in Northampton

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Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period, and the current situation in Northampton Borough is as follows: Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met All centres 1248 1604 -358 78% Figure 59: Adequacy of supply of indoor bowls facilities in Northampton Assessment There is one 8 rink centre in Northampton Borough, and therefore a current shortfall of about 23 rinks. This is confirmed by APP where only 80% of demand is met. It is likely that facilities in neighbouring local authority areas are used, particularly Kingsthorpe Indoor Bowls Club which is located just over the border in Daventry District. Future requirements In 2026 with an increased population and higher participation levels, there is a requirement for 16 rinks (2.65 centres), which is the equivalent of one 6 rink centre per 99,000 people. There is therefore justification for an additional centre to serve the needs of Northampton. However the location of the Kingsthorpe centre distorts the overall assessment and the needs of the overall West Northamptonshire area are considered together below. 7.5.3 South Northamptonshire District Audit

Ownership Access Year Site Name Rinks Type Type Built Refurbished BRACKLEY & DISTRICT 36 x Pay and BOWLS CLUB 5 22.5 Sports Club Play 1975 2005 Figure 60: Indoor Bowls facilities in South Northamptonshire There is one Indoor Bowls Centre in South Northamptonshire District with a total of 5 rinks, which is run by a sports club as a pay and play facility. Comparative provision The comparative provision of indoor bowls in South Northamptonshire District is shown above. Relative provision is good and above the national and regional averages, but below the levels of local provision in the study area. Quality The centre has recently been refurbished. Accessibility All Centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 19% 57% 24% Figure 61: Drive times to indoor bowls facilities in South Northamptonshire South Northamptonshire District has the lowest access to indoor bowls in the study area, with 24% living outside a 20 minute car travel time (Figure 61).

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Supply and Demand Assessment The current and future requirement for indoor bowls in South Northamptonshire District is shown below. The 2006 requirement from the Sports Facilities Calculator includes a 5% increase for existing high participation rates, and the 2026 requirements consider both demand based on existing participation rates and on a 20% increase to reflect Sport England targets of 1% year on year growth.

Rinks Centres 2006 5.41 0.9 2026 no participation 6.01 1.0 increase 2026 20% increase 7.15 1.19 Figure 62: Projected demand for indoor bowls in South Northamptonshire Active Places Power has also been used to estimate the adequacy of supply against demand, based on visits per week in the peak period, and the current situation in South Northamptonshire District is as follows:

Figure 63: Areas of South Northamptonshire outside a 20min drive time from an indoor bowls facility

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Capacity Demand Balance % Demand Met All centres 420 716 -296 59% Figure 64: Adequacy of supply of indoor bowls facilities

Assessment There is one 5 rink centre in Brackley, and existing provision is just below the required provision at national participation rates (plus 5% adjustment), confirmed by APP. It is likely that residents of South Northamptonshire District use facilities in neighbouring local authorities, particularly Rugby, Milton Keynes and Northampton Borough. Future requirements In 2026 with an increased population and higher participation levels, there is a requirement for 7 rinks (1.2 centres), which is the equivalent of one 6-rink centre per 82,000 people. There is a small shortfall to meet the future needs of South Northamptonshire, but this is considered below in the assessment of the overall needs of the West Northamptonshire area.

7.5.4 West Northamptonshire There are 4 indoor bowls centres in the sub area comprising 25 rinks. These are distributed across the area, with a slight concentration in and on the edge of Northampton. Two of these centres are in Daventry District, with one in Northampton and the other in South Northamptonshire. Overall provision in the area is 0.072 rinks per 10,000 population, which is the same as the county average and significantly better than the regional or national average. Accessibility to centres in the area is good. All residents of Northampton and Daventry District live within a 20-minute drive (which is a normal means of access to indoor bowls by virtue of the user group); while about 24% of South Northamptonshire residents (mainly in the Towcester area) are further than 20 minutes by car. The overall capacity in visits per week of indoor bowls centres in the area exceeds demand by about 50% though this is due to over capacity in Daventry District. Existing numbers of rinks exceeds the anticipated demand from the Sport Facility Calculator by about 5 rinks. By 2026 however with an increased population, future demand would require 26 rinks (slightly more than exist currently), and with a 20% increase in participation in line with targets, the future requirement would be 31 rinks or a further 6 rinks or 1 6-rink centre. It is recommended therefore that one additional 6 rink centre is required in the West Northamptonshire area by 2026 and that a location in the Towcester area would be the best solution to unmet demand.

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Total provision in the area of 31 rinks/ 5 centres equates with an overall standard of 1 6-rink centre per 90000 population or 1 rink per 15500 population. 63. Issue – Indoor bowls provision is required in the Towcester area by 2026 to meet unmet demand

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7.6 Indoor Tennis Centres Indoor tennis centres also tend to be located strategically to serve a wider than local catchment. They are important recreational facilities for casual play, but probably more important for training and development of competent tennis players and competition. 7.6.1 Daventry District Audit There are no indoor tennis centres in Daventry District. Accessibility All Centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 6% 26% 51% 17% Figure 65: Drive times to indoor tennis facilities in Daventry District 32% of Daventry District residents can access centres in adjacent districts within 20 minutes drive. Supply and Demand Assessment See West Northamptonshire below.

7.6.2 Northampton Borough Audit

Ownership Access Year Site Name Courts Type Type Built Refurbished Traditional BENHAM Pay and SPORTS ARENA 4 Other Play 2002 - THE RACE COURSE AIR BUBBLE Pay and (CLOSED) 3 Local Authority Play 1992 2004 Figure 66: Indoor tennis facilities in Northampton There is one indoor tennis centre in the whole study area, in Northampton Borough. This comprises four courts and is commercially managed as a pay and play facility. Comparative provision In the same way as other facilities it is possible to benchmark provision of indoor tennis against provision elsewhere (with the same provisos about sources and comparability of information as above). Relative provision is as follows:

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Courts per 1000 population Daventry District Nil Northampton Borough 0.021 South Northamptonshire District Nil Study Area 0.012 Northamptonshire 0.044 East Midlands 0.02 England 0.03 Best provision in East Midlands 0.15 (Corby) Figure 67: Comparative supply of indoor tennis facilities Relative provision in Northampton Borough is about the regional average, but the provision in the overall study area is very low (about 40% of the national average and two-thirds of the regional average). Quality The centre was built within the last six years. Accessibility All Centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 51% 49% Figure 68: Drive times to indoor tennis facilities in Northampton The whole population of Northampton Borough has access to indoor tennis centres within a 20 minute drive, half within 10 minutes. Supply and Demand Assessment See West Northamptonshire below.

7.6.3 South Northamptonshire District Audit There are no indoor tennis centres in South Northamptonshire District. Accessibility All Centres 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 39% 28% 32% Figure 69: Drive times to indoor tennis facilities in South Northamptonshire Accessibility to centres in neighbouring local authorities is relatively good with nearly 40% of South Northamptonshire District residents within a 20 minute drive. However, over 60% of local residents are outside the reasonable catchment of an indoor tennis centre. Supply and Demand Assessment See West Northamptonshire below.

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7.6.4 West Northamptonshire There is only one existing indoor tennis centre adjacent to the Benham Sports Arena in Northampton Borough, comprising 4 courts. There are an additional 9 centres within a 45 minute drive of the centre of the study area, and a further 8 between 45 and 60 minutes. Centre Travel time (mins). Harborough Leisure Centre 31 Esporta Coventry 34 Next Generation 36 David Lloyd Milton Keynes 37 University of Warwick 40 Leicester Forest East TC 41 Sir Jonathan North College 41 /Lancaster School, Leicester Corby ITC 42 Carisbrooke TC Leicester 43 David Lloyd Solihull 52 Loughborough LTC 53 Loughborough University 53 Norman Green S&TC Solihull 54 Riverside Bedford 58 Sutton Coalfield LTC 58 Vauxhall Recreation Centre Luton 58 Leicester Road SG Melton 60 Mowbray Figure 70: Travel times to indoor tennis facilities outside of the West Northamptonshire area

Figure 71: Location of Indoor tennis centres 94 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

The ratio of courts per 1000 population in the study area is set out above. Northampton Borough’s provision is about the national average, but that for the study area in total is low. To meet the East Midlands average provision in the study area, 7.3 courts in total are required, and there is a current shortfall of 3 courts. To meet the national average provision, 11 courts are required, with a current shortfall of 7 courts. Future Requirements To meet future requirements based on meeting average provision in England based on a population of 464,300; with a 20% increase in demand up to 17 courts are required. This is the equivalent of one 4 court indoor centre per 111,000 people. There are 4 courts in the area so there is a current shortfall of 13 courts. 68% of Daventry District residents and 60% of the residents of South Northamptonshire are outside a 20 minutes drive of an indoor court. It would be preferable to locate one 4-court centre in each of Daventry and Towcester or Brackley and a further 2/4 courts in Northampton which would best be located as part of the existing Kings Park Tennis Centre. 64. Issue – there is a current shortfall of 7 indoor courts in the West Northamptonshire area to meet average national provision standards 65. Issue there will be a shortfall of 17 indoor courts by 2026

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7.7 Synthetic Turf Pitches 7.7.1 Daventry District Audit

Ownership Year Site Name Pitches Type Access Type Built Refurbished Sand Based DAVENTRY SPORTS PARK 1 100 x 60 Local Authority Pay and Play 1993 2003 MOULTON SPORTS Community COMPLEX 1 100 x 60 school Pay and Play 1998 2006 DAVENTRY Sports Club / WILLIAM PARKER Community Community SCHOOL 1 110 x 60 school Association 1980 2006 MOULTON Registered COLLEGE (HOLCOT Further Membership CENTRE) 1 93 x 57 Education use 2006 2007 3G rubber crumb pile MOULTON Registered COLLEGE (HOLCOT Further Membership CENTRE) 1 110 x 70 Education use 2003 - Figure 72: Synthetic Turf Pitches in Daventry District There are five floodlit full sized synthetic turf pitches in Daventry District, four sand-based and one 3G rubber crumb pitch. Two pitches are available on a pay and play basis (one local authority, one School) and the remainder on education sites, primarily through sports clubs or registered membership. As most activities on synthetic turf pitches are team based, for the purposes of this exercise all existing facilities are considered to satisfy community use. Current levels of provision are one pitch per 15,000 people. Comparative provision In the same way as sports halls it is possible to benchmark provision of synthetic turf pitches in Daventry District against provision elsewhere (with the same provisos about sources and comparability of information as above). Relative provision is as follows: Pitches per 1000 population Daventry District 0.07 Northampton Borough 0.046 South Northamptonshire District 0.063 Study Area 0.049 Northamptonshire 0.043 East Midlands 0.04 England 0.03 Best provision in East Midlands 0.203 (Rutland) Figure 73: Comparative supply of Synthetic Turf Pitches

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Local provision in Daventry District is therefore twice the regional and national average, and the highest in the county (third highest in the region). Quality All pitches have been built or refurbished since 2003. It is generally recognised that the surface of a synthetic turf pitch needs replacement at least every 10 years. Accessibility All Pitches 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 46% 53% 1% Figure 74: Drive times to Synthetic Turf Pitches in Daventry District Almost all residents in Daventry District live within a 20 minute drive of a synthetic turf pitch, and almost half within 10 minutes. (Figure 74).

Figure 75: Areas of Daventry outside of a 20 min drive times from a synthetic turf pitch

Supply and Demand Assessment There are no local indicators of demand. Historically the demand for synthetic turf pitches has been based on a general standard, which for many years was based on one pitch per 50-60,000 people, and provision in the early development of synthetic turf pitches was broadly in accordance with this. The development of 3G pitches and the requirement for all competitive hockey to take place on synthetic turf pitches has increased the demand. Advice from the FA requires a standard of 1 pitch per 25,000 but this relates primarily to 3G pitches which are most suitable for football. Sport England has

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undertaken some work on synthetic turf pitches using its Facilities Planning Model, but this is out of date and not applicable in this instance. Assessment Current provision in Daventry District is already one per 15,000. On the basis of this current level of provision existing demand is assumed to be met. Local Issues An additional synthetic turf pitch is proposed at Moulton College on the Pitsford Road Site. This will be a water based pitch which will create a home for a new Hockey Academy. This is proposed for late 2008. Sporting needs have been identified by the Football Association for an additional 3G pitch to be developed in Daventry, and England Hockey have identified that there is a strong base of hockey in the north of the area, which they feel would be best accommodated at Guilsborough. Future requirements It is considered unlikely that the current high levels of provision will be exceeded in the future. On the basis of current provision therefore, there is a requirement in Daventry District by 2026 for about 7 pitches, which is the equivalent of 1 pitch per 15,000 people. 66. Issue – there is likely to be a need for an additional 2 full size synthetic turf pitches in Daventry District to meet demand by 2026

7.7.2 Northampton Borough Audit

Pitch Refurbis Site Name es Ownership Type Access Type Year Built hed Sand based Sports Club / KINGSTHORPE Community COLLEGE 1 100 x 60 Community school Association 2007 - NORTHAMPTO Other Sports Club / N HIGH 100.5 x Independent Community SCHOOL 1 62.1 School Association 2002 - Sports Club / UNITY 97.4 x Voluntary Aided Community COLLEGE 1 61.6 School Association 2003 - Rubber crumb pile (3G) Sports Club / DUSTON Community Community SCHOOL 1 100 x 60 School Association 2008 Sports Club / NORTHAMPTO Community N ACADEMY 1 107 x 71.1 Academies Association 2006 - NORTHAMPTO Sports Club / N SCHOOL FOR Foundation Community BOYS 1 100 x 60 School Association 2007 -

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WESTON FAVELL UPPER SCHOOL Sports Club / SPORTS PLUS Community CENTRE 1 100 x 60 Community school Association 2007 - KINGS HEATH RECREATION GROUND (TEMP 97.6 x CLOSED) 1 60.8 Local Authority Pay and Play 1990 2005 KINGSTHORPE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SPORTS Sports Club / CENTRE Community (CLOSED) 1 100.2 x 65 Community school Association 1990 1999 MEREWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (PLANNED) 1 Community school - - Figure 76: Synthetic turf pitches in Northampton

Figure 77: 20min walk time from a synthetic turf pitch in Northampton

There are seven floodlit full sized synthetic turf pitches in Northampton Borough. Three of these are sand-based and four are 3G rubber crumb pitches. All are based on school or education sites and are available through Sports Clubs for community associations. One Local Authority pay and play 99 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

pitch (3G) is currently (temporarily) closed. Current levels of provision including one under construction are one pitch per 28,500 people. Comparative provision The comparative provision of synthetic turf pitches in Northampton Borough is shown in Figure 77 above. Relative provision in Northampton Borough is slightly above the average for the study area, county and region, and well in excess of national average provision. Quality All synthetic turf pitches currently in use have been constructed within the last 10 years, and the 3G pitches since 2006. Accessibility All Pitches 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 99% 1% Figure 78: Drive times to synthetic turf pitches in Northampton Almost all residents in Northampton Borough live within a 10-minute drive of a synthetic turf pitch. Supply and Demand Assessment There are 7 synthetic turf pitches in Northampton Borough. On the basis of a desirable provision of 1 per 25,000 people there is a current shortfall of one pitch. 67. Issue - There is a current shortfall of one synthetic turf pitch in Northampton Borough – Local Issues England Hockey have identified the lack of facilities for hockey in the town. They are seeking to develop a base for the sport in the area. Future requirements To meet a future requirement based on a future population of 261,300 at current levels of provision, there is a future need by 2026 for 11 synthetic turf pitches. While this overall standard is lower than the 2 surrounding local authority areas, it is considered that the high levels of provision here (and in particular on the edge of Northampton at Moulton) are sufficient to accommodate demand from Northampton and its surrounding catchment. There is therefore a shortfall of up to 4 synthetic turf pitches in Northampton to meet future need. It is suggested that new pitches are located on new school sites as part of the new housing developments particularly on the western flank and perhaps to the northern edge of the Dallington area. This will meet the additional demands created by new housing, and also help to redress inaccessibility by people who currently live outside the preferred 20min walk time provision. These pitches should be split between sand based which is best for hockey and more multi-functional (although not a preferred surface for many sports) and rubber crumb pitches which are preferred synthetic surfaces for football 100 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

and rugby. It may also be possible to develop one site which has two pitches side by side to allow tournaments to be played. 68. Issue – there will be a need for an additional 4 synthetic turf pitches by 2026 to meet demand

7.7.3 South Northamptonshire District Audit

Pitch Year Refurb Site Name es Ownership Type Access Type Built ished Sand based CAROLINE CHISHOLM SCHOOL 1 96.5 x 61.5 Community school Pay and Play 2004 - MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL Voluntary (WAYNFLETE SITE) 1 100 x 60 Controlled School Pay and Play 2000 - WILLISON CENTRE 1 110 x 55 Foundation School Pay and Play 2000 2001 Sports Club / Community CAMPION SCHOOL 1 100 x 60 Community school Association 2004 - Rubber crumb pile (3G) KINGSBROOK SPECIALIST BUSINESS AND Sports Club / ENTERPRISE Community COLLEGE 1 100 x 60 Community school Association 2005 - Figure 79: Synthetic Turf Pitches in South Northamptonshire There are five floodlit full sized synthetic turf pitches in South Northamptonshire District, four sand based and one 3G. All are on school or college sites, three are available for pay and play and two for club usage. Current levels of provision are one pitch per 16,500 people. Comparative provision The comparative provision of synthetic turf pitches in South Northamptonshire District is shown above. South Northamptonshire District provision is second best in the county, fourth in the region and clearly in excess of local, county, regional and national averages. Quality All synthetic turf pitches have been built or refurbished since 2000. Accessibility All Pitches 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 51% 44% 4% Figure 80: Drive times to synthetic turf pitches in South Northamptonshire Over half of residents in South Northamptonshire District live within a 10 minute drive of a synthetic turf pitch, and almost all within 20 minutes (Figure 101 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

81). The biggest gap is centred on Weston, and another smaller area near to Horton. Supply and Demand Assessment Assessment There are five synthetic turf pitches at present in South Northamptonshire District, and current provision is already one per 15,000. On the basis of this current level of provision existing demand is assumed to be met. Local Issues The lack of an Artificial Turf pitch in Towcester is of concern at a local level and is supported by Northamptonshire FA. The development of a new ATP is currently the subject of a proposed application to the Football Foundation. It is likely that this will be located at Kingsbrook School. There is also another opportunity for development at Sponne School, although it is understood that there may be archaeological issues concerning the site. The Northamptonshire FA has also identified a need for a 3G pitch in Brackley to meet local need.

Figure 81: Areas in South Northamptonshire outside a 20min drive time from a Synthetic Turf Pitch

Towcestrians Hockey Club currently play in Northampton due to the lack of a synthetic turf pitch in the area. This is causing difficulties for the club and may result in the club being split in the future unless a more local home base can be secured.

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Future requirements It is considered unlikely that the current high levels of provision will be exceeded in the future. On the basis of current provision therefore, there is a requirement in South Northamptonshire District by 2026 for 6 pitches, which is the equivalent of 1 pitch per 16,500 people. There is thus a shortfall of one pitch and this should be located in Towcester. 69. Issue – there will be a need for one additional synthetic turf pitch in South Northamptonshire District to meet demand by 2026

7.7.4 West Northamptonshire Provision of synthetic turf pitches in the West Northamptonshire area is already good and significantly better than the national and regional average. There are 17 pitches already available in the area at an average provision of 1 per 21,500 people compared with 1 per 33,000 people nationally. The Football Association recommend 1:25,000 Facilities on the edge of Northampton accommodate demand from the town as well as Daventry district, and can mitigate some further future provision, but taking into account existing priorities and future population growth, the provision of seven additional synthetic turf pitches in the area, can be justified. This would equate to a future standard of provision overall of 1 pitch per 19,500, slightly higher than the current levels of provision. The locations of these are identified in the local authority sections

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7.8 Athletics Tracks 7.8.1 Daventry District Audit

Ownership Year Site Name Lanes Type Access Type Built Refurbished STEFEN HILL Sports Club / Cinder, not SPORTS GROUND Community synthetic, TRACK 8 Other Association 1968 - not floodlit Figure 82: Athletics tracks in Daventry District There is one 8-lane athletics track in Daventry District, this is constructed of cinder and is not floodlit. Due to its construction, the track is not considered to be available for year round use, and therefore it has been excluded from assessments for the purposes of this study with the exception of the comparative provision assessment given below. Comparative provision It is possible to benchmark provision of athletics tracks in Daventry District against provision elsewhere (with the same provisos about sources and comparability of information as above). The table below relates to all tracks including cinder, synthetic and grass. A separate manual estimate has been made in the last column of synthetic track provision alone, based on the relative numbers of synthetic, cinder and other tracks form the available information. Relative provision for all tracks is as follows: Lanes per 1000 Synthetic tracks population (overall) only Daventry District 0.111 0 Northampton Borough 0.041 0.041 South Northamptonshire District 0.076 0.076 Study Area 0.064 0.04 Northamptonshire 0.070 East Midlands 0.06 0.036 England 0.05 0.035 Best provision in East Midlands 0.173 (Erewash)

Figure 83: Comparative supply of Athletics Tracks4 Overall, Daventry’s provision is better than the average for the county, region or England, but as the existing track is cinder and not floodlit, this needs to be treated with caution. If only synthetic tracks are considered, Daventry’s provision is nil.

4 relates to all tracks including cinder, synthetic and grass 104 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Quality The existing track was built 40 years ago and is in a poor state and as a result has limited use as a track. Accessibility All Tracks 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 33% 56% 11% Figure 84: Drive times to athletics tracks in Daventry District Most residents in Daventry District live within a 20-minute drive of an existing track, but in most cases this is the cinder track referred to above. The nearest synthetic track is Sixfields in Northampton Borough (18 minutes from the middle of Daventry District), and there will also be access to the Ken Marriott track in Rugby (25 minutes). Local Issues Daventry District Council are keen to see the current track upgraded to a synthetic surface, but due to the fact that the facilities are managed independently by clubs they have little direct involvement and lack the financial resources to assist with capital costs. Supply and Demand Assessment See West Northamptonshire below 70. Issue – there may be a case for the upgrading of the track in Daventry

7.8.2 Northampton Borough Audit Ownership Year Site Name Lanes Type Access Type Built Refurbished Synthetic Sports Club / Community SIXFIELDS TRACK 8 Commercial Association 1994 2003 Floodlit Cinder LINGS FORUM LEISURE CENTRE Local (closed) 7 Authority - - Floodlit Figure 85: Athletics tracks in Northampton There is one 8-lane synthetic track in Northampton Borough – an existing 7 lane cinder track in local authority ownership has closed. The synthetic track is managed commercially for sports club usage. Current level of provision is one 8 lane track per 205,000 people. Comparative provision The comparative provision of athletics tracks in Northampton Borough is shown above. Overall, Northampton Borough has slightly lower levels of

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provision than the county, regional and national averages, but local provision for synthetic tracks alone is slightly better than average.

Quality The track has been refurbished in the last five years. Accessibility All Tracks 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 81% 19% Figure 86: Drive times to Athletics tracks in Northampton All residents in Northampton Borough have access to athletics tracks within a 20 minute drive and the overriding majority within 10 minutes. Local Issues The track is currently located at Sixfields adjacent to Northampton Town Football Club. The Football Club have plans to redevelop the site and this may impact upon the long-term survival of the athletics track. The track is a vital part of the network of facilities in the town, and if the redevelopment is to take place it is imperative that the track is relocated perhaps as part of a bigger development. This has been identified by England Athletics as an important project as has the need for an indoor facility in the county. 71. Issue – It is important that the athletics track in Northampton is retained somewhere in the area if the site at Sixfields is required for other purposes. This should be supplemented by an indoor training facility for athletics Supply and Demand Assessment See West Northamptonshire below 7.8.3 South Northamptonshire District Audit

Ownership Access Year Site Name Lanes Type Type Built Refurbished RAF CROUGHTON Private Not TRACK 6 MOD Use 1950 2005 floodlit Figure 87: Athletics tracks in South Northamptonshire There is one 6-lane synthetic track (not floodlit) in South Northamptonshire District, and this is only for private use. It has very limited use for the community. Comparative provision The comparative provision of athletics tracks in South Northamptonshire District is shown above. Overall track provision is above the national and county average, for all tracks and synthetic tracks alone. However, as the

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track in Daventry is not floodlit and is in private use, it does not currently fulfil a community purpose.

Quality The track was built over 50 years ago but was refurbished in 2005. Local Issues There is a strong athletics partnership in operation in the area which has developed an active sports hall athletics structure. However there is some degree of a bottleneck where the lack of coaches at Northampton and Rugby Athletics Club has resulted in the club becoming full. People are now less willing to travel the distances to use quality facilities at Northampton and Rugby. There is a possibility for the development of a training club to be developed as part of the potential relocation of Sponne School. There is a shortage of local running routes in the area. Accessibility All Tracks 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 15% 75% 10% Figure 88: Drive times to athletics tracks in South Northamptonshire 90% of the population of South Northamptonshire live within a 20-minute drive of an athletics track. However, this has been assessed with the inclusion of the private track at RAF Croughton. Much of the area has good access to the track at Sixfields (11 minutes from the middle of South Northamptonshire District) and Stantonbury Campus in Milton Keynes (24 minutes from the middle of the district, but much closer to the southern edge). Supply and Demand Assessment See West Northamptonshire below.

7.8.4 West Northamptonshire Audit Of the three tracks currently in the study area, only one at Sixfields is floodlit and synthetic, and fulfils a wider community need on an accessible basis. Stantonbury Campus is also within a reasonable catchment of much of the southern part of the study area (30 minutes from the middle of the area) and there are other tracks in the wider locality which may contribute towards some usage by people in West Northamptonshire, namely at Rugby, Banbury and Kettering.

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Figure 89: Areas outside a 20min drive time from an athletics track5

Supply and Demand Assessment UK Athletics proposes a standard of one outdoor synthetic track (6-8 lanes) per 250,000 people within 20 minutes drive (45 minutes in rural areas). Each county athletics association should have an 8-lane track with suitable spectator facilities. On this basis, two 6-8 lane tracks are required in West Northants, comprising 12-16 lanes. If local provision is made in accordance with average provision in the region or nationally (0.035 lanes per 1000), required provision in 2026 is 16 lanes, or 20 lanes if an increase in participation of 20% is built in. The NGB requirement is a general standard applying to the whole of the country, and it is recommended that the slightly higher standard is adopted, to reflect more local circumstances, which is the equivalent of 1 8-lane track per 185,000 people. In this case, the preferred locations, to ensure that all residents are within the required catchments, would be the retention of the track in Northampton, refurbishment of the track at Daventry and the provision of a smaller 4-6 lane track in the western part of South Northamptonshire. 72. Issue – By 2026 there will be a need for additional synthetic floodlit athletics tracks to be located in Daventry and South Northamptonshire Districts

5 NB The track at RAF Croughton has been omitted from the calculations as it is not publicly accessible 108 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

7.9 Golf Courses 7.9.1 Daventry District Audit

Ownership Access Holes / Year Site Name Bays Type Type Built Refurbished

Standard Courses AZURE AT STAVERTON PARK 18 Commercial Pay and Play 1977 - BRAMPTON HEATH GOLF CENTRE 18 Commercial Pay and Play 1995 - COLD ASHBY GOLF CLUB 9 Commercial Pay and Play 1974 - COLD ASHBY GOLF CLUB 9 Commercial Pay and Play 1974 - COLD ASHBY GOLF CLUB 9 Commercial Pay and Play 1974 - HOTEL AND GOLF CLUB 18 Commercial Pay and Play 1973 - OVERSTONE PARK 18 Commercial Pay and Play 1993 - REFLECTIONS LEISURE CLUB (HELLIDON LAKES) 18 Commercial Pay and Play 1980 - REFLECTIONS LEISURE CLUB (HELLIDON LAKES) 9 Commercial Pay and Play 1995 - DAVENTRY AND DISTRICT GOLF CLUB 9 Sports Club Pay and Play 1907 - Registered NORTHAMPTON GOLF Membership CLUB 18 Commercial use 1991 - MARKET Registered HARBOROUGH GOLF Membership CLUB 18 Sports Club use 1994 - Registered NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Membership COUNTY GOLF CLUB 21 Sports Club use 1910 - Par 3 BRAMPTON HEATH GOLF CENTRE 9 Commercial Pay and Play 1995 - Registered CLUB AT SEDGEBROOK Membership HALL 3 Commercial use - - Golf driving ranges AZURE AT STAVERTON PARK 14 Commercial Pay and Play 1977 - BRAMPTON HEATH GOLF CENTRE 15 Commercial Pay and Play 1995 - Figure 90: Golf facilities in Daventry District

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There are 13 standard golf courses on 9 sites in Daventry District (comprising 192 holes), two par-3 courses (12 holes) and two golf driving ranges (29 bays). 135 holes are on commercial pay and play courses and 57 at members clubs. The par-3 facilities are all commercial; mainly pay and play, and both Golf Driving Ranges (GDR) are commercial pay and play ranges. The current ratio of standard golf courses is one 18 hole course per 7,300 people.

Comparative provision In the same way as sports halls it is possible to benchmark provision of golf courses in Daventry District against provision elsewhere (with the same provisos about sources and comparability of information as above). Relative provision is as follows:

Holes per 1000 population Daventry District 2.67 Northampton Borough 0.37 South Northamptonshire District 0.68 Study Area 0.92 Northamptonshire 0.74 East Midlands 0.71 England 0.67 Best provision in East Midlands 3.39 (Rutland) Figure 91: Comparative supply of golf courses Daventry District’s golf course provision is second best in the East Midlands region and about four times the county, regional and national averages. Provision in rural areas for golf is always better than in towns, for the simple reason that space is available to accommodate large scale features, which often require up to 100 hectares of land. Golf courses in rural areas accommodate demand from neighbouring towns. Quality Most facilities are well established, dating from as early as 1907/1910, and few standard courses have been built since 1990. Ancillary facilities (par-3 and GDRs) are more recent. Accessibility All Standard Golf Courses 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 59% 41% Figure 92: Drive times to golf courses in Daventry District All residents in Daventry District live within a 20-minute drive of a golf course, and nearly two-thirds within 10 minutes (Figure 93).

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Figure 93: Location of Golf facilities in Daventry

Supply And Demand Assessment There are no standard indicators of demand for golf, and this will depend on local factors. A large number of new facilities were provided throughout the country in the rapid expansion of golf in the early 1990s and there is a general feeling that demand has peaked and that existing supply is adequate in most areas. In Daventry District’s case it is assumed that existing supply meets demand, but that demand is likely to come from a wider area than the district alone. It is estimated that at least 3 golf courses are meeting a wider than local need, particularly in Harborough, Rugby and Cherwell districts. Future Requirement There is a possibility that there is existing spare capacity at courses, although this was not researched, and if so this could accommodate future demand arising from population growth in Daventry District and the study area. However, to accommodate any future increases in participation, which might result from development initiatives, it is suggested that, because golf courses tend to have a wider catchment than other sports facilities, it is appropriate that future provision be made in accordance with a West Northamptonshire standard addressed in 7.9.4. Ancillary facilities such as par 3 courses and GDRs should be provided in conjunction with any new standard courses.

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7.9.2 Northampton Borough Audit Holes / Ownership Refurbis Site Name Bays Type Access Type Year Built hed Standard DELAPRE GOLF CENTRE 9 Commercial Pay and Play 1974 - DELAPRE GOLF CENTRE 18 Commercial Pay and Play 1980 - KINGSTHORPE GOLF CLUB 18 Sports Club Pay and Play 1914 - SAINT ANDREWS HOSPITAL PRIVATE Registered Membership GOLF CLUB 9 Sports Club use 1900 - COLLINGTREE PARK Registered Membership GOLF CLUB 18 Sports Club use 1990 - Par 3 DELAPRE GOLF CENTRE 9 Commercial Pay and Play 1980 - DELAPRE GOLF CENTRE 9 Commercial Pay and Play 1980 - Driving Range COLLINGTREE PARK GOLF CLUB 16 Sports Club Pay and Play 1990 - DELAPRE GOLF CENTRE 40 Commercial Pay and Play 1990 - Figure 94: Golf facilities in Northampton There are 5 standard golf courses on 4 sites in Northampton Borough (comprising 72 holes), two par-3 courses (18 holes) and two golf driving ranges (56 bays). 45 holes are on commercial pay and play courses and 27 at members clubs. The par-3 courses and GDRs are all available on a pay and play basis. The current ratio of standard golf courses is one 18 hole course per 50,000 people. Comparative provision The comparative provision of golf courses in Northampton Borough is shown above. Provision for main courses is only about half the county, regional or national averages, a reflection of the relative scarcity of space to accommodate large land users. Quality Most courses are well established, dating from in some cases the early 1900s, and the most recent facilities at Collingtree Park were built in 1990. Accessibility All Standard Golf Courses 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 92% 8% Figure 95: drive times to golf courses in Northampton Almost all residents in Northampton Borough are within 10 minutes drive of a standard golf course. (Figure 96) The largest area outside a 10 minute drive time is on the western side of Northampton around Upton.

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Figure 96: Areas of Northampton outside a 10min drive time from golf facilities

Supply And Demand Assessment Additional provision in Northampton Borough is restricted by the availability of land and much of Northampton Borough’s future demand for golf is likely to have to be met outside the borough. However future provision should be considered in the context of the needs of the wider West Northamptonshire area as a whole and this is addressed below.

7.9.3 South Northamptonshire District Audit

Holes / Ownership Access Year Site Name Bays Type Type Built Refurbished Standard CHERWELL EDGE Pay and GOLF COURSE 18 Commercial Play 1980 - KINGFISHER HOTEL GOLF AND Pay and COUNTRY CLUB 9 Commercial Play 1992 - WHITTLEBURY PARK GOLF AND Pay and COUNTRY CLUB 9 Commercial Play 1992 - WHITTLEBURY PARK GOLF AND Pay and COUNTRY CLUB 9 Commercial Play 1992 - WHITTLEBURY PARK GOLF AND Pay and COUNTRY CLUB 9 Commercial Play 1992 -

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Holes / Ownership Access Year Site Name Bays Type Type Built Refurbished Par 3 WHITTLEBURY PARK GOLF AND Pay and COUNTRY CLUB 9 Commercial Play 1992 - Golf driving ranges CHERWELL EDGE Pay and GOLF COURSE 16 Commercial Play 2000 - WHITTLEBURY PARK GOLF AND Pay and COUNTRY CLUB 14 Commercial Play 2000 - Figure 97: Golf facilities in South Northamptonshire There are 5 standard golf courses on 3 sites in South Northamptonshire District (comprising 54 holes), together with one par 3 9 hole course and 2 golf driving ranges with a total of 30 bays. All facilities are operated commercially as pay and play facilities. The current ratio of standard golf courses is one 18 hole course per 30,000 people. Comparative provision The comparative provision of golf courses in South Northamptonshire District is shown above. Relative provision of main golf courses in the district is about the national, regional and county averages. Quality All courses date from the 1980s and 1990s and the GDRs have been provided since 2000. Accessibility All Standard Golf Courses 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Car 30% 69% 1% Figure 98: Drive times to golf courses in South Northamptonshire Almost all residents in South Northamptonshire District are within 20 minutes drive of a standard golf course (Figure 99) and about one-third within 10 minutes. The largest gaps in provision are around Weston and to the south east of Horton.

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Figure 99: Golf courses – South Northamptonshire 20 min drive times

Supply and Demand Assessment As with the other local authority areas, the future standard for golf provision should be determined for West Northamptonshire as a whole and this is addressed below. 7.9.4 West Northamptonshire Golf provision is determined as much by the availability of land as by the location of demand. The existing standard of provision in West Northamptonshire differs greatly between the three local authority areas, and it is likely that Daventry District not only meets some of Northampton’s demand but also that from other surrounding areas such as Harborough, Rugby and Cherwell. There are 318 holes on standard courses in the whole area, the equivalent of about 17.5 18-hole courses, as well as a range of ancillary golf facilities such as driving ranges and pitch and putt. This equates to a current level of provision of about 0.87 holes per 1000 people. Given that about 3 courses are likely to meet a demand from outside the area, a more realistic level of provision is about 0.73 holes per 1000 people, which is in broad agreement with the county, regional and national average level of provision. On the basis therefore of a future standard of 0.73 holes per 1000 people, there is a 2026 requirement in the West Northamptonshire area for an additional 72 holes to meet the needs of the extra 97,000 population, which is the equivalent of a further 4 courses. These should be located to meet the needs primarily of the new centres of population growth, and be concentrated more in the South Northamptonshire and Northampton area, subject to land availability. 115 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

73. Issue – There will be a need for four additional golf courses to meet the population growth. These should be located in the South Northamptonshire and Northampton areas.

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7.10 Ski Slopes 7.10.1 West Northamptonshire Audit There are no ski slopes (indoor or outdoor) within the study area, the closest within one hour being as follows:

Travel time from middle of study area (mins) Xscape Milton Keynes 29 Hemel Ski Centre 57 The Ackers, Birmingham 57 Tamworth Snowdome 59 Figure 100: Travel times to ski slopes Accessibility All Ski slopes 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Daventry District 2% 82% 16% Northampton Borough 71% 29% South Northamptonshire 12% 43% 35% 11% District Figure 101: Drive times to ski slopes

Figure 102: Ski slopes- West Northamptonshire 30 min drive times

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The nearest slope at Milton Keynes is within a 30 minute drive time of 71% of Northampton Borough’s residents and 43% of South Northamptonshire District (Figure 102), but 98% of Daventry District’s population has to travel more than 30 minutes to a ski slope.

Supply and Demand Assessment There are 40 outdoor artificial ski slopes (127 runs) in England, 6 outdoor natural (17 runs) and 5 indoor slopes (14 runs). The East Midlands has 2 outdoor slopes (5 runs) and no outdoor natural or indoor provision. Provision in the region is therefore among the lowest in England. National provision equates to about one slope per 300,000 people. On this basis it would be justifiable to consider the provision of such a facility in West Northamptonshire. The nearest facility at Milton Keynes does meet the relatively local needs of the population of Northampton Borough and South Northamptonshire District, but Daventry District residents are almost all outside a reasonable driving catchment of 30 minutes. There is however an increasing trend away from “plastic” slopes to indoor snow. These snow slopes have a far wider catchment than the plastic slopes and it is likely that there will only be a maximum of 12 snow slopes across the country. It is apparent that a number of plastic slopes have closed since the advent of indoor snow, and while many people live outside of a 30 min drive time of a ski slope, it is not anticipated that there is sufficient market to justify additional provision within the West Northamptonshire area. 74. Issue – while many residents live outside a 30min drive time of an artificial ski slope, there is unlikely to be sufficient demand within the area to justify additional provision

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7.11 Ice Rinks 7.11.1 West Northamptonshire Audit There are no ice rinks in the study area, the closest within one hour being as follows:

Travel time from middle of study area (mins) Planet Ice, Milton Keynes 29 Planet Ice, Coventry 38 Solihull Ice Rink 50 Tamworth Snowdome 59 Figure 103: travel times to ice rinks

Accessibility All Ice rinks 0-10 10- 20- 30- 45+ mins 20 30 45 Daventry District 8% 85% 6% Northampton Borough 41% 59% South Northamptonshire 2% 19% 31% 47% 1% District Figure 104: Drive times to ice rinks Very few of the population of West Northamptonshire lives within a 20 minutes drive time of an ice rink, and this is restricted to the southern parts of South Northamptonshire District who have access to MK Planet Ice. The majority of people in the study area live between 30 and 45 minutes drive of the four nearest facilities (Figure 105).

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Figure 105: 45 minute drive time from an ice rink

Supply and Demand Assessment There are 43 ice rinks in England, and the average ratio of ice is 1.09m2 per 1000 people in England and 1.01 in the region. On this basis the West Northamptonshire area could justify about 460-500m2 of ice, which would be sufficient for only a small rink. Given the proximity of four other facilities (of the total of 43 in the country) within a one hour drive, it is unlikely that an ice rink could be justified to meet a wider community need. However, this is likely to be a commercial decision or one based on specific development initiatives, and might be considered in this context. 75. Issue – there is unlikely to be sufficient commercial demand to accommodate an ice rink in the West Northamptonshire area

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7.12 Watersports Facilities 7.12.1 West Northamptonshire Audit There are a number of watersports facilities within the West Northamptonshire area; these are located predominantly in Northampton and Daventry District. The watersports facilities are provided by clubs. These include Organisation Location Grendon Lakes Watersports Centre Grendon Lakes, Hollowell Sailing Club Hollowell Reservoir, Jet Ski Centre Billing Aquadrome Nene White Water Centre Bedford Rd, Northampton Northampton Water Ski Club Delapre Lake Northampton Watersports Centre Pitsford Water Rugby And Daventry Sailing Club Drayton Reservoir, Figure 106: Watersports facilities in West Northamptonshire There are also a number of other watersports venues which are located just outside of the West Northamptonshire area. Accessibility Almost all of the population of Northampton and Daventry District live within a 20 minute drive time of an existing watersports venue, but provision in the South Northamptonshire area is poor meaning that few residents of this area live within a 20 minute drive time (Figure 107).

Figure 107: 20 minute drive time from a watersports venue

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Supply and Demand Assessment There are no standards for the provision of watersports facilities, and provision is heavily reliant upon the location of natural resources. Where natural resources are available, access agreements need to be negotiated to ensure that watersports can take place. This includes access for informal use such as canoeing on rivers and canal; this may necessitate the provision of slipways and parking for such use. Local Issues The British Canoe Union has identified that there is a lack of access for recreational canoeing. 76. Issue – There is poor access to watersports facilities in South Northamptonshire

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8 FACILITY COSTS AND TARIFFS The following facility costs have been calculated using the Sport England “Guide Costs for Sports Facilities” (2nd Quarter 2008), other costs have been calculated from the BICS figures. These figures are given as a guide only and no guarantee can be given as to their accuracy on any individual site. • 4 court sports hall £2.76m • 5 lane 25m swimming pool £2.6m • 8 lane 25m swimming pool £7-8m • 8 lane 50m swimming pool £17.5 – 20m • Sand based synthetic turf pitch £0.6m • Rubber crumb synthetic turf pitch £0.74m • 6 rink indoor bowls hall £1.55m • Ice Rink £8.5 - £10m • 6 lane floodlit athletics track £1.15m • 50 station basic health and fitness facility £0.8m • 100 station health and fitness facility £2.5m • 3 court indoor tennis facility £1.79m • 18 hole golf course £1.5 – 2m The cost of the development of a ski slope and watersports facilities are extremely variable due to differences in facilities provided, terrain, lifts and surface chosen. Therefore no indicative costs have been given Costs are inclusive of the following • external works • fees at 15% for indoor facilities and 5% for outdoor facilities The costs exclude • Inflation beyond current 4Q2007 prices • Site abnormalities such as poor ground conditions, difficult access, long service connections • VAT • Land acquisition costs • Regional cost variations in materials and labour Based on the figures given above and the standards established in this document, a projected cost per head and per household has been calculated for the provision of new facilities. Figures used are based on population projections from the Northamptonshire Observatory which are referenced in Appendix A

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For the purposes of consistency these have been calculated in a similar way to those provided by West Northampton Development Corporation. Household costs have been based on a ratio of 2.4 people per household. There are slight variations in costs for Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire for sports halls and swimming pools. The rationale for these differences is outlined in the relevant section. Daventry

Per 1000 people / cost Cost people unit unit facility cost /head /dwelling Sports hall 0.32 courts 4 court hall 13,100 2,760,000 £210.69 £505.65 Swimming Pools 10.1m2 4‐lane pool 21,000 2,500,000 £119.05 £285.71 Fitness Gyms 4.4 stations 50 stations 11,400 800,000 £70.18 £168.42 Indoor Bowls 1 rink 15,500 258,333 £16.67 £40.00 Indoor 4 court indoor Tennis centre 111,000 2,000,000 £18.02 £43.24 Artificial Turf Pitch 1 pitch 19,500 700,000 £35.90 £86.15 Athletics Track 0.05 lanes 8‐lane track 155,000 2,000,000 £12.90 £30.97 Golf 0.73 holes 18 holes 25,000 1,750,000 £70.00 £168.00 Ski Slopes 1 slope 300,000 Ice Rinks 1.09m2 1 rink (1800m2) 1,650,000 9,000,000 £5.45 £13.09 Figure 108 - Costs per household of sports facilities in Daventry Northampton

per 1000 people / cost per Cost people unit unit facility cost head /dwelling Sports hall 0.34 courts 4 court hall 11,900 2,760,000 £231.93 £556.64 Swimming Pools 13m2 4‐lane pool 16,000 2,500,000 £156.25 £375.00 4.4 Fitness Gyms stations 50 stations 11,400 800,000 £70.18 £168.42 Indoor Bowls 1 rink 15,500 258,333 £16.67 £40.00 4 court indoor Indoor Tennis centre 111,000 2,000,000 £18.02 £43.24 Artificial Turf Pitch 1 pitch 19,500 700,000 £35.90 £86.15 Athletics Track 0.05 lanes 8‐lane track 155,000 2,000,000 £12.90 £30.97 Golf 0.73 holes 18 holes 25,000 1,750,000 £70.00 £168.00 Ski Slopes 1 slope 300,000 Ice Rinks 1.09m2 1 rink (1800m2 ) 1,650,000 9,000,000 £5.45 £13.09 Figure 109 - Costs per household of sports facilities in Northampton South Northamptonshire

per 1000 people / cost per Cost people unit unit facility cost head /dwelling Sports hall 0.29 courts 4 court hall 14,100 2,760,000 £195.74 £469.79 124 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

per 1000 people / cost per Cost people unit unit facility cost head /dwelling Swimming Pools 9.2m2 4‐lane pool 23,000 2,500,000 £108.70 £260.87 Fitness Gyms 4.4 stations 50 stations 11,400 800,000 £70.18 £168.42 Indoor Bowls 1 rink 15,500 258,333 £16.67 £40.00 Indoor 4 court indoor Tennis centre 111,000 2,000,000 £18.02 £43.24 Artificial Turf Pitch 1 pitch 19,500 700,000 £35.90 £86.15 Athletics Track 0.05 lanes 8‐lane track 155,000 2,000,000 £12.90 £30.97 Golf 0.73 holes 18 holes 25,000 1,750,000 £70.00 £168.00 Ski Slopes 1 slope 300,000 Ice Rinks 1.09m2 1 rink (1800m2 ) 1,650,000 9,000,000 £5.45 £13.09 Figure 110 - Costs per household of sports facilities in South Northamptonshire 8.1 Funding Streams Whilst Developer Contributions can form a substantial amount of funding towards the development of new facilities in areas of high population growth, there will still be a need for funding to be sought from a variety of sources. Sport England has recently announced the funding for 46 sports totalling £480m for the period 2009-13. In this strategy priorities have been identified which may be eligible for funding through this new funding stream, details of which are not yet available. It is important that the three local authorities work closely with the NGB’s to ensure that funding opportunities are maximised. In addition there are other significant funding streams such as Building Schools for the Future which may also be able to contribute to development of new sports facilities which may meet the priorities identified in this strategy. Other sources of funding include Growth Area Funding and West Northamptonshire Development Corporation. Other major funding programmes will inevitably come on stream during the lifespan of this strategy, and development of strong partnerships is essential to maximise inward investment. It is important that funding is kept under review for this reason.

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9 IMPACT OF 2012 The announcement in July 2005, that London had been awarded the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has no doubt changed the way sport is, and will be promoted in the UK. The key issue will be developing facilities which allow sport to benefit from the legacy of the Games. This will centre on the inspiration that having the Games in this country will generate. Much of this will arise immediately after the Games have taken place. Two venues in West Northamptonshire have been selected for inclusion in the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide. These are Moulton College for equestrian and fencing, and the Northamptonshire Basketball Centre which is located at Northampton School for Girls. The Pre-Games Training Camp venues will be available for countries to train and acclimatise in the UK before the 2012 Games. The Guide was published at the Beijing Games, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) will be able to decide where to base themselves or where to send individual athletes to prepare. The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is offering NOCs and NPCs up to £25,000 to encourage teams to base themselves in the UK. There is no guarantee that any of the venues will be taken up. However should this happen, once again every opportunity must be taken to capitalise on the positive messages that this will bring to the West Northamptonshire area.

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10 FUTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AREA AND CONCLUSIONS 10.1 Overview It is clear that the demographics and population of the West Northamptonshire area are set to change substantially in the years leading up to 2026. This will place pressure on the existing infrastructure of sporting and community facilities. This study aims to examine current provision and ability to meet sporting demand and to examine how the changes in population in the main due to new housing growth will impact in the coming years. The study also attempts not only to examine facility provision but to examine the impact of sports development to ensure that a practical solution can be provided. For some provision, such as sports halls and artificial turf pitches, this will be dealt with on a more local basis, for other provision, such as ski slopes and skating rinks this is best examined at a more strategic level and therefore a wider geographical provision is examined. It is important to recognise that this report strives to create an overview for facility requirements up to 2026; it is only intended to create a framework. Each Local Authority is responsible for taking this information further and assessing how individual locations should proceed. It is recommended that more detailed and rigorous local studies be undertaken to assess the specific sports facilities that will be needed in the future. These studies will provide both an update and a refinement of the conclusions of this document. They will then be key documents to use in negotiations with developers e.g. when assessing facilities that urban extensions should provide or contribute to. It is essential that as these studies come on stream and that the Action Plans are updated and amended in the light of the additional findings and changes in the locality. The report recognises that the best way of estimating the future need for halls and pools is to use information from Sport England’s Sports Facilities Planning Model. This aspect of the report can be updated once this information is available from the 2009 runs and when the availability of Sport England staff resources enable it to be interpreted, analysed and made available. Regardless of the provision that is required, it is imperative that facilities for sport are not considered in isolation. There is a natural synergy between sport and education, and the development of sports facilities on school sites has been a long established means of the delivery of sporting provision. Joint Use or Dual Use of sports facilities on school sites is not without problems. There can be many benefits such as maximising use of the facilities by school in daytime and public in the evening, sharing costs and generating familiarity with facilities, but there have also been many problems. These have included poor management and maintenance, problems with access in twilight times, rigid implementation of time allocations, and reluctance by young people to “go back to school” for their leisure activities. There has also been a more recent trend towards the provision of sports facilities as part of a “Healthy Living Centre”. Whilst the centres that have been developed all differ slightly they have at their heart a desire to involve the community in the provision of services to improve the health of the local 127 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

community through the integration of sport, health and other related services under one roof. It has been shown that facilities which are delivered as part of a partnership approach are most successful. This partnership should place sport at the heart of the community as it is likely to be more successful in attracting people who might not otherwise wish to participate in sport. Whilst there is little that can be done to change the location of facilities that currently exist, where new facilities are planned development in conjunction with a wider range of community facilities whether it is education, health or other community functions such as libraries, information or shops should be encouraged. Partnerships that should be considered include: • Education (Building Schools for the Future) • Housing Departments • Health Services (PCT, GP Referral) • Planning • Private Contractors • Neighbouring Local Authorities • Commercial Enterprises • Housing Developers • Clubs • Sport National Governing Bodies • Local Community • Sport England • Regional Agencies Partners • Cultural Industries • Central Government

The report has identified a number of new facilities that are required to meet the growth in the West Northamptonshire area, as well as in a few instances of where there is current insufficient provision to meet demand. In many instances the locations are relatively easy to identify, in others the location is not readily apparent. The following sections create a framework for sports provision based on standards, population, drive times and also sporting demand and patterns of provision. It is however important to remember that people who use facilities will be no respecter of political boundaries. Large areas of West Northamptonshire are essentially rural and often their geographical location will mean that the pull for facilities such as shops, social activities and sport will be located outside of the area. The map in Figure 111 indicates areas that sit within 20 minutes drive time of predominantly market towns with a wide range of services. It is highly likely that people will choose to use facilities and services in these towns in preference to those in the West Northamptonshire area. Consideration therefore has been given to this factor in determining locations for new sports facilities particularly for areas which are on the peripheries of West Northamptonshire. There is an overall need to ensure that where facilities exist that their access for community use is maximised. Schools provide a very important sporting

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Figure 111: Impact of neighbouring market towns on the West Northamptonshire area.

resource, but too often they are inaccessible for community use, due to a combination of cost, poor quality and time restrictions on use. It is vital that, where possible, school facilities are brought into community use as this will reduce potential duplication of facilities thereby reducing capital and revenue costs. Throughout this report there have been a number of facilities identified which are reaching the end of their current lives. It is important to recognise that not only is their poor quality potentially affecting participation, but should the facility be closed then this will have an impact on the availability of sports buildings. It is therefore recommended that any sports facilities which are earmarked for closure that facilities should be replaced elsewhere in the locality and that before disposal of any site that proposals for alternative sporting use should be considered before any other options. This will need detailed assessment to take place for each site.

It has to be remembered that facilities for sport are a means to an end. Simply providing facilities does not ensure participation. There is a strong need to make sure that sports development initiatives sit alongside facilities. The right facilities have to be provided in the right place backed up by the right 129 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

management systems. There are many different motivating factors which will affect people’s desire to participate in sport, which will affect the type of facilities which they would like to see provided. These will be vastly different between people who wish to excel at the highest levels, to those who like sport for the fun of playing, to those who do “sport” to keep fit and for health reasons, to those for whom sport plays no part in their lives. All of this needs to be backed up by the right structure of funding, coaches and leaders and programming. The balance between the various levels of provision is a difficult one to achieve, however if Northamptonshire, and particularly West Northamptonshire is to be recognised as a leading provider of excellent sports facilities, provision needs to be made. This can only be delivered through partnership working. Starting at the introduction to sport, schools are an important player. Therefore facilities in schools need to be of high quality to attract young people into sport. This means developing facilities which are flexible and able to provide for a wide variety of different sports. These need to be supported by high quality ancillary facilities such as changing rooms which reflect current day needs. It has been long proven that poor quality communal changing rooms are a turn off for many young people. Provision of individual shower cubicles and hairdryers can encourage people who are on the margins of wanting to participate with the inherent impact on obesity and health. Increasingly there are strong links being formed with the health services to encourage people to become more active. The types of facilities that will need to be provided are very different, as programmes to improve fitness are likely to include activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, use of gyms and small rooms which are suitable for activities such as keep fit, yoga, pilates and so on. Sports clubs are a big provider of sports facilities as well as activities. Many clubs will take responsibility for developing and maintaining their own facilities, however many will also be heavy users of facilities provided by others such as schools and local authorities. Most of these are voluntary organisations, and cost of hire and maintenance are critical to their survival. There are many benefits of clubs joining forces as they can share clubhouses etc. They also have the ability to support each other through periods of hardship. However, care needs to be taken to ensure that seasonal overlaps do not cause conflict. It is no longer practical for example to expect cricket and football and rugby to share the same pitch space as seasonal overlap is such that there are problems with scheduling of matches as well as ground maintenance issues. Returning full circle education is a major provider of facilities for sporting excellence as well as the education programme which is so important to many of the young people who attend the academies that are based in West Northamptonshire – cricket, football, hockey, basketball and rugby. 10.2 West Northamptonshire Many of the facilities such as sports halls, synthetic turf pitches and swimming pools that will be required to meet the demands of the growing population of West Northamptonshire can be accommodated in specific locations. There 130 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

are however other facilities identified, particularly by Governing Bodies of Sport, which can be located anywhere in the West Northamptonshire area or in the county. A unique opportunity is developing in the Moulton area to consider the development of a Centre of Excellence or a “Sporting Quarter” for the county. This opportunity arises from increasingly diverse range of facilities currently in existence, being developed or proposed within a 1 mile radius of each other. The facilities currently in the area do not work collaboratively, nor take account of what each other are providing, and could be considered to be working in competition. It is felt that while they can still be owned and managed independently of each other; if they worked collectively they could become much stronger and provide facilities which could be very attractive to Governing Bodies of Sport, Clubs, National and Regional Squads as training camps. Clubs may also benefit as additional services such as sports science and medicine are attracted to the area. The “Sporting Quarter” currently contains the following facilities and can be seen in Figures 108 and 109. Facilities proposed are shown in brackets (Figure 112). Moulton College Moulton School Benham Sports Arena/Kings Park University of Northampton Sports hall (badminton 8 4 12 4 (4) courts) Artificial turf pitch 2 (1) 1 Equestrian Centre 1 Grass Pitches Indoor Tennis Courts 8 4 Trampoline Centre 1 Swimming Pool (8 (4/6) lane) Figure 112 - Current and proposed facilities in the "Sporting Quarter" In addition three of these sites, Kings Park, Moulton College and the University of Northampton, have residential accommodation available which makes them ideal venues for training camps for all types of organisations from Clubs to National Teams. In order to enhance this Sporting Quarter it would be ideal to plan additional specialist facilities to be located in this area. For example, if it proves necessary to relocate the athletics track from Sixfields, the Sporting Quarter should be considered as a first choice venue in which to accommodate an

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additional specialist facility, which could be enhanced by the integration of an indoor training venue. This would mean that it would become an ideal training base for multisport events such as triathlon and modern pentathlon which would find all the facilities that they require for training either on site, or very close to it. It may also be possible to examine the integration of the County Centre for Archery on to the site. It should be clear that this concept is primarily to develop opportunities for clubs and for excellence in sport, it is not meant to provide community sport, which still requires facilities to be made available on a more local area. The concept of a Sporting Quarter will be enhanced by partnership working between the four venues. This should be undertaken as a matter of urgency given the range of facilities being proposed on site, as without this the facilities proposed will simply be in competition with each other. There will be a need to examine the accessibility and the sustainability of this concept in more detail.

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Figure 113: The Northamptonshire Sporting Quarter

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10.3 Daventry District There are currently some significant gaps in provision in the Daventry District area. This includes swimming pools and sports halls. The development of the “Sporting Quarter” may help to mitigate some of this demand in the south of the district. There are other areas and sports which are also in need of provision. Daventry has a consolidation of outdoor facilities at Stefan Hill which is a positive model of the multi sport hub concept encouraged by Sport England. The MultiSport hub concept is one which encourages several clubs/sports to be accommodated on a single site. This encourages closer links with schools, the community and provides a degree of financial stability as different sports ebb and flow in terms of their popularity as well as being able to pool resources such as social facilities and events. The integration of the tennis club onto the site would only be beneficial in increasing the range and attractiveness of the site to more people. Making best use of school sites will also help to deliver sports in some of the more rural areas of the district. Guilsborough School is an example of this, and would help to deal with one of the areas of deficiency for sports facilities, where communities sit outside the 20min drive time. The protection of clubs such as Daventry Phoenix Gymnastics Club is important to ensure that sport remains accessible. This is especially important in the fact that participation rates amongst women and girls is already lower than amongst men, and the loss of a facility which attracts predominantly girls would be a loss to the sporting network.

10.4 Northampton At present there is largely an adequate stock of facilities in Northampton, with the exception of the Dallington area of the town and the newer western flank. However these facilities are often unavailable for community access. More work needs to be undertaken to ensure that more access is made available, if this is not possible, additional new facilities should be considered. This study also highlights the need for existing school pools to be brought into community use. The assumption has been taken in the calculation for new facilities that this will be achieved. There are currently six school pools available for some form of community use in Northampton. These total 1119m2 of water space which make up 30% of the current supply of pools in the area. If community use of school pools is not able to be achieved then it will be necessary to increase the supply through the development of new pools which are fully accessible to the community by a similar amount. A more detailed study of pools in Northampton began in early 2009; the results of this study will further inform the current status and number of pools in the area. This should thoroughly investigate the issue of community

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access, and where community access is not possible an adjustment to the number of pools required will need to be made. There is a concern about the aging stock of facilities, which should these fall out of use will have a serious impact on supply. It is imperative that where facilities are reaching the end of their useful life that replacement facilities are planned in their place. These do not have to be replaced on the same site, but consideration should be given to the best location for them. Where new facilities are proposed, they should be established at the heart of the community, adjacent to other community buildings such as schools, and health facilities where opportunities for partnership working should be developed. South Northamptonshire Using the various calculation tools the overall current provision of sports facilities in the South Northamptonshire area are meeting demand, with the exception of artificial turf pitches. However when quality is taken into account there is an issue with many current facilities becoming aged, and as a result, quality is falling short of the desired standards. A particular example is Brackley Swimming Pool. There is a need for this pool to be replaced. Whilst in the current situation it might be preferable to relocate the pool onto the site of the Leisure Centre, there may be possibilities to locate a new pool as part of the expansion of Brackley as part of a new leisure centre. The Willison Centre Pool is also an important part of the supply of pools in the area, should this pool not be available for community use then additional supply to the same level will need to be made. 10.5 Summary of Issues A summary of the issues raised throughout the document is shown below, along with the action required to meet the issue. This table should be read in conjunction with the Action Plan in the following section.

Issue Action GNAS have identified a need for a County Centre archery centre 1 county centre for Archery developed in conjunction with GNAS British Timken Archery Club is currently Base for club required, location to be 2 homeless identified and development supported Indoor 60m straight with space for field events and changing to be UK Athletics have identified a need for developed in conjunction with 3 an indoor training centre in Northampton Athletics England UK Athletics has identified the need for Development of new track, possibly 4 the track at Sixfields to be relocated as part of the sporting quarter Increasing cost of hall hire is pricing 5 some clubs out of facilities To be noted A specific need for more court space has More provision will be made as a been identified in the Brackley, and result of the development of new 6 South Northamptonshire area sports halls The dedicated basketball centre at NSG is not able to fully provide for the More provision will be made as a county’s development needs due to the result of the development of new 7 demands of Northampton Basketball sports halls 135 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Issue Action Club

There is a lack of spectator and social Consideration needs to be made to provision in new and existing school these issues in the design of new 8 sports halls which hampers development sports facilities Spiralling hall costs are making it hard for the sport to keep its prices at 9 affordable levels To be noted Work needs to be undertaken with local boxing clubs to identify their specific facility requirements, this is especially Further work to be undertaken with needed to respond to the growth of ABAE and local boxing clubs to 10 women’s boxing and the sport in general ascertain needs There is a need for more access points Where opportunities arise access 11 for recreational canoeing points should be developed There is a need for more access to indoor water for training and for canoe 12 polo To be noted Many cricket clubs are unable to cater for current demand due to a lack of pitches and the overlap of seasons with To be noted in development of new 13 other sports pitches New cricket pitch, artificial wicket, nets Towcester Cricket Club has specific site and clubhouse to be developed and 14 issues and is a priority for relocation supported Development of new indoor cricket nets Needs to be considered in the design 15 need to meet ECB standards of new buildings There is poor access in the West Northamptonshire area to closed road circuits and banked tracks as much of Banked cycle track in the county, the area sits outside of the closed road circuit in South Northants recommended drive time distance for to be developed in conjunction with 16 cycling facilities British Cycling Improvements are need to the rights of Where opportunities arise access 17 way network for horse riders should be developed Fencing facilities can be easily integrated 18 into any sports hall, but access is difficult To be noted There is a need for a 3rd Generation Pitch (rubber crumb) ATP’s in Brackley, 3G pitches in Brackley Daventry and 19 Towcester and Daventry Towcester Additional facilities are required for Gymnastics clubs to be established in Facilities for all forms of gymnastics 20 the west of Northampton and Brackley should be provided Due to proposed redevelopment there is a threat to Daventry Phoenix Gymnastics Relocation of the club should be 21 Club ensured There is a strong hockey base in the north of Daventry District which would be better accommodated in the Development of an ATP at 22 Guilsborough area Guilsborough 23 There is a lack of a central base for To be developed at one of the new 136 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Issue Action hockey in Northampton ATP in Northampton Moulton College could be come a centre 24 for Modern Pentathlon To be noted AENA have identified a need for more indoor facilities which are capable of Where new sports halls are specified, accommodating two netball courts to be they at least one needs to be capable 25 developed of accommodating indoor netball New sports hall provision in Daventry There are a lack of indoor netball should include provision for indoor 26 facilities in Daventry netball Brackley Rugby Club may benefit from the development of new housing nearby in order to achieve its new pitch Support should be given to this 27 requirements proposal Most of the rugby clubs have identified Support should be given to these 28 improvements to their sites developments Where water that is suitable for sailing There are no sailing facilities in South exists opportunities should be 29 Northamptonshire maximised There is the potential to develop Northampton Sailing Club further as a Support should be given to this 30 tourism destination initiative Further consideration to be given to the development of shooting facilities once the Governing Body Unification process This will need consideration once 31 is complete process is complete There is a need for additional facilities with 2 or 3 squash court to be developed. Ideally these should be constructed with moveable walls so that Squash courts with movable walls to 32 the space can be used more flexibly be included in future developments There is a need identified in sports development terms for an 8 lane 25m pool in Northampton 8 lane 25m pool to be developed in 33 the town Daventry Tennis Club are seeking to relocate from their current site at William 6 hard courts to be developed at 34 Parker School to Stefen Hill Stefan Hill England Volleyball are seeking to develop a network of indoor beach If opportunity arises to develop indoor 35 volleyball facilities beach volleyball facilities Daventry District has a lower than 36 average 4 court hall provision there are small areas of the Daventry District that fall outside the 20min drive 37 time for sports halls There is sufficient sports hall provision in Daventry District to meet current demand, assuming that some school Additional sports halls to be facilities are made available for developed in connection with 38 community use in peak time population growth. 137 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Issue Action There will be a need for 3.5 additional full size sports halls to meet demand by Additional halls to be developed as 39 2026 population grows Provision of sports halls in Northampton 40 is above the average 29% of the population of Northampton live outside a 20min walk time from a 41 sports hall There is sufficient supply to meet demand in Northampton only if community use can be applied to all sports halls, however this is unlikely to 42 be fully achieved Additional provision can be justified in the Dallington area and on the Western 43 flank there will be a need for 8 additional sports halls in the Northampton area by Community use of sports halls needs 44 2026 (25 courts) to be encouraged where possible. Current sports hall provision in South Northamptonshire District easily exceeds 45 national averages There is an issue over the aging stock of 46 school sports halls in the area Some areas fall outside the 20min drive time of a sports hall in South 47 Northamptonshire Although there are sufficient halls to meet current demand, this is reliant on some halls being made available for community use, there are however questions about the quality of these halls 48 and their suitability for public use 2 additional 4 court halls are required in Additional sports halls to be the South Northamptonshire District area developed in connection with to meet additional population growth in population growth. Current stock will 49 the area require maintenance or replacement Provision of water space in Daventry District is significantly lower than 50 average There is a need for publicly accessible pools in Daventry District to be made 51 available By 2026, up to 2 additional 4-lane pools Two additional 25m pools will be are required for community use in required, one as a high priority to accessible locations throughout the meet current needs and a second to 52 district meet population growth

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Issue Action Many of the pools in Northampton are ageing, and this has issues relating to 53 their maintenance and longevity6 There is sufficient water overall, but current demand can only be met if all school pools are able to be used by the Many of the pools in Northampton are public and access to commercial pools is aging and will require renovation/ 54 negotiated replacement. Community use of An additional 6.5 4 lanes pools along existing stock of pools is important to with enhanced access to existing pools ensure sufficient supply. Additional is required by 2026 to ensure that 16.5 pools required to meet growth in 55 pools are available for community use population7 There is below average provision of water space in South Northamptonshire 56 District The current provision of pools in South 57 Northamptonshire District is aging8 Current demand in the South East and South West of the district is being met Current stock of pools is aging and 58 from outside the District will require renovation/replacement. By 2026, 1 additional 4-lane pools is Additional pool required to meet required for community use in an population growth as a result of new 59 accessible location within the district housing development There will be a need for an additional 99 stations in Daventry by 2026, half of this 60 should be for public availability There is a requirement for 400 stations Additional publically accessible gyms to be provided in Northampton in areas need to be made available in areas of where there is projected to be high new housing development 61 population growth. Additional publically There will be a need for an additional small gym in South Northamptonshire by 2026. This should be located in areas of 62 high housing growth Indoor bowls provision is required in the Towcester area by 2026 to meet unmet 6 lane bowls centre to be provided by 63 demand 2026 There is a current shortfall of 7 indoor 4 additional courts to be developed at courts in the West Northamptonshire Benham, 6 court centre to be area to meet average national provision developed in the county, 4 court 64 standards centre in Daventry, 4 court centre in

6 The Northampton Pool Study will update the number of pools required in Northampton; this study was underway at the time of the writing of this report. 7 Current supply of school pools in Northampton equates to 1369m2, should any of these pools not be available for community use, then additional supply will be required to meet the shortfall. 8 Current supply of school pools in South Northamptonshire equates to 1142m2, should this pool not be available for community use then additional supply will be required to meet the shortfall 139 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Issue Action There will be a shortfall of 17 indoor Brackley or Towcester 65 courts by 2026 There is likely to be a need for an additional 2 full size synthetic turf pitches 2 additional STP to be developed in in Daventry District to meet demand by areas of new housing to meet 66 2026 population growth by 2026 There is a current shortfall of one synthetic turf pitch in Northampton Additional STP to be developed in 67 Borough West Northampton There will be a need for an additional 4 synthetic turf pitches by 2026 to meet Further pitches to be developed to 68 demand meet population growth by 2026 There will be a need for one additional synthetic turf pitch in South Northamptonshire District to meet Further pitch to be developed to meet 69 demand by 2026 population growth by 2026 There may be a case for the upgrading Consideration to be given to 70 of the track in Daventry upgrading of the track in Daventry It is important that the athletics track in Northampton is retained somewhere in the area if the site at Sixfields is required The track must be retained within or for other purposes. This should be close to Northampton and supplemented by an indoor training supplemented by an indoor training 71 facility for athletics facility By 2026 there will be a need for additional athletics tracks to be located in Track in Daventry to be upgraded, Daventry and South Northamptonshire additional track to be provided in 72 Districts South Northants There will be a need for four additional golf courses to meet the population growth. These should be located in the South Northamptonshire and Northampton Additional courses to be provided to areas 73 meet population growth While many residents live outside a 30min drive time of an artificial ski slope, there is unlikely to be sufficient demand within the area to justify additional 74 provision No action There is unlikely to be sufficient commercial demand to accommodate an ice rink in the West Northamptonshire 75 area No action Development of new access points to There is poor access to watersports water suitable for a variety of 76 facilities in South Northamptonshire watersports Figure 114 - Summary of issues and potential actions

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11 ACTION PLANS 11.1 Introduction The following tables identify the facilities emanating from this report which are required to deliver sport. These are a combination of those identified by Governing Bodies of Sport, and those calculated as a result of current provision and the projected population growth. They do not include facilities which may come to the end of their useful life or require refurbishment. An assumption has been made that existing facilities will remain in place, or similar facilities built to replace those that are decided to be no longer viable. This factor is important as the report identifies a number of facilities that will require refurbishment or replacement. Where possible costs have been identified, but it has not been possible to provide costs for all facilities for a variety of reasons. This includes lack of detail of the project, uncertainty about the number of facilities under consideration, lack of similar projects. Projects have been ranked on a basis of high medium or low. Projects have been ranked as high if there is an urgency to their delivery to meet a specific identified need which is either having or will have (perhaps as a result of population growth) a serious effect on sporting participation. Projects which are identified as medium have been prioritised as such, as they have been identified as needed, but not as a matter of urgency by either a Governing Body of Sport, Local Authority, or as a result of population growth during the period of this study. Low priority projects are other projects which have been identified, but these may not be required in the fullness of time or may be located elsewhere. Where facilities are required as a result of housing growth, they have been marked with an asterisk (e.g. M*). These facilities should be brought on stream as the housing is developed. Some facilities have been identified as high priority despite being given a date of 2026, as dates for construction are not yet known. It is important that as housing is developed, facilities are brought on stream at the same time along with the required infrastructure. This can be at any time leading up to 2026, these facilities have been shown using an asterisk (*) Where dates for delivery are available, these have been indicated in the Action Plans. Where 2026 is indicated, facilities should be provided as and when the new housing is developed. For other facilities, particularly those which meet a Governing Body of Sport requirement, the dates should be determined once the Governing Bodies have published their facilities strategies and therefore no date has been indicated. It is strongly recommended that the priorities identified are revisited on at least an annual basis to reassess the status of each project and factors which affect their potential delivery. This is especially in the light of population growth in the area. As areas of new housing are developed, facilities will need to be brought on stream to ensure that there is adequate supply of sporting facilities in the area.

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NB These tables only include additional facilities; they do not include any issues relating to the replacement or refurbishment of existing facilities. Where delivery dates are missing it will be the responsibility of other organisations to update these as and when they are known. It should be noted that facilities have been identified in isolation; however there are significant benefits from co-location in terms of cost, management and viability and therefore it is strongly recommended that this option is considered first for the development of all facilities.

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11.2 Proposed new facilities required up to 2026. 11.2.1 County or not specified No Lead / key Cost per of Total Cost Priority sport/Facility Date What Where Elements stakeholder unit (£) units (£) County or not specified M Archery County Centre tba Shooting bays and field Clubs GNAS 1 M Cycling Banked Cycle Track tba 250m track BCF NCC 1 M Squash 2/3 courts tba Movable walls LA 1 Improvements to the M Equestrian ongoing rights of way network tba Where possible NCC 1 Indoor Beach Volleyball L Volleyball Facilities tba not known EV 1 Development of access H Canoeing ongoing points tba As opportunities arise EA LA 10,000.00 1 10,000.00 Additional shooting Not known, dependent on L Shooting facilities tba restructuring of GB GB 1 M* Tennis 2026 Indoor tennis centre tba 6 courts NCC 2,970,000.00 1 2,970,000.00

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11.2.2 Daventry No Lead / key Cost per of sport/Facility Date What Where Elements stakeholder unit (£) units Total Cost (£) Priority Daventry District Enhancements to Sailing Northampton Sailing Club Pitsford Not known Club 1 M Synthetic Full size synthetic turf Turf Pitch pitch Guilsborough Hockey specific DDC 600,000.00 1 600,000.00 M Synthetic Full size rubber crumb Turf Pitch 3G Pitch Daventry pitch DDC 760,000.00 1 760,000.00 M Tennis Indoor tennis centre Daventry 4 courts DDC LTA 2,300,000.00 1 2,300,000.00 M 6 lane 400m track with 8 lane straight, changing and Athletics 2012 Upgrade of Track Daventry club room DDC 2,000,000.00 1 2,000,000.00 H Daventry Swimming 25m swimming pool District 4 lane 25m pool DDC 2,500,000.00 1 2,500,000.00 H Capable of accommodating artistic( men and women0 Relocation of Daventry as well as other forms, Gymnastics 2009 Phoenix Gymnastics Club Daventry changing, dance studio DDC 1 H Modern Centre for Modern Moulton Pentathlon Pentathlon Training College MC MPAGB 1 L Relocation of Daventry Stefen Hill, Tennis 2010 Tennis Club Daventry 6 hard courts DTC DDC 250,000.00 1 250,000.00 H Additional changing rooms, pitch improvements and match Rugby 2010 Rugby Facilities Daventry RFC lights Club 500,000.00 1 500,000.00 H Swimming 2026 25m swimming pool Daventry 4 lane 25m pool DDC 2,500,000.00 1 2,500,000.00 H* 144 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

No Lead / key Cost per of sport/Facility Date What Where Elements stakeholder unit (£) units Total Cost (£) Priority District Across all sites needs to be able to accommodate Areas of indoor netball, specialist Sports hall 2026 3.5 4‐court sports halls housing growth basketball facility DDC 2,760,000.00 8 22,080,000.00 H* Synthetic Areas of Turf Pitch 2026 2 Synthetic Turf Pitches housing growth Full size pitch DDC 600,000.00 2 1,200,000.00 H* Health & fitness Publicly accessible Areas of facilities 2026 facilities housing growth 99 stations DDC 2,500,000 1 2,500,000 H*

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11.2.3 Northampton No Lead / key Cost per of sport/Facility Date What Where Elements stakeholder unit (£) units Total Cost (£) Priority Northampton 60m straight with Indoor training Adjacent to athletics space for field events Athletics facility track and changing tbc 1 M 25m swimming Swimming pool tba 6 lane 25m pool NBC WNDC 3,200,000.00 1 3,200,000.00 M 25m swimming University of Swimming pool Northampton 6 lane 25m pool UN 3,200,000.00 1 3,200,000.00 M Synthetic Turf Full size synthetic Pitch turf pitch W Northampton base for hockey NBC 600,000.00 1 600,000.00 M Relocation of British Timken Field and social Archery 2009 Archery Club tba facilities Club 1 H 6 lane 400m track with 8 lane straight, changing and club room ‐ relocation of Northampton/ Sixfields Facility if Athletics Athletics track Moulton necessary 2,000,000.00 1 2,000,000.00 H Indoor training Athletics facility Northampton/Moulton 25m swimming Northampton/ Swimming pool Moulton 8 lane 25m pool NBC MC 8,000,000.00 1 8,000,000.00 H 25m swimming Swimming pool Western Flank 6 lane 25m pool NBC WNDC 3,200,000.00 1 3,200,000.00 H*

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No Lead / key Cost per of sport/Facility Date What Where Elements stakeholder unit (£) units Total Cost (£) Priority 25m swimming Swimming9 pool tba 6 lane 25m pool NBC WNDC 3,200,000.00 1 3,200,000.00 H* 25m swimming Swimming pool tba 6 lane 25m pool NBC WNDC 3,200,000.00 1 3,200,000.00 L Capable of accommodating Specialist variety of forms, Gymnastics Gymnastics Centre W Northampton changing, dance studio NBC WNDC 1 H 4 court hall with Sports hall 4 court sports hall Dallington/W Flank ancillary facilities NBC WNDC 2,760,000.00 1 2,760,000.00 H Rugby 2011 Rugby Facilities BBOB RFC Pitch improvements Club 20,000.00 1 20,000.00 H Extension and refurbishment of clubhouse and changing rooms, Northampton Old upgrade to floodlights Rugby 2011 Rugby Facilities Scouts RFC and pitch drainage Club 800,000.00 1 800,000.00 H 25m swimming Swimming 2026 pool Dallington 6 lane 25m pool NBC 3,200,000.00 1 3,200,000.00 H* Across sites need to accommodate 2 8 4‐court sports Areas of housing indoor netball courts, Sports hall 2026 halls growth /E flank specialist basketball NBC 2,760,000.00 8 22,080,000.00 H*

9 Current supply of school pools in Northampton equates to 1369m2, should any of these pools not be available for community use, and then additional supply will be required to meet the shortfall. 147 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

No Lead / key Cost per of sport/Facility Date What Where Elements stakeholder unit (£) units Total Cost (£) Priority Synthetic Turf 4 synthetic turf Areas of housing Pitch 2026 pitches growth Full size pitches NBC 600,000.00 4 2,400,000.00 H* Indoor tennis Tennis 2026 centre Benham 4 courts NBC LTA 2,300,000.00 1 2,300,000.00 M* Health & Areas of housing NBC/Commercial fitness 2026 growth 400 stations sector 2,500,000 4 10,000,000 H*

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11.2.4 South Northamptonshire No Lead / key Cost per of Total Cost sport/Facility Date What Where Elements stakeholder unit (£) units (£) Priority South Northants10 6 lane 400m track with 8 Brackley/ lane straight, changing Athletics Athletics track Towcester and club room SNDC 2,000,000.00 1 2,000,000.00 M Capable of accommodating artistic( men and women) as well Specialist Gymnastics as other forms, changing, Gymnastics Centre Brackley dance studio SNDC 1 M Access to suitable water, boat compound, Sailing Sailing Facilities S Northants clubhouse, changing EA SNDC 1 M Synthetic Full size rubber crumb Turf Pitch 3G Pitch Brackley pitch SNDC 760,000.00 1 760,000.00 M Synthetic Full size rubber crumb Turf Pitch 3G Pitch Towcester pitch SNDC 760,000.00 1 760,000.00 M Brackley/ Tennis Indoor tennis centre Towcester 4 courts SNDC LTA 2,300,000.00 1 2,300,000.00 M Cycling Closed Road Circuit tba At least 1km long BCF NCC 350,000.00 1 350,000.00 H Relocation of Cricket pitch, artificial Cricket 2011 Towcester Cricket Club Towcester wicket, nets and TCC DDC 1 H

10 Current supply of school pools in South Northamptonshire equates to 1142m2, should this pool not be available for community use then additional supply will be required to meet the shortfall 149 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

No Lead / key Cost per of Total Cost sport/Facility Date What Where Elements stakeholder unit (£) units (£) Priority clubhouse

Towcestrians 2 additional pitches and Rugby 2011 Rugby Facilities RFC clubhouse development Club 500,000.00 1 500,000.00 H 2 additional pitches, car parking, changing room extension and upgrade to Rugby 2011 Rugby Facilities Brackley RFC training facilities Club 500,000.00 1 500,000.00 H increase changing provision and match Rugby 2011 Rugby Facilities Bugbrooke RFC flood lights Club 250,000.00 1 250,000.00 H Bowls 2026 Indoor Bowls Centre Towcester 6 rink centre SNDC 1,550,000.00 1 1,550,000.00 H* Areas of Needs to include Sports hall 2026 2 4‐court sports halls housing growth specialist badminton SNDC 2,760,000.00 2 5,520,000.00 H* Synthetic Full size synthetic turf Areas of Turf Pitch 2026 pitch housing growth Full size pitch SNDC 600,000.00 1 600,000.00 H* Health & Areas of SNDC/Commercial fitness 2026 housing growth 40 stations sector 1,500,000 1 1,500,000 H*

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Appendix A- Sports Facilities Calculator Outputs

2006 2026 2026 +20%

78200 104500 104500 Halls Pools Bowls Halls Pools Bowls Halls Pools Bowls Daventry District 25.56 courts 930.47 m2 5.17 rinks 34.16 courts 1243.41 m2 6.91 rinks 40.1 courts 1459.65 m2 8.11 rinks 6.39 halls 17.51 lanes 0.86 centres 8.54 halls 23.41 lanes 1.16 centres 10.02 halls 27.48 lanes 1.36 centres 4.38 pools 5.85 pools 6.87 pools £16.91 m £9.05 m £1.29 £22.59 £12.09 m £1.72 £26.52 £14.20 m £2.02 m

200100 261300 261300 Northampton Borough 55.84 courts 1998.23 m2 10.07 rinks 72.92 courts 2609.39 m2 13.15 rinks 88.27 courts 3,158.73 m2 15.92 rinks 13.96 halls 37.61 lanes 1.68 centres 18.2 halls 49.12 lanes 2.19 centres 22.07 halls 59.46 lanes 2.65 centres 9.4 pools 12.28 pools 14.86 pools £36.94 m £19.43 m £2.51 £48.23 £25.37 m £3.28 £58.39 £30.72 m £3.96 m

88800 98600 98600 S Northamptonshire 26.22 courts 957.74 m2 5.41 rinks 29.11 courts 1063.44 m2 6.01 rinks 34.66 courts 1266 m2 7.15 rinks 6.56 halls 18.03 lanes 0.9 centres 7.28 halls 20.02 lanes 1 centres 8.66 halls 23.83 lanes 1.19 centres 4.51 pools 5 pools 5.96 pools £17.34 m £9.31 m £1.35 £19.26 £10.34 m £1.50 £22.93 £121.31 m £1.78 m

367000 464300 464300 Area 107.62 courts 3886.44 m2 20.65 rinks 136.2 courts 4916.24 m2 26.07 rinks 163.03 courts £5,884.38 m2 31.18 rinks 26.91 halls 73.15 lanes 3.44 centres 34.05 halls 92.55 lanes 4.35 centres 40.75 halls 110.77 lanes 5.2 centres 18.29 pools 23.13 pools 27.69 pools 71.19 £m 37.79 £m 5.15 £m 90.08 £m 47.80 £m 6.50 £m 107.84 £m 166.23 £m 7.76 £m

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152 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

Appendix B - Summary of Strategic Documents Regional

Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy 2005 Government Office for the South East, East Midlands and East of England This document is a co-ordinated review of policy for the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Region which is at the intersection of three regions. It comprises an overarching strategy and key spatial diagram for the whole of the sub region with separate statements on more specific guidance for all of the growth towns. Key priorities identified include: • Achieving a major increase in the number of new homes meeting needs for affordable housing • Developing a skilled workforce especially in the high valued knowledge sectors • Locating development in the main urban areas • Links between development and improved environment • Meeting requirements generated by new development • Creating sustainable communities Relevant to this project, Northampton is the only identified location where the majority of development will be focused on. The key areas will be renaissance of the town centre and major improvements to the transport infrastructure. Outside of this, smaller developments will be located in Daventry, Towcester and Brackley. Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands 2005 Government Office for the East Midlands This provides a broad development strategy for the East Midlands until 2021. It has 3 main sections on Core Strategy, Spatial Strategy and Topic based priorities. Policy 32 specifically relates to regional priorities for sports and recreational facilities - and the need to ensure that these dovetail with PPG17, Game Plan, Change 4 Sport and the Regional Environment Strategy. The aim of the regional policy is to achieve an adequate supply of sports facilities which meet a hierarchy of demand ranging from the casual or local level to the excellent or international level. It also looks at provision in the countryside both formal and informal. The Policy also encourages authorities to work across administrative boundaries to ensure that need is met most effectively.

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The East Midlands Strategy for the 2012 Games East Midlands Development Agency This plan forms the basis of action plans that will describe how the East Midlands will not only help London stage the best Games ever but also leave a lasting legacy for the region. The strategy is split into 6 key areas: • Sport – encouraging more people to take part in sport and developing clear pathways for talented sportspeople • Business – using 2012 to build relations and raise awareness of the business opportunities in the region • Visitor economy - develop the region's tourism offer by building closer links with sporting and cultural events • Culture – the region’s contribution to the UK Cultural Olympiad as well as supporting communities to develop and deliver their own cultural activities and to enhance their skills as participants and volunteers • Children and young people - increasing young people's participation in sport and physical activity, maximising opportunities for them to be part of the 2012 Games and creating better international links building on the region’s already rich and diverse multi cultural communities • Health - using the Games to raise awareness of the positive aspects of leading a healthy and active lifestyle as well as developing specific NHS programmes around physical activity The Place of Choice A Cultural Strategy for the East Midlands 2006 – 2011 Culture East Midlands The Strategy aims to strengthen culture in the East Midlands through four key themes: • Supporting cultural opportunities for people and communities • Fulfilling the potential of culture • Getting culture valued in regional policy and planning • Achieving sector sustainability There is a heavy emphasis on increasing participation and volunteering in all cultural activities and the obvious opportunities provided by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. The document also emphasises how culture can be a powerful tool in developing community cohesion. Change 4 Sport Sport England East Midlands ‘Change 4 Sport’ Regional plan 2004 – 2008 includes:

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• 4% increase in sports participation • The most successful sporting region • Reduced inequalities • Improved health • Stronger and safer communities • Improved education and lifelong learning • Strengthened local economy • Better sports ‘system’. This document must now be seen in light of Government changes relating to the future direction of Sport England. The skeleton of the new strategy 2008 - 2011 has been approved by DCMS and will focus on working with and through national governing bodies drawing in other partners including local authorities. Regional teams will have a tighter focus and would work with county sport partnerships who will deliver specific outcomes. County Community Strategy for Northamptonshire 2004-2013 Northamptonshire County Council This document aims to establish a framework for the collective efforts that the providers of public services and commercial, community and voluntary bodies need to make to improve the lives of the people who live and work in Northamptonshire, and those who visit. There are a series of key priorities relating to • Improvement of health and access to relevant services • Safe and secure local communities • Economic vitality • Raising of education standards and skills • Development of a sustainable infrastructure • Preservation of the local environment All of these have relevance to developing a sporting infrastructure in the West Northamptonshire area. Issues such as partnership working, communication and information, provision of the right facilities in the right places are key to helping the local community access appropriate services. Sustainable Communities Strategy 2008-2031 Northamptonshire County Council This is still currently a consultation document, the consultation period ending on 10th April 2008. Its purpose is to outline the vision and objectives for a successful and sustainable county. There are 10 objectives identified for community consultation namely: 155 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

• A Northamptonshire with a clear infrastructure investment framework • A Northamptonshire with a strong and distinct identity • A Northamptonshire with a vibrant and dynamic economy • A Northamptonshire where all can share in our success and growing prosperity • A Northamptonshire where we have strong, safe and cohesive communities • A Northamptonshire that looks after and optimises its natural resources and assets • A Northamptonshire that people can readily move around in. • A Northamptonshire where people are healthy, have a good quality of life and the most vulnerable are supported to access appropriate services according to need • A Northamptonshire where every child and young person matters • A Northamptonshire with a thriving cultural economy The only examples relating to sport relate to improving people’s health through better access to facilities and free swimming and leisure activities for school children during holiday periods, opportunities for children to participate in the sporting and cultural Olympiad. However, each of the above objectives has relevance to sport through building facilities that will be energy efficient and which will be located adjacent to public cycle ways and transport routes to sporting workforce development and attracting sporting events to the county. Northamptonshire County Structure Plan 1996 – 2016 Northamptonshire County Council Two sections relevant to this study are • Section 10 – recreation and tourism development • Section 11 – Rural economy Section 10 has 3 main objectives, namely: • To enable a wide range of opportunities for recreation locally in the County • To concentrate major recreation and tourism facilities where they will be easily accessible by a choice of transport • To protect existing recreational land from loss to other development unless compensatory facilities can be provided. Policy RT1 states that ‘major facilities for recreation and tourism will be concentrated in the town centres or in other locations which are served by public transport and easily accessible by public walking or cycling’.

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Policy RT2 states that ‘development resulting in the loss of open space will not be allowed unless alternative provision is made elsewhere in the local area’. The section on the rural economy states that ‘new built development for employment use will only be permitted for small scale recreation where an open countryside location is necessary. Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy 2005-08 Northamptonshire County Council The plan provides a strategic basis for tackling deprivation, particularly within specific localities, and contributes to overall national targets. It highlights a series of priority intervention areas and other neighbourhoods that need to be sustained and developed which were identified following a consultation process. One of the core indicators for this strategy is the "Increased numbers of people taking part in sport, arts cultural activities" Community Safety Strategy 2005 – 08 Northamptonshire County Council This strategy supports the Community Strategy, the LAA, the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and the 7 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Strategies. It outlines what the County Council are doing to reduce crime and create safer communities and what their priorities are for the next three years. It is aimed to provide a clear and transparent picture for partners and services. In relation to sport, there is the need to develop further diversionary activities which can focus on sports activities, coaching and leadership programmes. Other areas include residential and outdoor activities. Active Ageing in Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Local Area Agreement This lays out the vision for older people’s services in Northamptonshire. It’s part of the Local Area Agreement Partnership (LAA). The strategy is to be supported by an annual action plan that shows how the members of the Partnership are working together to achieve the vision. Of relevance to this document are the key priorities identified under • Health and healthy living • Getting out and about • Social Activities, Social Networking and Keeping Busy These relate to ensuring that there are opportunities for older people to participate in sport and recreational activities as well as ensuring the need for facilities to be accessible.

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The Strategy for Sport for Northamptonshire 2006-09 Northamptonshire Sport The aim of this document is to provide a clear vision for sport in Northamptonshire over the 3 years of the strategy. It looks at 4 key areas: • Sport – to establish a framework for sports specific development across the county from playground to podium • Physical Activity – use physical activity to improve the physical, social, mental health and well being of people in Northamptonshire to achieve a physically active Northamptonshire • Community – to develop specific programmes that encourage lifelong involvement in sport and physical activity in order to provide healthier, safer and more prosperous communities • Education and Skills – to develop high quality education and skills based programmes that provide relevant and accessible opportunities to develop the workforce The document has very detailed and specific outcomes that will measure the success of the strategy relating to increased numbers of volunteers, participants, coaches and an increase in numbers of people taking part in sport and physical activity 3 times a week. Playing Pitch Strategy (PMP Study) Northamptonshire Sport This document is designed to assist the N Sport plan for the future development of playing pitches through identifying major areas of deficiency, problems and opportunity. There are 4 key issues identified: • Need to protect existing provision • Need to overcome identified deficiencies • Need to enhance existing provision • Establish a process for setting priorities Common to all 3 districts/borough, is the need to address the shortfall in junior pitches as well as in Northampton, to improve existing synthetic turf pitches and look to develop a further synthetic turf pitch /3G pitch. As the strategy was commissioned in 2002, synthetic turf pitch deficiencies in this area may have been addressed. • A Local Development Scheme For West Northamptonshire (2008 – 2011)

West Northamptonshire Developer Contributions and Affordable Housing DPD and Affordable Housing SPD The West Northamptonshire Developer Contributions and Affordable Housing DPD will be produced alongside the West Northamptonshire Core Strategy. The work required to produce this Development Plan Document forms part of 158 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

the evidence base for the West Northamptonshire Core Strategy in terms of identifying the infrastructure and facilities needed to accompany development, the sources of funding for this infrastructure and the expected contribution to this by developers. The work will build on that undertaken by the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation on tariffs and will be produced in close partnership with the Corporation. It is sensible to divide this aspect of policy from the Core Strategy however as it can provide more detail than would be found in the Core Strategy and can be updated where necessary. The choice of Development Plan Document for Developer Contributions and Affordable Housing rather than Supplementary Planning Document is to reflect the need for clear public examination of the benefits being sought. This work may form the basis for the Community Infrastructure Levy should this be enacted and implemented. There is an urgent need to provide more affordable housing in West Northamptonshire and in recognition of this fact in the interim period before the Development Plan Document can be adopted an Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document will supplement existing policy. This will be produced by consultants appointed before the end of 2008. West Northamptonshire Site Allocations DPD This will deal with site-specific policies including allocations for key activities such as housing, employment, retail, leisure, health, community and transport facilities. Northampton Central Area Action Plan DPD This will develop policy for the transformation of the centre of Northampton and its key role in the sub region. Daventry Town DPD This DPD will include site specific proposals for Daventry Town should they be required at this time following the adoption of the West Northamptonshire Core Strategy and Site Allocations DPDs. Daventry District Village and Town Design Statements SPD These community produced design statements will provide guidance as needed. The programme for individual villages will come forward in response to community action and their form and content are guided by Daventry District Council. South Northamptonshire Rural Settlements DPD This DPD will address the matter of village confines in rural South Northamptonshire in the context of the settlement hierarchy set by the West Northamptonshire Core Strategy. Circuit SPD This is a piece of guidance for the future development of the Silverstone Circuit and is jointly produced with Aylesbury Vale District Council. Proposals Map

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A Proposals Map, will express geographically the adopted development plan policies for West Northamptonshire. In accordance with Regulation 13(4) of the Regulations, a submission Proposals Map will accompany the West Northamptonshire Core Strategy, West Northamptonshire Site Allocations and other DPDs where site allocations are made. They will be revised as each new DPD is adopted, to ensure that they always reflect the up-to-date spatial plan for the area. Statement of Community Involvement

Daventry District Council, Northampton Borough Council and South Northamptonshire Council each adopted a Statement of Community Involvement in spring 2006. These set out how the community will be involved in the preparation of Local Development Documents and consulted on planning applications. Each Statement of Community Involvement will be monitored on an annual basis and the need for review and integration to one statement will be assessed as part of the preparation of the Annual Monitoring Report for West Northamptonshire.

West Northamptonshire Core Strategy

The key priority in the Local Development Scheme for West Northamptonshire is the West Northamptonshire Core Strategy DPD. The West Northamptonshire Core Strategy DPD is a strategic document that will set out a spatial vision for West Northamptonshire (which reflects the sustainable community strategies of the area) and a proposed approach to how the places within it will develop addressing a range of spatial and strategic development issues. This strategy will address key spatial issues for West Northamptonshire such as the roles of Northampton, Daventry, Towcester and Brackley as well as the villages, the nature of the future economy including the development of rural enterprise, access to housing and other services, educational standards and provision, health and leisure opportunities and how these are accommodated. It will set out how much and what type of development is intended to happen, where, when and how it will be delivered.

The core strategy represents a key phase to establish the broad spatial framework for the area indicating the kind of places sought in the future and the facilities needed to support sustainable communities. It will also set some detail by making some key strategic allocations for the early phases of urban growth together with establishing directions of growth for later phases. At the same time it will establish those areas where there may be only very special circumstances for development e.g. to provide rural affordable housing or critical services.

Following adoption, all future Development Plan Documents produced in West Northamptonshire must be in conformity with the West Northamptonshire Core Strategy.

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A Community Strategy for Daventry District 2006 and beyond Daventry Community Partnership The main aim of this strategy is to provide a framework for working together to improve people’s quality of life and make Daventry District the safest place in which to live, work and visit. The objectives are grouped under 3 main themes: • Healthy, safe and strong communities and individuals • Improving the business economy • Protecting and enhancing the environment The rural nature of the district poses specific problems in relation to accessing good quality cultural and recreational facilities. There are also key issues around the regeneration of Daventry Town Centre and the improvement of recreational facilities. • A detailed action plan accompanies the main document and focuses on encouraging more physical activity amongst young people, healthy lifestyles with links to sports development programmes, • Out of school clubs, employment and training opportunities for young people, promotion of London 2012 to inspire young people to adopt healthy lifestyles • Town centre information points for parents and carers on out of school clubs and youth activities • Capital projects to enhance accessibility of community halls in rural areas • Open Spaces/sports development strategy, and the need for more quality children's play areas and sports facilities Sports Development Strategy 2005-09 Daventry District Council The purpose of the strategy is to facilitate new and innovative opportunities for all to participate in sport and leisure activities. Three key priorities emerge from the strategy: • The need to develop communities through sport • The need to increase participation across all groups to improve general health and well-being • To facilitate development amongst clubs and coaches Specific sub areas which are detailed in the attached action plan, focus on supporting N-Sport in developing clubs, coaches and volunteers, more opportunities for young people to try out sports and stay in them if appropriate, improve access to sport for specific sections of the community such as BME

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groups, women and girls and disabled people and organise and support events that raise the profile and awareness of sport in Daventry District. Daventry Strategic Plan 2006 -09 Daventry Town Council This sets out the Town Council's aims and objectives for the 3 year period of the plan. The plan is structured around the 6 committees of the council which focus on Policy and Resources, Community Services, Finance and Personnel, Planning and Development, Allotments and History and Heritage collection. Of relevance to this strategy are 2 key priorities which state the need to • enhance the quality of life of residents by providing services and facilities which reflect the identified needs of the community • work in partnership to provide sufficient sports facilities to encourage healthy lifestyles and to engage young people in particular These goals are consistent with the other strategies as highlighted below but also highlight the need to work in partnership with sports clubs and youth organisations to meet the needs of those clubs, particularly where there is a proven need to meet a demand for facilities for the youth.

South Northamptonshire District Community Strategy 2004-09 South Northamptonshire Council The Document’s purpose is to influence and inform the decision making of all key agencies working in South Northamptonshire District. The Strategy sets a long term direction but encompasses short and medium term priorities for the partners to action jointly. It was due to be updated by the end of 2007 – 08. There are 6 main themes in the document relating to: • Learning and Skills • Economic • Social and Community well-being • Health and housing • Community safety • The natural and built environment Each of these themes has specific key issues exploring those areas and identifying proposed actions. Whilst not specifically mentioned, there are opportunities to link sport to all of them. Key issues that do occur include working with the community

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to address community safety, encouraging healthy lifestyles through activities such as walking and cycling and developing a range of local venues and activities for all age groups. Community Safety Strategy 2005-08 South Northamptonshire District Community Safety Partnership This strategy is now dated and has to date not been updated. Its priorities relate to: • reduction in domestic burglary • vehicle crime • criminal damage • domestic violence • drug and alcohol related issues • anti social behaviour • fire safety • partnership development It outlines that the district as a whole, is a low crime rate area although there is a relatively high fear of crime and the residents have concerns about increasing problems of anti social behaviour in local communities. Many residents stated that they would like to see an increased provision of activities for young people, recognising the access and transport problems for young people in a rural area. This is something that the Community Safety Partnership has been addressing through ‘Project 5’ - provision of sports, arts and recreational opportunities and resourcing premises for young people to get together safely and with support from the County Council youth service and Council leisure services. Sports Development Action Plan 2008 – 09 South Northamptonshire Council The document was produced to provide a clear direction for the development of sport in South Northamptonshire District. Targets identified in the document are themed under 4 key areas: • Sport • Physical Activity • Community • Education and Skills Each of these areas are laid out in an action plan which highlights club development, grants for talented performers, the information and sharing of good practice, training to support personal development and support for mass participation events for families and friends to become active.

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Playing Pitch Strategy 2007 South Northamptonshire Council The document reviewed and updated the previous countywide methodology completed in 2002 focusing specifically on the district. The strategy was developed following the methodology outlined in “Towards a Level Playing Field.” A series of recommendations are put forward relating to issues in Towcester, Brackley, North of the M1 and Rural area central. The majority of recommendations relate to improvements in changing provision, re-designating certain adult pitch provision for junior teams, protection of provision in rural areas, securing community use agreements on school sites. It was noted that Towcester contained the highest overall shortfall (14.6 pitches). This figure was exacerbated by the dearth of junior rugby union pitches, synthetic provision, junior and mini-football and cricket pitches. Due to projections in population growth in Towcester, the shortfall is likely to increase to 80 pitches Provision of Athletics in South Northamptonshire District 2007 South Northamptonshire Council A report carried out by consultants on current supply of athletics facilities and surrounding area to determine whether an additional facility was required. The report concluded that there was no requirement for a 6 or 8 lane synthetic athletics facility in South Northamptonshire District at that current time; • demand for this facility should be monitored in light of potential population growth and increases in participation; any new facility developed for athletics should be a small sized training track located at a school site. Best Value General User Survey 2006/07 South Northamptonshire Council The research was undertaken by Ipsos/Mori to collect Best Value performance indicators (BVPI) as part of the performance management framework for local authorities. Questions were asked on the following: • Corporate Image • Communications and Contact • Life in South Northamptonshire District • Services 61% of people said they were satisfied with the sports and leisure facilities. This figure has risen from 53% in 2004. This finding places the Council above average for the Northamptonshire Consortium (54%) and indeed, above average across districts as a whole (58%). Overall, 54% of South Northamptonshire District residents make use of the sports and leisure facilities in their area, with 22% using them every week. A similar proportion however, used them longer than one year ago (17%). In terms of how often residents do some form of light exercise for at least 30 minutes, one in five 164 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

say they do so every day (22%) while at the other end of the scale, just 7% claim never to do any exercise. Vision for Towcester – July 2006 South Northamptonshire Council There are 4 strategic objectives underpinning the vision: • To strengthen and develop the town centre to enable it to support the needs of a thriving, vibrant and growing population • To deliver the physical, social and community services and facilities necessary to support the growth of the town as a whole • To build upon the distinctive historic identity of Towcester • To strengthen and diversify the local economy Key to the vision is the provision of an A5 bypass allowing environmental improvements to take place within the centre. Connecting the town centre to the surrounding existing and new residential areas would also allow for the development of walking and cycling networks and better use of town centre services and facilities. The key message is that whilst current leisure facilities are generally adequate for the needs of the existing population, account must be taken of the growth areas and new housing planned for the future.

Northampton A Sports Strategy for Northampton 2004-07 Northampton Borough Council Whilst now dated, the document’s themes are still relevant to the future provision of quality sports opportunities in Northampton. There are 7 main aims identified in the document: • Lifelong Participation • Increase Participation • Healthier Lifestyles • Young People • Social Inclusion, Crime and Disorder • Communication • Success There is a detailed action plan attached to the document but as it is now dated, many of the actions will have been implemented or changed over its period. Economic Regeneration Strategy 2007-2021 (draft)

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Northampton Borough Council There are 10 critical themes in the document including Leisure/Sport. This relies heavily on the PMP Open Space report (2006) identifying shortages in sports hall and swimming pool space. The most relevant part of the report to this study concludes that there is potential for a major sports facility in the town, together with a water based facility/attraction. It concludes that there is also the need to investigate further provision for adrenalin based activities, skate parks and quality athletics facilities. Open Space, Sport and Recreation Needs Assessment and Audit (2006) Northampton Borough Council In terms of outdoor sports facilities, deficiencies were identified in the Duston and areas. Part of the Duston deficiency may now be addressed by a new ATP having opened at Duston School. With regards to indoor sports facilities, a deficit of 20 badminton courts across the borough was identified, together with the equivalent of 1.5 pools (a pool being taken as 25m x 4 lanes). However, the PMP study appears to have missed pools at Northampton School for Boys and a small school/community pool at Barry Road School. Whilst these pools are available for club and lessons, the resulting shortfall identified may well be less than indicated. Draft Corporate Plan 2008-2011 Northampton Borough Council There are 5 key areas identified within the plan. These are: • To help communities become safer, greener and cleaner • To improve housing and health to enhance the wellbeing of communities • To promote economic development and growth in Northampton • To strengthen the commitment to partnership working and engaging with communities to deliver better outcomes Within these areas, there is mention of improving participation and access to sport, promoting the town centre as a destination for shopping, leisure and relaxation and working with partners to improve activities for young people. Northampton Community Strategy 2002-2012 Aim 4 Northampton There are 7 themed areas in the strategy: • Promoting Community Safety • Improving the Environment • Promoting Good Health, Housing and social Well-being • Providing Quality Education and Learning Throughout Life

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• Strengthening the Economic Base • Promoting Leisure and Cultural Opportunities • Engaging with Communities Under the Theme of Promoting Leisure and Cultural Opportunities, it states the need to provide improved recreational, sport and cultural opportunities for young people and to protect and enhance community and recreational facilities and parks. Some of the more specific targets are dated and have already been achieved. Interim Cultural Strategy 2008 – 2011 Northampton Borough Council Emphasises the need to enhance physical activity across the community and promote sports development initiatives to all ranges within the most deprived wards. There is an emphasis throughout the document on developing specific projects in partnership with other sectors such as health, education and community safety. It states that of the most powerful ways of improving people’s lives is through co-ordinated management of neighbourhoods and outlines that sports development can make a telling contribution to this area of work, particularly in the deprived areas

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Appendix C - Strategic Documents at a Glance

Originator Title Date National Sport England Sport England Strategy 2008 - 2011 2008 Department for Prosperous Places: Taking forward 2008 Communities and Local the Review of Sub National Economic Government Development and Regeneration

Sport England Spatial Planning for Active Sport and 2005 Recreation Department of Health Choosing Activity, a physical activity 2005 /DCMS action plan Department for Planning Policy Guidance 17: 2002 Communities and Local Planning for open space, sport and Government recreation

Regional East Midlands The East Midlands Strategy for the 2007 Development Agency 2012 Games Culture East Midlands The Place of Choice – A Cultural 2006 Strategy for the East Midlands 2006 - 2011 Government Offices for Milton Keynes and South Midlands 2005 the South East, East Sub-Regional Strategy Midlands, East of England Government Office for Regional Spatial Strategy for the East 2005 the East Midlands Midlands (RSS8) Sport England East Change 4 Sport – A Regional Plan for 2004 Midlands Sport 2004-2008

County Northamptonshire Sport Physical Activity Framework for 2008 Northamptonshire 2008-2011 Northamptonshire Service Plan – Cultural Services 2008 2008 County Council - 2009

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Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Waterways – 2008 Enterprise Ltd Feasibility Analysis Northamptonshire Sustainable Communities Strategy for 2008 County Council Northamptonshire 2008 - 2031 Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Local Delivery Plan 2007 Teaching PCT 2007 - 2008 Northamptonshire LAA Active Ageing in Northamptonshire 2007 Partnership Northamptonshire Sport Growing Northamptonshire through 2006 the Power of Sport – 2006 - 2009

Northamptonshire Improving Health in Northamptonshire 2006 Teaching PCT 2006 - 2007 Northamptonshire Public Health – The Way Forward in 2006 Teaching PCT Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Community Safety Strategy 2005 - 2005 County Council 2008 Northamptonshire Community Strategy for 2004 County Council Northamptonshire 2004 - 2013

Northamptonshire Renewing and Sustaining 2005 County Council Communities: Northamptonshire Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, 2005-2008

Northamptonshire Sport Northamptonshire Playing Pitch 2002 Strategy

West Northamptonshire West Northamptonshire Developing a Planning Obligations 2008 Development Strategy Corporation West Northamptonshire West Northamptonshire Joint Core 2007 Joint Planning Unit Strategy Daventry District Local Development Frameworks 2001 2007 Council, Northampton – 2026 Joint Local Development Borough Council, South Scheme (March 2007) Northamptonshire Council

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West Northamptonshire From Aspiration to Action – WNDC 2006 Development Corporate Plan 2006 - 2008 Corporation West Northamptonshire Regeneration Framework 2005 Development Corporation

Daventry Daventry District Open Space, Sport and Recreation 2008 Council Facilities Study (draft report) Daventry District Corporate Plan 2007 - 2010 2007 Council Daventry District Housing Strategy 2007 - 2010 2007 Council Daventry District Daventry Master Plan (Interim Draft) 2006 Council Daventry Town Council Strategic Plan 2006 - 2009 2006 Daventry District Sports Development Strategy 2005 - 2005 Council 2009 Daventry LSP A Community Strategy for Daventry 2005 Community Partnership District 2006 and beyond

Northampton Northampton Borough (Interim) Cultural Strategy 2008 - 2008 Council 2013 Northampton Borough Draft Corporate Plan 2008 -2011 2008 Council Northampton Borough Northampton ‘The Market City’ – 2007 Council Economic Regeneration Strategy 2007 - 2021 Northampton Borough Open Space, Sport and Recreation 2006 Council Needs Assessment and Audit Northampton Borough A Sports strategy for Northampton 2004 Council 2004 - 2007 Future Northampton Future Northampton – Vision White 2004 Paper Aim4Northampton Northampton Community Strategy 2002 2002 - 2012

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South Northamptonshire South Northamptonshire Sports Development Action Plan 2008 2008 Council - 2009 South Northamptonshire Open Space Strategy 2007 - 2021 2007 Council South Northamptonshire Playing Pitch Strategy 2007 Council South Northamptonshire Performance Plan 2007 - 2008 2007 Council South Northamptonshire Vision for Towcester 2006 Council South Northamptonshire Best value General User Survey 2006 2006 Council - 2007 South Northamptonshire Community Safety Strategy 2005 - 2005 Community Safety 2008 Partnership South Northamptonshire South Northamptonshire Community 2004 LSP Strategy 2004 - 2009

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Appendix C – Summary of Sports Facility Provision Standards

S Daventry Northampton Northampton per 1000 1 unit per 1000 1 unit per 1000 0.32 1 4 court hall per 13100 0.34 1 4 court hall per 11900 Sports hall courts people courts people 0.29 courts 1 4-lane pool per 1-4 lane pool per 16,000 Swimming Pools 10.5m2 21,000 people 13m2 people 9.2m2 4.4 4.4 Fitness Gyms stations stations 4.4 stations per 1000 4.4 stations 1 rink per 15500 Indoor Bowls population 1 rink per 15500 population one 4 court indoor centre per 111,000 one 4 court indoor centre per Indoor Tennis people 111,000 people Artificial Turf Pitch 1 pitch per 19,500 1 pitch per 19,500 one 8-lane track per 0.05 one 8-lane track per 155,000 Athletics Track 0.05 lanes 155,000 people lanes people 0.05 lanes 0.73 Golf 0.73 holes holes 0.73 holes 1 slope per 300,000 Ski Slopes people 1 slope per 300,000 people Ice Rinks 1.09m2 1.09m2 1.09m2

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Appendix D - Glossary Artificial turf pitch comprising of a long fibre carpet which is infilled with rubber. It is 3G 3rd Generation Pitch particularly suitable for football and rugby ABAE Amateur Boxing Association of England National governing body for Boxing ABC Amateur Boxing Club Local boxing club AENA All England Netball Association National governing body for Netball A planning tool for sports facilities. It is designed to assist in investment decisions and the development of infrastructure APP Active Places Power improvement strategies for sport ASA Amateur Swimming Association National governing body for Swimming An artificial turf surface for playing sport, these can be long or short pile carpets and can be infilled with sand or rubber crumb, or can be water based pitches. Short pile carpets are more suitable for sports like hockey and tennis, longer pile carpets are more suitable ATP Artificial Turf Pitch for sports such as rugby and football BCF British Cycling Federation National governing body for Cycling The biggest‐ever school buildings investment programme. The aim is to rebuild or renew BSF Building Schools for the Future nearly every secondary school in England. Use of particularly education facilities by the community, thereby maximising the usage CU Community Use and income potential of sports facilities The local authority for the NW of DDC Daventry District Council Northamptonshire DPD outline the key development goals of the Local Development Framework. Development plan documents taken together are broadly DPD Development Plan Document equitable to the old style Local Plans DTC Daventry Tennis Club UK government agency concerned mainly with EA Environment Agency rivers, flooding, and pollution ECB England and Wales Cricket Board National governing body for Cricket FA Football Association National governing body for Football GC Gymnastics Club Local Gymnastics Club GDR Golf Driving Range GNAS Grand National Archery Society National governing body for Archery HE Higher Education LA Local Authority A folder of local development documents that outlines how planning will be managed in a LDF Local Development Framework local authority area. responsible for the preparation and staging of London Organising Committee for the the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic LOCOG Olympic Games Games 173 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

LTA Lawn Tennis Association National governing body for Tennis MC Moulton College The growth area covers Milton Keynes Council, Aylesbury Vale District, Northampton County, Bedfordshire County and Luton MKSM Milton Keynes and South Midlands Borough Council. It concentrates on five GA Growth Area existing urban areas Modern Pentathlon Association of National governing body for Modern MPAGB Great Britain Pentathlon A fenced, non‐turf surfaced area, marked out and an adequate size for at least two of the following sports: tennis, netball, basketball MUGA Multi Use Games Area and 5 a side football. County Sports Partnership for N Sport Northamptonshire Sport Northamptonshire NBC Northampton Borough Council Local Authority for Northampton NCC Northamptonshire County Council Local Authority for Northamptonshire an organization that has a regulatory or NGB National Governing Bodies of Sport sanctioning function for a given sport Responsible for organising participation in the Olympic Games, also promote the development of athletes and training of coaches and officials at a national level within NOC National Olympic Committee their geographies Responsible for organising participation in the Paralympic Games, also promote the development of athletes and training of coaches and officials at a national level within NPC National Paralympic Committee their geographies NSG Northampton School for Girls Now replaced by the Office for Communities and Local Government, but the Government office which has responsibility for planning ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and local development Works with local authorities and other agencies that provide health and social care locally to make sure that a local community's PCT Primary Care Trust needs are being met. Provide financial support for "Public‐Private Partnerships" (PPPs) between the public and PFI Private Finance Initiative private sectors. sets out the policies needed to be taken into account by regional planning bodies in the preparation of Regional Planning Guidance and by local planning authorities in the PPG17 Planning Policy Guidance 17 preparation of development plans RFC Rugby Football Club Local Rugby club RFU Rugby Football Union National governing body for Rugby RGC Rhythmic Gymnastics Club Local Rhythmic Gymnastics Club 174 Sports Facilities Strategy for West Northamptonshire – Syzygy Leisure

National governing body for Sailing and RYA Royal Yachting Association Windsurfing Local Authority for the South of SNDC South Northamptonshire Council Northamptonshire Funded by the Government TASS aims to bridge the gap between non‐funding grass TASS Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme roots sport and world‐class sport VE Volleyball England National governing body for Volleyball This is a dense short pile artificial turf pitch which includes the use of water to reduce friction. It is the preferred surface for high Water based pitch level hockey Has a role to promote and deliver sustainable West Northamptonshire Development housing growth and regeneration in WMDC Corporation Northampton, Daventry and Towcester Prepares the Joint Development Plan Documents, including the Joint Core Strategy and the Joint Supplementary Planning Documents for Daventry District, Northampton Borough, South West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Northamptonshire Council and WNJPU Unit Northamptonshire County Councils

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Appendix E - Active Places and Sports Facilities Calculator

Active Places is a single database that holds information on sports facilities throughout England. It covers information for the following sports facility types: • athletics tracks, • indoor tennis, • golf courses & driving ranges, • ski slopes, • grass pitches, • sports halls, • health & fitness suites, • swimming pools, • ice rinks, • synthetic turf pitches. • indoor bowls, It includes local authority leisure facilities, school sports facilities, commercial and club sites. It contains a number of functions which include:

Facilities per 1000 population: calculates out the current provision of facilities within a local authority area. It creates benchmarks for an area by running the same analysis again but selecting the region rather than the local authority area. This allows a comparison of the local provision against the regional picture.

Summaries of facilities – a database of all facilities in a given area which identifies, size, ownership, management, build and refurbishment dates

Local supply and demand balance: indication of whether there is currently an over or under supply of certain facilities and in which locations in a local authority area

Facility Count by travel time: identification of the competition in terms of other facilities within the catchment area of a proposed new facility location.

Sports Facilities Calculator The Sports Facilities Calculator (SFC) is a planning tool which helps to estimate the amount of demand for key community sports facilities that is created by a given population.

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