Playing Pitch Assessment and Strategy 2014 – 2019

Playing Pitch Assessment and Strategy

2014 – 2019

Document updated August 2017

Appendix C

CONTENTS

1.0 Background 1

1.1 Introduction and Vision 1

1.2 Executive Summary 1

1.3 Why produce a Playing Pitch Strategy? 2 2.0 Context 4

2.1 Local Context 4

2.2 Strategic Context 6 3.0 Methodology 9 4.0 Assessment Findings –Supply and Demand 11

4.1 Playing Pitch Assessment by Neighbourhood Areas 11

Chorley Town East 11 Chorley Town West 13 Clayton and Whittle 15 Eastern Parishes 16 Euxton, Astley and Buckshaw 17 Southeast Parishes 18 Southern Parishes 19 Western Parishes 20

4.2 Assessment Findings by Sport 22

Football 22 Artificial Grass Pitches 27 Cricket 28 Rugby Union 31 Rugby League 32 Hockey 33 Education Provision 35 Bowling Greens 35 Athletics 35 Archery 35 American Football 35

4.3 Assessment Summary and Key Findings 36

5.0 Key Issues and Objectives for Action 39

5.1 Key Issues and Management Objectives 39

5.2 Sports Specific Objectives and Actions 40

6.0 Future Provision: Recommendations and Priorities 45

6.1 Polices and Supplementary Planning Document 45

6.2 Qualitative Standards 46

6.3 Recommended New Pitch Provision 46

6.4 Priorities for Investment 47

6.5 Priorities for Action by Neighbourhood Area: 50

Chorley Town East 50 Chorley Town West 51 Clayton and Whittle 52 Eastern Parishes 53 Euxton, Astley and Buckshaw 54 Southeast Parishes 55 Southern Parishes 56 Western Parishes 57

6.6 Asset transfer Policy – Lease arrangement recommendations to clubs 58

7.0 Strategy Review 59

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Contact List 60 Appendix B: Funding Opportunities 63 Appendix C: Maps by Neighbourhood Area 64

NOTE As part of the Central Lancashire Development Plan consultants are currently in the process of being appointed to review and reassess all sites across Chorley, Preston and South Ribble to write an updated strategy 2020 – 2025 linking into the forthcoming local plan review and evidence base. This is in line with Sport England guidance and new methodology. Site assessments are proposed to take place throughout 2018 with consultation and document preparation taking place to aim for a new strategy to be ready for the period 2020-25.

1.0 BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction and Vision

This document has been produced by Chorley Council to set out the provision of playing pitches in Chorley. It provides a clear, strategic framework for the management, maintenance and development of playing pitches and ancillary facilities within the Borough.

The strategy covers the following key areas:

 Background - why produce a playing pitch strategy?  Context - strategic background and local demographic data  Methodology - site assessments, research, consultation and analysis  Assessment Findings: Supply and Demand - playing pitch facilities and associated sports activities in Chorley  Key issues and Objectives for Action  Future Provision - recommendations and priorities  Strategy Review - reassessment and refresh

This factual report is a 5 year plan which provides an audit based assessment of the quality and quantity of outdoor sport and recreation facilities, highlighting deficiencies in this provision, identifying opportunities for its enhancement and providing information for decision making.

From this data, an Action Plan has been written to consider the future provision and investment to make positive improvements to our playing pitch assets, this can be found in the Executive Summary/Action Plan that accompanies this document.

This report focuses on football, cricket, hockey, rugby union, rugby league and Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs) but also takes into consideration athletics, archery, American football and bowling.

Our vision is:

To secure the future provision, improvement and maintenance of playing pitches in Chorley, supporting safe, healthy and sustainable communities. To ensure that playing sport is a lifelong habit for more people and a regular choice for the majority.

Ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access good sport, physical activity and recreation facilities. Adapt to changing demands and trends. 1.2 Executive Summary

The key findings are:

 All playing pitches in Chorley are to be protected.  There is currently an overall surplus of pitch supply in the Borough however, this is weighted to adult football. In reality there are potential pitch shortfalls in junior football, mini football, cricket, hockey and AGPs projecting to 2026.  There are specific pitch shortfalls in the following area due a lack of quality facilities for hire:- Chorley and Adlington.

 The overall pitch quality needs to be addressed, particularly drainage and waterlogging issues across key sites.  Look to improve maintenance programmes, specifically across Borough owned and managed sites.  Ancillary facilities are varied across the Borough, many clubs have had new facilities built or existing facilities upgraded in recent years and yet some key strategic sites have no facilities or very poor facilities.  The overall quality of artificial pitches is varied; older sites such as Buckshaw Village and Holy Cross High School are deteriorating and require investment to upgrade. Sand-based pitches are paramount to supporting the development of multi sports in the Borough such as hockey and netball. There is a shortage of 3G pitches in the Borough.  Secondary schools in the Borough do provide pitches with secured community use but mainly to a single club policy, this is to preserve high pitch standards to best serve the school need. Some primary schools do provide pitches with secured community use but the pitches are poorly maintained. Improving pitch quality and the number of schools providing community use could significantly reduce the shortfall of junior and mini pitches.  There is no provision for athletics training or competitions in the Borough though Chorley has lots of talented athletes and a dedicated Athletics and Tri Club with a waiting list of juniors.  Many clubs reported a lack of strategic sites where all teams could train and play matches in one location.  Many clubs reported aspirations to grow the number of teams and junior team numbers are building to provide a stable progression of players into senior squads. However a lack of access to good quality pitches and ancillary facilities will see a pitch shortage within 5 years.

 Priorities for investment owing to existing site quality are: o Westway Playing Fields, Astley Village o King George V Playing Fields, Adlington o Jubilee Playing Fields, Adlington o Wigan Lane, Chorley o Highfield Primary School o Twin Lakes, Croston o Ken Mill Lane, Whittle o Astley Park, Chorley o Limbrick, Cowling

 Priorities for partnership working are: o Albany Academy o Southlands High School

1.3 Why Produce a Playing Pitch Strategy?

Chorley Council embarked on developing a playing pitch strategy for the following reasons:

Corporate and Strategic

 To provide a strategic approach to playing pitch provision through an audit of existing provision of different types of outdoor facilities detailing quantity, quality, accessibility and wider value to the community.  To provide an assessment of supply and demand for outdoor sports facilities.  To provide information for decision making and future development proposals.  To provide a clear investment strategy through internal and external funding opportunities for the development of pitches and ancillary facilities at priority sites.  To address issues of community need, social inclusion, open space protection, population growth up to 2026 and health of the population linking to objectives in the Chorley Council Corporate Plan.  Consider the use of cross boundary facility provision with neighbouring authorities.  Link to an Action Plan which identifies any surpluses/deficiencies in playing pitch provision and priorities’ actions relating to individual sites that are identified as having issues i.e. the pitch is overplayed or is of poor quality in order of need.

Planning – Protection and Provision

 Link into the Central Lancashire Open Space Study and Playing Pitch Strategy 2012 2016 (KKP Study), Chorley Council Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plans providing a holistic approach to open space improvement and protection.  Identify how future provision of playing pitches will be protected and secured, whether any new pitches are needed and if so identify suitable locations for new provision.  Establish an approach to securing developer contributions through new housing development which prioritises projects and sites according to a range of core criteria.  Form the basis for negotiating with developers to secure new outdoor sports facilities or upgrading existing sites and associated long term maintenance.

Sports Development – Maximising Benefit

 To work in a partnership approach with local leagues, clubs and schools to support the development of their sites meeting their needs for the future.  Clearly address the needs of all identified sports within the local area, picking up particular local demand issues, aiding the growth and development of clubs.  Address issues of accessibility, quality and management with regard to facility provision.  Help to support external funding bids for ancillary facility development and pitch improvements.

Operational – Efficiencies

 It will improve asset management through delivery of the strategy resulting in more efficient use of resources and reduced overheads.  It highlights locations where quality of provision can be enhanced.

2.0 CONTEXT 2.1 Local Context

Chorley Council is a key provider of playing pitches along with other partners which include parish councils, schools, and private clubs. Chorley currently has approximately 98 hectares of sports pitch provision which is available for community use and many more hectares which are for private use only.

Sports pitch provision covers the sports of football, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, American football, athletics, bowling and hockey. Our sports pitches are also used for archery and whippet racing, giving some indication to the diversity of our provision on offer and the range of sporting interests in the Borough.

Chorley has a total population of 109,100 (2012 estimate) of this population 21,265 are below the age of 16; 11,200 are aged 25-24, 24,400 are aged 35-49, 19,600 are aged 50-64 and the remaining population are over 65. In Chorley 3.8% of the population come from ethnic minority groups, which is lower than that of England as a whole at 8.7%.

Chorley is identified as a growth area in Lancashire with an estimated 6,000 dwellings to be built by 2026 with a population expected to rise to 114,200-118,000. Buckshaw Village is a strategic site which will help accommodate the majority of the projected increases in population though other smaller developments are planned throughout the Borough. There is an identified playing pitch standard of 1.21 hectares per 1,000 population. In order to provide pitches to meet the identified demand it is estimated that a further 29.07 hectares of sports pitches are needed by 2026.

Chorley has a rich tradition of fostering and developing local talent with many people going from grass roots to elite level across a very diverse range of sports. Many famous sports people originating from Chorley aid the development of sport amongst young people in the Borough, supporting training programmes and providing knowledge and inspiration.

Chorley Council is working alongside several organisations and clubs to achieve a joint vision to improve sports provision and develop Chorley as a sports hub with a diverse range of facilities to be used by all, located throughout the area. This will focus on improving both indoor and outdoor sports provision across the Borough of Chorley.

Being physically active plays an essential role in ensuring health and well-being. It is recommended that adults should undertake a total of 30 minutes moderately intensive physical exercise five day a week and children 60 minutes a day. This can be in many forms such as walking, swimming, cycling, going to the gym or playing sport on playing pitches.

Physical activity benefits many parts of the body – the heart, skeletal muscles, bones, blood (for example, cholesterol levels), the immune system and the nervous system, and can reduce many of the risk factors for diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes. These risk factors include:

 reducing blood pressure;  improving blood cholesterol levels;  lowering body mass index (BMI).

Physical activity has been shown to improve educational attainment in children as well as prevent obesity. Among older adults, engagement in routine exercise on a regular basis leads to improved functional abilities such as mobility, and is related to increased longevity. However, in the UK physical activity tends to decline substantially as we age.

It is important to explore links between shortfalls in pitch provision and the health of the population. The Borough as a whole is affluent though some pockets within central Chorley and Clayton Brook are ranked as being deprived by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

Exercise has been shown to be effective in improving mental health, which is also a major cause of disability worldwide. It helps to prevent or aid the recovery from depression, and mental illnesses, stress, anxiety and low mood.

In Chorley the participation levels in sport and active recreation have risen over the last 5 years and are higher than the national average, alongside this adult and childhood obesity are lower in Chorley than across England as a whole. The number of adults (16+) wanting to do more sport is 55.4% and we want this upward trend to continue. (Source- Active People Survey and Department of Health).

2.2 Strategic Context

The provision of high quality and an accessible range of community outdoor sports facilities at a local level is a key requirement for achieving the targets set out by the Government and Sport England. The following key strategic documents are relevant to the Chorley context and influence the strategy:

National Context

 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)  The National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG)  Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG)  Department for Health & National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)  Fields in Trust. (FIT)  Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 (PPG17) and its companion guide entitled “Assessing Needs and Opportunities”.  Sport England’s Towards a Level Playing Field.  Sport England – A sporting future for the playing fields of England  Sport England Strategy (2012 –17) A sporting habit for life.  The Football Association - National Game Strategy  Champion Counties–England and Wales Cricket Board Strategic Plan (2014-17)  The Rugby Football Union National Facilities Strategy  Community Rugby League Facilities Strategy  England Hockey (2013-17)  England Athletics

Regional Context

Central Lancashire Core Strategy The Playing Pitch Assessment Report written in June 2012 for Central Lancashire provides an audit based assessment of the quality and quantity of outdoor sport and recreational facilities in accordance with Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 (PPG17) and its companion guide entitled “Assessing Needs and Opportunities” published in September 2002. This document takes on board the data and recommendations from the Assessment Report but expands and drills this down to a local level for action. This is due to be renewed.

Lancashire County Football Association (LCFA) The Lancashire County Football Association (LCFA) is the primary organisation responsible for development (and some elements of administration) of football in Central Lancashire. It is also responsible for the administration, in terms of discipline, rules and regulations, county cups and representative matches, development of clubs and facilities, referees, coaching courses and delivering national football schemes.

The LCFA has four strategic goals and three key enablers to achieve these are due for review. In line with the FA’s national strategy the goals are:

1. Growth and retention – sustaining and increasing the number of players. 2. Raising standards and addressing abusive behaviour – creating a safe and positive environment. 3. Developing better players – focusing on the 5-11 age group. 4. Running the game effectively – leading and governing the game.

Its three key enablers: i.e. the infrastructure that must be in place to achieve the goals, are:

1. A skilled workforce – recruiting and developing a highly skilled, diverse, paid and voluntary workforce.

2. Improved facilities – improving the access and quality of training and playing facilities. 3. Marketing and PR – clear communications to everyone involved in the game.

Investment in improved facilities is a key aspect of delivering the strategic goals. In order to achieve this LCFA will:

 Work with key partners and Football Foundation to explore best possible sites for third generation turf pitches.  Promote and support the Football Foundation Goalpost Safety Scheme through local leagues clubs and schools.  Increase investment into local leagues and clubs through promotion of the Football Foundation under £20,000 facilities scheme.  Implement a productive monitoring and evaluation process in partnership with Football Foundation for capital schemes.

The Lancashire Cricket Board (LCB) The Lancashire Cricket Board (LCB) is the governing and representative body for cricket within the County, including Central Lancashire. Its aim is to promote the game at all levels through partnership with the professional and recreational cricketing clubs, and other appropriate agencies.

Local Context

 Chorley Council Corporate and Strategic Priorities  Neighbourhood Action Plans  Chorley Health Profile 2014  A Sustainable Community Strategy for Chorley (2007 – 2025)  Chorley Council Local Plan 2012 – 2026

Chorley Council’s Vision

The Corporate Strategy vision is “A proactive community leader, supporting the borough and all its residents to reach their full potential through working in partnership to deliver services that achieve the best outcomes and protect vulnerable people.

Key Themes

To have clean, safe and healthy communities  High quality play areas, parks and open spaces  A wide range of quality recreational activities

To involve residents in improving their local area and equality of access for all  Easy access to high quality public services  All residents area able to take an active part in their community  Residents who take pride in where they live and their achievements

A strong local economy  A vibrant town centre and villages

An ambitious council that does more to meet the needs of residents and the local area  A council that consults and engages with residents

Measures and targets  % of people satisfied with parks and open spaces. Target 75%.  % of people satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live. Target 85%.

Chorley has a vibrant Cricket Development Group where up to 13 clubs meet to network and plan future development of the game resulting in facilities improvement and participation increases. Cricket as all governing bodies, has developed a whole sport plan which may support facility development in the future.

Chorley has a Football Development Group which enables clubs from all levels and interested parties to communicate information and issues to all who attend. It is a support network to improve the facilities in Chorley and increase participation.

Chorley also has a Bowls Forum where clubs meet up to organise annual leagues and fixtures and work together to develop and promote bowling in Chorley.

The Chorley and District Sports Forum supports clubs, especially new clubs. They encourage self-help, co-ordinate support amongst clubs and have an active presence within the community. They run a sports awards scheme and advocate good practice e.g. training of coaches etc.

3.0 METHODOLOGY

Neighbourhood Working

Chorley is split into 8 neighbourhood areas and the Council is working in a partnership approach to improve the Borough through Neighbourhood working. All playing pitches in the Borough have been analysed neighbourhood by neighbourhood, this includes those owned and leased by Chorley Council, Parish Councils, schools and private clubs.

Each neighbourhood consists of a number of wards and they are a mix of urban, semi-rural and rural settlements as illustrated below.

Playing Pitch Assessments

Initial site analysis of playing pitches and discussions with key consultees was carried out in 2011 by consultants KKP for the playing pitch assessment - Central Lancashire Playing Pitch Strategy. To ensure accuracy of this data, a refresh was undertaken in November 2014 based on up to date research, consultation, pitch assessment and evidence of current need. The response to consultation was varied which reflects in the accuracy of some of the data. This refresh resulted in some updates and changes being made to the scoring within this document. The document will be further updated throughout the 5 year period reflecting changes made to playing pitches.

The assessment and analysis is based on Sport England’s Playing Pitch Strategy Methodology ‘Towards a level playing field’. Only playing pitch stock available for community use has been scored and assessed as part of this strategy.

Playing pitches have been assessed under the following criteria, the results of which are illustrated in the site analysis in section 4.0:

Playing Field Quality Playing pitches were assessed on the length of grass, size of pitch, adequate safety margins, slope of the pitch, evenness of the pitch, evidence of dog fouling, evidence of litter, evidence of unofficial use, evidence of damage to the surface, changing accommodation, goal posts, car parking, line markings and training area. The quality assessment does not account for drainage or waterlogging issues though extra notes have been added to the assessment records. Changing accommodation has also been assessed and scored.

Pitches have been scored as:

 An excellent or good pitch – good quality  An average pitch – adequate quality  A below average pitch or poor pitch – poor quality

Capacity Capacity relates to the number of matches a playing pitch can absorb; the needs of other users (e.g. school pupils), the quality of the pitch and the limitations imposed by the owners (e.g. some clubs/schools may limit use to one match a week). For example, a very poor pitch will have 0 capacity as it is un-usable. Capacity in our site assessments is based on the quality rating for football, cricket and rugby pitches and the number of teams currently playing at the sites. The current level of play per week is 0.5 for each match played at the site assuming half of the matches will be played away. Two matches per week are expected to be played on a good pitch. School sites have a different capacity rating and four matches can be played per week on a good pitch. These ratings assist in the identification of sites for improvement/development or rationalisation.

Cricket capacity is measured on a season rather than a weekly basis. A good quality wicket should be able to take 5 matches per season per grass wicket and 60 matches per synthetic wicket.

Pitches have been rated as:

 The pitch is being used over capacity - red  The pitch is played to capacity - amber  The pitch is being used under capacity - green

Setting Playing Pitch Standards

Within development plans local authorities use the FIT (Fields in Trust) guidelines to set local standards for outdoor sports provision. This is usually based on a number of hectares per 1,000 population, which should be protected and maintained as formal outdoor sports provision and designated as such in the LDF.

FIT outlines 1.21 ha of sports pitches as an aspiration for provision. The qualitative local standard is calculated by adding the hectarage of pitch stock available for community use to the identified shortfall/surplus of pitches (latent and future demand) and applying it to potential future population growth.

Action Plan

The site assessments carried out in 2014 have updated the work done by consultants in 2011 and have enabled a playing pitch action plan to be produced which links into the current neighbourhood working plans, Local Plan and corporate priorities. The action plans have been consulted on with all stakeholders to ensure that the requirements of both users and local people are considered.

4.0 ASSESSMENT FINDINGS – SUPPLY AND DEMAND

4.1 Playing Pitch Assessment by Neighbourhood Area

Chorley Town East

Matches per week Changing KKP Senior Junior Mini Pitch Site Name and Ownership Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref 11v11 9v9 7v7 Played Capacity Quality Quality Quality FOOTBALL

Victory Park – Chorley Football 66 1 2.0 Stands, floodlighting, fencing, dugouts. Club

Pitch is poor in specific areas, uneven and waterlogging on far west touchline. No changing Wigan Lane Playing Field 187 1 1.0 1.0 N/A facilities. New parking area created 2013. Current dual use for football and archery.

Holy Cross High School Water logging after heavy rain. Pitches used by several clubs. Changing facilities are in 206 1 4.0 4.0 LCC reasonable condition. Scope for 9v9 pitch on lower field.

Used by football teams, hockey and rugby for training –. Multi club use. Floodlit. Built in Holy Cross High School AGP 206 1 2006. Used to capacity

Pitches bit uneven, some waterlogging around edges. Set on a slight slope. Changing Albany Science College 207 2 1.5 8.0 facilities available. Single club policy.

Highfield Primary School 402 1 1.0 N/A Pitches get waterlogged. Used by junior clubs for training. No changing facilities

ARCHERY

Wigan Lane Playing Field 187 N/A Duel use site for archery and football.

HOCKEY Floodlit. KKP rated this pitch as poor quality but user’s rate as adequate. Maintained by the Holy Cross High School AGP 206 1 school and a technical service is undertaken by a contractor every two months. Poor line marking. Mainly used for football. RUGBY LEAGUE

Holy Cross High School 246 1

No of Matches per week Changing KKP Winter Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch teams Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref use? Played Capacity Quality using Quality Quality BOWLING GREENS

Tatton Recreation Ground. 411 1 6 N 7 6 Pavilion and basic facilities available. Issues of anti-social behaviour. Community Use Chorley Council

St Joseph’s Club 412 1 6 N 6 8 N/A Private Use

Harpers Lane Recreation 413 1 0 Y 6 6 Winter green. Community Use. No Toilets. Issues of antisocial behaviour Ground. Chorley Council

St Peters Club 414 1 6 N 9 8 Private Use. Annual fee £20

East Ward Conservative Club NEW 1 6 Y 9 8 Private Use PR6 0AT

Chorley Town West

Matches per week Changing KKP Senior Junior Mini Pitch Site Name and Ownership Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref 11v11 9v9 7v7 Played Capacity Quality Quality Quality FOOTBALL

Astley Park. Site gets very waterlogged resulting in games having to be called off. Pitch requires drainage 185 4 1 7.0 10.0 Chorley Council scheme. Uneven surface. Adequate changing facilities though toilets need improving.

St Michaels CE High School. Pitches and posts in good condition. No further community use is required. Changing rooms 205 3 3.0 12.0 not used by community.

Parklands High School 208 2 1 8.0 12.0 Good drainage. Changing facilities available. Some unofficial use in the summer

Parklands High School AGP 208 1 TBC TBC Opened Jan 2015. Used for Hockey and Football. Private hire

Southlands High School. 213 3 8.5 12.0 Good Quality with only some waterlogging. Pitches used by several junior clubs LCC

Southlands High School AGP 213 1 Sand-based and floodlit. Very good security. Privately managed

Chorley All Saints Primary 271 2 2.5 8.0 N/A School

Gillibrand Playing Pitches New 1 1 1 2 2 Available 2016 season. Issues with car parking. New changing facilities opened 2017 Chorley Council RUGBY LEAGUE

Parklands High School 245 1

No of No of Matches per season Changing KKP Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch grass artificial Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref Played Capacity Quality wickets wickets Quality Quality CRICKET

Site is over played. Chorley Harriers operate from club house. Bottom of pitch suffers from Chorley Cricket Club 79 1 10 106 50 poor drainage.

St Michaels High School. LCC 228 1 Drainage good

Parklands High School. LCC 229 1 Drainage excellent. New AGP has impinged on grass pitch area

Southlands High School 230 1 Located between football pitches. Astro turf.

No of Matches per week Changing KKP Winter Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch teams Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref use? Played Capacity Quality using Quality Quality BOWLING GREENS

Astley Park. Chorley Council 417 2 2 N 2 8 No flood lights. 2 teams use the greens. Community Use. No toilets

Windsor Road, Chorley Bowling 418 1 8 N 12 8 N/A Private. Annual fee £90 Club. Private

Coronation Recreation Flood lighting until 9pm limiting play. 3 teams use the greens. Some issues of anti-social 419 2 5 N 5 10 Ground. Chorley Council behaviour. Community Use

St Mary’s Club. Private use 420 1 6 N 6 8 N/A Maintained by contractor. Annual fee £15

St Georges Club. Private use 421 1 8 N 8 8 N/A Maintained by contractor. Annual fee £25

Clayton and Whittle

Matches per week Changing KKP Senior Junior Mini Pitch Site Name and Ownership Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref 11v11 9v9 7v7 Played Capacity Quality Quality Quality FOOTBALL

Whittle-le-Woods Football 64 1 2.0 2.0 Changing facilities completed 2012. Field requires drainage scheme. Club. Kem Mill Lane 740 Floodlit. Pitch managed by RMG and maintained by Envirocare. Used by several clubs for Buckshaw Village AGP 69 1 visits a football training and hockey. Pitch starting to degrade due to over and unauthorised use. week Used to capacity. Good changing facilities.

Great Green’s Lane Playing 127 1 1.0 2.0 N/A No changing facilities Pitch. Chorley Council

Buckshaw Village Bernabeu 400 2 4.0 Good changing facilities.

Clayton Green Leisure Centre. 2 405 Very well used. Refurbishment of surface 2015 Astroturf 3G 5v5 HOCKEY

Buckshaw Village AGP 69 1 Floodlit. Used by Leyland & Chorley Hockey Club. Used to capacity. Good changing facilities

Whittle and Clayton le Woods 71 1 13 44 65 Cricket Club

No of Matches per week Changing KKP Winter Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch teams Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref use? Played Capacity Quality using Quality Quality BOWLING GREENS

Ley Inn. Parish Council 422 1 6 N 7 8 N/A Private Use

Eastern Parishes

Matches per week Changing KKP Senior Junior Mini Pitch Site Name and Ownership Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref 11v11 9v9 7v7 Played Capacity Quality Quality Quality FOOTBALL

Brinscall St John Primary School 301 2 N/A Pitches are waterlogged.

Sandy Lane, Brinscall. (BWARA) 351 1 Site gets waterlogged. Funding bid to Sport England successful 2014. Other 2 pitches over the road Hillside Parke, Brinscall. Brinscall Village Junior Football 352 1 1.0 2.0 N/A The club is expanding and needs more pitches for training and matches. Club. (BVJFC)

Monks Drive, Withnell NEW 1 N/A Goal posts. No line marking. No changing facilities. Usage unknown. Waterlogged LCC

Withnell Fold Sports and Social 70 1 10 70 50 Club, Withnell Fold

White Coppice Cricket Club 72 1 6 36 30

Pitch passed the audit for the Palace Shield Premier League. Could be levelled around the Hoghton Cricket Club 74 1 12 40 60 outfield. 5 year plan in place. Brinscall and Withnell Athletic & Recreational Association. 81 1 14 52 130 Well maintained, seeking grant funding to improve overall facilities and drainage. (BWARA) Brinscall Cricket Club

No of Matches per week Changing KKP Winter Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch teams Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref use? Played Capacity Quality using Quality Quality BOWLING GREENS

Brinscall (BWARA) 423 1 6 N 6 8 Private Use. Floodlit

St Chads 424 1 6 N 6 8 Private Use.

Hoghton Village Hall NEW 1 6 N 6 8 Private Use

Euxton, Astley and Buckshaw

Matches per Week Changing KKP Senior Junior Mini Pitch Site Name and Ownership Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref 11v11 9v9 7v7 Played Capacity Quality Quality Quality FOOTBALL

Jim Fowlers Memorial Ground 67 3 1 6.5 8.0 Match pitches and training pitch. Changing facilities (Euxton Villa FC) West Way Playing Fields Heavy – poor drainage. No changing facilities 109 2 1 1.5 8.0 N/A

Astley Village Playing Field. LCC 191 1 2.0 2.0 N/A Heavy in places. No direct access to changing facilities. Leased to ABVJFC

Greenside Football Club. Changing facilities M/F. Mini pitch allocated for housing in Local Plan. New layout drawn. 193 1 1 1 6.0 Parish Council Drainage proposed 2017/18.

Buckshaw Primary School, 267 1 1.0 2.0 N/A Community use Chancery Road. LCC

Buckshaw Village Trinity CoE 274 2 N/A Community use by ABVJFC Methodist Primary School

Chancery Road Pony Field Leased to Astley and Buckshaw Junior Football Team. Parking in lay-by. No changing 401 3 3.0 6.0 N/A (Derian House) facilities RUGBY

Chorley Union Rugby Club, Site has capacity to accommodate additional matches. New club house, changing facilities 226 2 2.3 4.0 N/A Chancery Road and pitch to be built

Euxton Cricket Club 75 1 14 30 70 Has a new practice facility

No of Matches per week Changing KKP Winter Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch teams Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref use? Played Capacity Quality using Quality Quality BOWLING GREENS Euxton NEW 1 Currently building a new bowling green . 2017 Buckshaw Oakbridge NEW 1 Private Green at Retirement Village

Southeast Parishes

Matches per Week Changing KKP Senior Junior Mini Pitch Site Name and Ownership Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref 11v11 9v9 7v7 Played Capacity Quality Quality Quality FOOTBALL

Gillett Fields, Limbrick 78 1 0.0 2.0 N/A Very waterlogged, no changing facilities. Not usable.

Fairview Youth and Community 1x 7v7 122 1.5 2.0 Changing facilities. Some unofficial use. 5v 5 pitch not flat Centre Chorley Council 1x 5v5

Jubilee Playing Pitches. Site is relatively well drained. No changing facilities. 123 2 1 5v5 4.0 4.0 N/A Chorley Council Well used. Parking issues on match days. Evidence of unofficial use

King George’s V Field Chorley Pitches get very waterlogged, games often cancelled. Changing facilities on site need 186 2 2 1 6.5 8.0 Council upgrading.

Anderton Primary School 292 1 N/A

Gillett Playing Fields, Limbrick. 78 1 10 28 50 Some unauthorised use. Facilities in need of upgrade. Pitch gets waterlogged.

20 Adlington Cricket Club 83 1 1 58 160 Drainage problem at the bottom end of ground identified. Improved 2016 check

No of Matches per week Changing KKP Winter Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch teams Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref use? Played Capacity Quality using Quality Quality BOWLING GREEN

Anderton St Josephs 425 1 6 N 6 8 Private Use. Pavilion. Annual fee £25-£30

St Pauls 426 1 8 N 6 8 Private Use. Some of their teams play elsewhere - oversubscribed - Annual fee £25-£30

Rivington 427 1 5 Y 5 8 Private Use. Green hired out to visitors.

Bay Horse Pub, Heath 428 1 2 N 2 8 Private Use. Pub – facilities are poor Charnock

Southern Parishes

Matches per week Changing KKP Senior Junior Mini Pitch Site Name and Ownership Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref 11v11 9v9 7v7 Played Capacity Quality Quality Quality FOOTBALL

Main pitch has a small spectator stand, dugouts and perimeter fence. Good changing Charnock Richard Football Club 68 3 3.0 6.0 facilities – New 2012. Outfield of cricket pitch used minimally due to poor drainage

Pitch has perimeter fence, dugouts and floodlights. Changing facilities. Social bar and Coppull United 108 1 1.5 2.0 clubhouse

The Meadows Heskin. 112 1 1 0.5 1.0 N/A Leased to Heskin FC Parish Council

Christ Church Charnock Richard 308 1 7.5 8.0 N/A Well used by school and Charnock Richard FC. No changing accommodation Primary School

Heskin Pemberton C E Primary 336 1 1.0 4.0 N/A No changing accommodation School RUGBY LEAGUE Pitches are used to accommodate junior teams. The site is very attended which can Chisnall Lane. Chorley Panthers 174 3 7.5 4.0 impact on quality. Play summer rugby. New changing facilities 2012, gym and floodlights. Rugby League Future development plans for club house.

No of No of Matches per season Changing KKP Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch grass artificial Capacity Facilities Site Information /Issues Ref Played Capacity Quality wickets wickets Quality Quality CRICKET

Charnock Richard Cricket Club, 152 1 10 80 50 Separate changing facilities, good quality Charter Lane

No of Matches per week Changing KKP Winter Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch teams Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref use? Played Capacity Quality using Quality Quality BOWLING GREENS 5 year plan to upgrade club facilities with the aspiration of an additional floodlit all Coppull Conservative Club 409 1 10 N 14 10 weather green. No community use. Junior Club Section. Annual fee £35. £11 per match Private for non club members.

Western Parishes

Matches per week Changing KKP Senior Junior Mini Pitch Site Name and Ownership Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref 11v11 9v9 7v7 Played Capacity Quality Quality Quality FOOTBALL Eccleston Recreation Ground, Drapers Avenue. 65 2 1 5.5 6.0 Changing facilities. Pitches of varying quality Parish Council

Pitch has perimeter fence. Reasonable changing facilities. Dugouts. Used by Croston Croston Sports Club 77 1 0.5 2.0 Sports Club.

Bretherton Sports Club Parish 82 1 1 1.5 1.0 N/A Check pitch quantity and number of pitches Council

Twin Lakes, Croston 180 1 4.5 2.0 N/A Poor drainage is an issue. No changing facilities

Bishop Rawstorne C of E 216 2 2.0 4.0 Well drained pitches.

Bishop Rawstorne C of E 216 1 TBC TBC Created 2014 3G AGP

Eccleston St Mary’s C E Primary 339 1 1.0 4.0 N/A School / Bradley Lane

Mawdesley Cricket Club 73 1 12 1 64 65 Limited capacity. New pavilion 2014 (Rectory Field)

Eccleston Cricket Club 76 1 10 52 70 N/A Capacity for more matches

Bretherton Cricket Club 353 1 10 28 50 N/A Issue of dog fouling.

No of Matches per week Changing KKP Winter Pitch Site Name and Ownership Pitch teams Capacity Facilities Site Information/Issues Ref use? Played Capacity Quality using Quality Quality BOWLING GREEN

Bretherton Sports Club 82 1 5 N 5 8 Community Use. Parish Council owned. Maintained by Bretherton Bowling Club.

Mawdesley 410 1 10 N 10 8 Good facility. Private use only

Croston Black Horse 415 1 6 N 6 6 Private Use

Eccleston 416 1 8 N 8 8 Private Use

SOCIAL CLUB HAS SHUT DOWN. Access only to bowling green – locks on gate. Leased by Wymott 429 1 8 N 8 8 N/A prison.

Croston Bowling Club NEW 1 6 N 6 6 Private

4.2 Assessment Findings by Sport

This section summarises the key findings from the playing pitch assessment undertaken in 2011/12.

FOOTBALL SUMMARY

The KKP survey asked clubs to detail issues relating to development and growth. The most common issues reported in Central Lancashire include:

 Lack of external funding for pitch improvements, from agencies such as the FA or local organisations including Chorley Borough Council (47% of respondents believe this is an issue).  Lack of access to pitches (41.2% of respondents believe this is an issue).  Lack of internal funding, such as subs and fundraising (36% of respondents believe this is an issue).  Lack of voluntary assistance (34% of respondents believe this is an issue).

Summary of football participation in Chorley for season 2013/2014 (source FA report 2014) Chorley has a total of 41 affiliated clubs with a total of 155 teams of which 155 play in Chorley.

Of the 155 teams operating in Chorley, 40 (25.8%) are adult teams, 66 (42.6%) are youth teams (all formats) and 49 (31.6%) are Mini-Soccer teams.

94.8% or 109 of the 115 Youth and Mini-soccer teams play in a club that has achieved a Charter Standard Award as compared to a national average of 81.1%.

The number of teams has decreased by 2 teams overall in Chorley from season 12/13 to season 13/14. This comprises a decrease of 1 adult team(s), an equal number of youth team(s) (all formats) and a decrease of 1 Mini-Soccer team(s). Adult female participation has increased by 100% but Youth female (11v11) has decreased by 18.2% in the last season. Youth male (11v11) has increased across Chorley by 3.6%. Youth female (11v11) in Chorley is the only football category that is above the national average.

Summary of pitches available for community use and teams by area – consultants to check stats and update

No. of available pitches No. of competitive teams (updated 2014) Analysis area Senior Senior Junior Junior Mini- Senior Junior Mini men women boys girls soccer Chorley 43 9 7 36 4 57 9 49 S

Summary of pitches not available for community use and teams by area No. of pitches NOT available for community use Analysis area Senior % Junior % Mini % Chorley 13 (6/7 number) 73 (25 number) 25 (2 number)

The table above indicates that there is a good distribution of football pitches available for community use across Chorley. However, there are main settlement areas that although are served with football pitches are not available for community use, particularly in the north of Chorley, these are mainly located at school sites. These sites tend to comprise of junior pitches; they could offer potential capacity / additional pitches subject to pitch quality and appropriate community agreements. Furthermore, a small number of sites have high levels of use and as such are overplayed. This affects their quality, and subsequently playing capacity.

Accessibility Whilst it is noted that at young age groups (i.e. mini and junior levels), the majority of players tend to play for teams with home grounds close to where they live and will only travel locally, players aspiring to play at clubs that are perceived to offer a higher standard of experience are willing to travel further (i.e. up to five miles) to play. The football club survey reveals that 46% of players travel between two and five miles, 32% of players travelling up to two miles, with only 18% travel over five miles. This suggests that in general terms, players travel locally to compete. However, some clubs reportedly travel further to access training provision. Issues with accessing provision for training are detailed later in this section (KKP Study 2012).

Club development In Chorley, the club to team ratio is 1:3.8 (i.e. each club runs on average 3.8 teams). The national ratio is 1:3.3 and the regional ratio 1:4.2. 12 of the youth clubs in Chorley run youth 11-a-side teams only and do not have a mini-soccer team. 73.2% of clubs in Chorley have adult teams, compared to national and regional averages of 72.6% and 73.8% respectively. 83.3% of adult-only clubs in Chorley have only one team compared to the national average of 74.9%.

Charter Standard Of the 41 clubs in Chorley, 12 have achieved Charter Standard. (2014). In terms of teams, 94.8% of youth and mini-soccer teams play within a club of Charter Standard status. This compares to a national average of 81.1% with a National Game Strategy target of 80% of youth and mini-soccer teams playing within a Charter Standard Club by 2015.

Women’s and girls’ football There are 13 female teams playing in Chorley. This is 8.4% of the total number of teams. This compares to a National percentage of 5.5%. Junior girls’ are playing competitively in mini soccer teams up to the age of ten years old. Chorley Borough Council is actively working with clubs to develop junior girls’ football which may result in additional demand for pitches.

Leagues with Chorley Teams There are 15 leagues containing 153 teams from Chorley. In total 7 of these leagues are adult leagues, examples being Chorley Nissan Sunday League, Mid Lancashire Football League, West Lancashire Football League.

There are 2 teams in Chorley that have not been assigned to a league. Where teams have not been assigned to a league, this data could potentially be highlighting teams playing in 'friendlies' only or it could be highlighting data missing from our administration system.

Pitch Quality Site assessments suggest that generally the quality of pitches across Chorley is good. This is generally reinforced by users with over three fifths of clubs (63%) rating the quality of their designated home pitch as either good or average. However, league consultation does conclude the quality of local authority maintained pitches across Central Lancashire has generally deteriorated over the previous three years due to a lack of regular grounds maintenance and drainage issues at a number of sites.

Chorley Borough Council carries out line marking weekly and grass cutting is fortnightly. In addition it often rotates its pitches to help ensure quality is maintained. The Council also undertakes rolling, spiking and re-turfing of goal mouths in June. The quality of the pitches is good/average due to waterlogging. Community pitches which are scored as high quality however should not be considered in isolation as the level of play on a site can affect the quality

Ancillary facilities The majority of private sites across Chorley are served by changing facilities, though public football pitches are lacking changing facilities. In general the changing facilities of Chorley sites are rated as either good or average quality. League consultation suggests that the quality of provision is substandard with many sites having no changing facilities at all. The sites with changing facilities have a lack of general maintenance, showers not providing hot water and a lack of segregated changing. Changing facilities, toilet facilities specifically for junior football are almost non-existent. Changing facilities in Chorley need to be improved.

Demand for pitches The majority of clubs report that membership levels have remained static across senior and junior teams with only a few reporting an increase. Most clubs propose to increase the number of teams which suggests that football participation in Chorley is likely to increase, particularly at junior level. Latent Demand is defined as the number of additional teams that could be fielded if there was access to sufficient pitches. This is likely to be a result of both clubs and facilities operating at capacity and although clubs may believe demand still exists to create more teams, the pitches do not exist (or are not available) to cater for this.

Update following reassessment - Overplay only occurs on one pitch in Chorley – this means that more play is taking place than the site is able to sustain (which depends on pitch quality). The pitch at Twin Lakes, Croston is assessed as poor quality and is overplayed by 2.5 matches a week. It is recommended that if possible overplay is directed to sites for community use that have spare capacity.

Future Demand – Growth potential in team numbers from FA report 2014 Population growth in Chorley has been applied to indicate how many additional football teams will be generated in the future (2026). Increase in the number of senior teams is likely to occur with an additional 28 in Chorley. Junior boy’s football is most likely to increase in Chorley with an additional 22 teams. It is also predicted there will be a slight increase in junior girls’ football. Mini football is most likely to increase in Chorley with an additional 10 mini football teams in Chorley. Clubs are proactively developing opportunities for juniors and girls.

A comparison has been made of other Local Authority areas in the same sub group as Chorley based on population characteristics. The conversion rates are calculated by comparing the number of persons playing football to the relevant population age group.

The table below shows this comparison along with growth potential in team numbers Chorley Conversion Football Type Conversion Target 1 Variance Growth Potential 2 Rate

Male 5.58 3.20 -2.38 28 Adult 11-a side Female 0.32 0.40 0.08 0

Male 23.62 18.30 -5.32 22 Youth (all formats) Female 2.35 2.00 -0.35 2

Mini-Soccer Mixed 13.07 11.00 -2.07 10

1. The target is the value of the upper quartile (75th Percentile) of conversion rates of all local authorities in the same subgroup. The conversion target is calculated for each type of football. 2. Growth Potential represents the number of teams for each football type that the local authority would need to develop to reach the conversion target value. For Youth (all formats) the growth potential has been calculated on the number of teams required assuming 9v9 format.

Surplus/Deficiency of Football Pitches Consultants to review all of the data using new guidelines. Sport England’s PPM is used to assess whether supply of pitches is sufficient at peak times both now and in the future. The PPM results shown below take account of potential future pitch requirements as identified through future growth. A summary of future surpluses and deficiencies is shown below.

Surplus/deficiency of football pitches Analysis area Senior pitches Junior pitches Mini pitches Chorley 19.0 -6.5 -4.5

Those sites which have not been allocated as having regular current play (i.e. no community use) have not been included in the PPM analysis above.

It should be noted that these surplus/deficit predications should not be used in isolation and should be considered within the context of other report findings/outcomes. For example, it is anticipated that there will be a significant surplus of senior pitches, but a significant deficit of mini football pitches. The deficit of mini pitches can be met by the surplus of senior pitches. However, it should be noted that junior teams in Central Lancashire (aged 13 upwards) prefer to play on senior sized pitches and therefore a proportion of senior pitches should be retained for junior play, for example in Chorley where there is a shortfall of junior pitches.

In Chorley the apparent oversupply of senior pitches is made up of 12 sites with significant levels of spare capacity each. Five of these are school sites and could accommodate a total of 40 matches each week. In addition, the Council often rotates its pitches to help ensure quality is maintained and therefore some surplus can be equated to cater for this. The lack of junior pitches in Chorley is further increased by the latent demand expressed for a further 3.5 junior and 1.5 mini pitches.

In summary, the current playing pitch stock should be protected and consideration should be given to changing the designation of some senior pitches to cater for junior and mini football.

Youth Development The FA’s Youth Development Review will see an increased use of small-sided games for all age groups up to U12s. This will allow children to progress gradually through the appropriate formats. This gives children an increased number of touches with the ball, providing more goal attempts, more tackling and dribbling encounters. This provides more enjoyment of the game, more practice and better preparation for the 11-a-side game.

Summary of each step and the appropriate pitch and goal sizes

Age Format Pitch size (m) Goal size 7-8 5 v 5 30 x 20 – 40 x 30 Mini soccer (12’x6’) 9-10 7 v 7 50 x 30 – 60 x 40 Mini soccer (12’x6’) 11-12 9 v 9 70 – 40 – 80 x 50 New 9v9 goals (16’x7’) 13+ 11 v 11 90 x 50 – 110 x 70 Full size (24’ x 8’)

ARTIFICIAL GRASS PITCHES SUMMARY - TO BE REVIEWED BY CONSULTANTS

Chorley has four full size AGPs and two smaller pitches as summarised below.

Neighbourhood Area Site name Key Sport Use Pitch Type Pitch Size Quality

Football and Clayton and Whittle Buckshaw Village Sand based. 11 v 11 limited Hockey Sand based. Created Chorley Town West Parklands High School Football 11 v 11 Nov 2014 Bishop Rawstorne High Western Parishes Football 3G. Created in 2013 11 v 11 School

Chorley Town East Holy Cross High School Football Sand based 11 v 11 Astley, Euxton and TBC. Subject to West Way Football 11 v 11 Buckshaw funding - 2019 Football and Chorley Town West Southlands High School Sand based 7 v 7 some Hockey Clayton Green Leisure 2 x Clayton and Whittle Football Sand based Centre) 5 v 5

Specifications by sport The FA provision standard suggests that there should be one 3G pitch per 70 teams. Data of affiliated teams from the FA Participation Reports (2013/2014) for Chorley suggests there is a need for 3 3G pitches in Chorley based on current 3G provision, 2026 population increases and the number of predicated teams. This suffices football alone.

Sand Filled surface is the acceptable surface for competitive hockey. England Hockey has also now sanctioned (in partnership with the Football Association) competitive use of 40mm pile third generation turf pitches. However, this is currently only for a low level standard i.e. training and junior competition. It is further recommended that for training and community facilities that the long pile surface (60mm) is not a preferred option for the teaching of hockey. It is noted that access to long pile surfaces for introducing the game to beginners would be preferable to a poor grass or tarmac surface. Latent demand suggests that there is a need for an additional sand based AGP for hockey.

In conclusion Chorley has a need for additional pitch space across both AGP types (sandbased and third generation turf) calculated on the number of peak period visits to current provision for both hockey and football . There is unmet demand across all of Chorley. At least a further pitch is required to meet the shortfall. As football is the dominant sport the priority need is rubber crumb 3G or sand based pitch.

CRICKET SUMMARY

Pitch ownership and management across Chorley is primarily through private sports and social clubs. Clubs range from smaller clubs traditionally offering three senior teams to those with full senior sections of up to seven senior teams and eleven juniors at all groups (i.e. U10, U11, U13, U15 and U17).

Summary of pitches available for community use and teams by analysis area No. of competitive teams Analysis area No. of pitches Senior men Senior women Junior Chorley 15 41 - 51

Chorley has the highest number of cricket pitches and clubs across Lancashire. Total of 13 clubs.

Towards a Level Playing Field methodology identifies that a standard cricket pitch is 46m x 46m (minimum size) with 1.6 – 2.0 hectares maximum safety run-off. There are no specific junior girls’ teams in Chorley, however, girls play cricket in mixed junior teams.

An analysis of match play identifies that peak time demand for cricket pitches is Saturday for seniors (45%) and midweek for juniors (45%).

Development The following clubs have achieved England Cricket Board Club Mark Accreditation:

 Adlington CC  Chorley CC  Euxton CC  Mawdesley CC  Eccleston CC  Brinscall CC  Hoghton CC

There is a high level of senior and junior participation at the majority of clubs in Chorley and this is likely to increase.

Chorley has a cricket development group who are producing a cricket action plan which outlines a series of objectives ranging from training and development through to extra- circular activity and junior competition structure. This also involves district cricket and recreational cricket which may result on future impact in parks and open spaces.

Women’s and girls’ cricket Women’s and girls’ cricket is a national priority and there is a target to establish two girls’ and one women’s team in every local authority over the next five years. LCB has recently appointed a Women and Girls Cricket Development Officer to increase the profile of the game across the County

Demand Cricket demand is high across Chorley with the majority of clubs fielding senior and junior cricket teams. Most senior membership levels have remained static over the previous three years with some seeing an increase, two clubs; Whittle and Clayton-Le-Woods and Chorley St James report a decrease in senior membership levels.

Junior membership levels mirror senior participation trends, a decrease in membership levels have been reported at some clubs. It is thought the decrease in junior membership is due to a number of reasons including player migration particularly student players and lack of

28 support, particularly from volunteers. The cost of coaching courses is prohibitive along with parents giving up time to become coaches.

Clubs in Chorley have plans to increase playing membership. Chorley CC is actively recruiting junior players as it recognises its junior playing membership is low and Brinscall CC would like to develop youth teams over the next 5 years.

Training facilities Access to cricket nets is important, particularly for pre-season/winter training. Demand for additional cricket training facilities across Central Lancashire is significantly high with clubs reporting demand for access to additional provision.

Pitch quality Site assessments rate the majority of pitches as good quality. The majority of clubs are responsible for maintaining their own facilities and have designated groundsmen to carry out cutting and maintenance. A club survey was distributed to clubs to ascertain the quality of cricket pitch sites, results are summarised below:

 Nearly three quarters of clubs (71%) consider grass coverage to be ‘good.’ No clubs commented grass coverage was ‘unacceptable.’  Dog fouling on pitches/sites is an issue across Central Lancashire with nearly half of clubs (47%) reporting evidence of dog fouling/glass/stones/litter.  Many clubs report there is evidence of damage to the pitch surface.  Where grass and artificial wickets are provided these are generally even.

Maintaining high pitch quality is the most important aspect of cricket. If the wicket is poor, it can affect the quality of the game and can, in some instances, become dangerous.

The Lancashire Cricket Groundsmen Association (LCGA) is the body responsible for the continued professional development of groundsmen across the County. It also provides clubs with access to the most up to date machinery and techniques to enhance playing conditions. Clubs in Central Lancashire are able to hire a scarifier and spike for a small hire fee (both machines are based at Fulwood and Broughton CC).

Pitch advisors for LCB are tasked to assess facilities in order to help prioritise funding needs. Their role is to help and advise fellow groundsmen to improve playing surfaces and consistency in turf management practices.

Ancillary facilities There is generally a mixed standard of changing accommodation available at cricket clubs across Chorley.

The majority of clubs have access to a cricket pavilion. However, two clubs; Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods and Chorley St James report they do not have access to hot/cold water and a further five clubs; Hoghton, Whittle and Clayton-Le-Woods, White Coppice and St Josephs do not have access to heating. Many clubs have aspirations to access funding for major projects such as new pavilions or extensions to existing facilities.

Future/latent demand Latent demand is defined as the number of teams that could be fielded if there were sufficient pitches. Latent demand has been expressed by one club for additional cricket pitches in Chorley.

Summary of latent demand

Club Latent demand Requirement Chorley CC One senior team 1 pitch

It is evident that the low levels of latent demand recorded are a result of clubs already operating across the full range of ages and in some cases two teams at each age group.

Latent demand identified above is generally as a result of clubs operating at pitch/site capacity.

Securing access to artificial wickets at school sites, for example, will help additional demand to be catered for (particularly juniors and women/girls).

Future demand increases By applying population growth for 2026 to the existing number of teams in Chorley, we can project the theoretical number of new teams that could be generated in the future, and therefore the expected demand on the facilities.

Anticipated increase by 2026 Local authority Senior men’s teams Junior boys teams Chorley 6.3 7.8

Chorley is predicted to increase by the highest number of teams. This is due to Chorley accommodating the largest number of cricket teams in Central Lancashire and is expected to increase its population by 9.07%. It is likely that women’s and girls’ cricket participation will further increase given the ECB national target to establish two junior girls’ and a women’s team in every local authority over the next five years.

Chorley requires a further 4 pitches by 2026 to meet projected demand at peak times. The revised strategy is to confirm this analysis and give recommendations as to location and club demands.

RUGBY UNION SUMMARY

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for grassroots and elite rugby in England. The Lancashire Rugby Football Union (LRFU) administers rugby union across the Region. There are four rugby union clubs playing in Central Lancashire; Preston Grasshoppers, Chorley RUFC, Hutton and Lancashire Constabulary. Clubs play at either privately owned venues or education pitches.

The rugby union playing season operates from September to April.

Summary of pitches available for community use and teams in Chorley

P No. of available pitches No. of competitive teams l Analysis area Senior Senior AGP Senior Junior Mini Juniors Mini rugby e men women a Chorley 1 2 - - 3 - - 3 s Note that the audit only identifies dedicated, line marked pitches.

Towards a Level Playing Field methodology identifies that a senior rugby union pitch is 144m x 69m and a junior pitch is 70m x 43m. A size is not prescribed for mini rugby pitches. However, KKP has calculated the size of a mini rugby pitch a 0.302 hectares.

Development There are a small number of rugby pitches provided at education sites. Those provided are not used for community use as there is no reported demand. The majority of schools in Chorley (with the exception of Bishop Rawstorne Church of England School) do not deliver rugby as part of the school curriculum.

Chorley RUFC As the only club in Chorley, it accommodates three senior and three mini teams. The site is owned by ‘Chorley Rugby Trust’. Membership levels have increased over the previous three years due to enhancing pitch quality. It has plans to further increase its playing membership which can be accommodated at the site and subsequently requires additional pitch provision. The 15.5 acre site has capacity to accommodate additional matches. Planning permission has been granted for part of the site to be allocated for housing and the remaining site to be enhanced through pitch improvements, creation of a new club house, changing facilities and parking on the remaining land.

The pitches are also used by Chorley Buccaneers American Football Club.

RUGBY LEAGUE SUMMARY

The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league football in Britain and Ireland. The RFL administers the amateur and junior game across the country in association with the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA).

The Lancashire Rugby League Service Area supports Schools development, club development and community development in the County, including Central Lancashire. The performance pathway is run at ages under 13's, under 14's, under 15's and under 16's.

There are four clubs playing in Central Lancashire; Bamber Bridge, Chorley Panthers, UCLAN and Leyland Warriors. As of March 2012, more than 85 per cent of all rugby league teams in the country will be playing in a summer-based season which runs from March to November.

Current provision Chorley is served by rugby league pitches and has both senior and junior pitches. Chorley accommodates the largest number of teams (18 in total).

Summary of pitches available for community use and teams by analysis area No. of available pitches No. of competitive teams Analysis area Senior Senior Junior Junior Mini- Senior Junior Mini men women boys girls rugby Chorley 2 1 - 3 1 11 3 -

Towards a Level Playing Field methodology identifies that a senior rugby league pitch is 100m x 55m. A size is not prescribed for junior and mini rugby pitches. The audit only identifies dedicated, marked out pitches (i.e. with line markings). Temporal demand for senior rugby league (matches only) is Saturday (63%) with junior and mini demand exclusively on a Sunday.

Quality The RFL has launched an autumn pitch remediation programme to improve community club pitches as part of its continuing commitment to develop rugby league facilities. Over the past year the RFL has paid for and conducted site assessments for a large number of clubs which have been provided with a comprehensive report detailing the level and type of work needed to improve pitches. Chorley Panthers ARLFC has received funding from the RFL and private funders for facility development plans which include improvements to pitch drainage, floodlighting, fencing, replacing the changing facilities and improvements to the clubhouse facility. Site assessments rate all rugby league provision in Chorley as good. However, waterlogging of rugby league pitches was reported at Holy Cross High School although visits were conducted after heavy rainfall.

Demand All rugby league clubs in Chorley play and train on match pitches. As a result, pitches have limited rest. This is most prevalent at Chisnall Lane Playing Fields, and as such is the reason these sites are overplayed. Spare capacity at sites nearby may help alleviate some pressure.

Latent demand Latent demand is defined as the number of teams that could be fielded were access to a sufficient number of pitches available. No team’s express latent demand.

Future demand Population growth in Central Lancashire has been applied to indicate how many additional rugby teams will be generated in the future. Increases in the number of teams are most likely to occur in Chorley with an additional 17 junior boys’ teams. New pitches would be required to meet future demand at peak times.

HOCKEY SUMMARY

England Hockey (EH) govern the sport at a regional and local level. The game is played predominately on sand based/filled artificial grass pitches (AGPs). Hockey is currently not played on well-maintained grass pitches.

Central Lancashire is a strong area with high demand for hockey, particularly in Preston. There are seven hockey clubs playing in the area; one of these covers Chorley - Leyland & Chorley Hockey Club who are working towards Club first/Clubmark accreditation. At present there are 3 senior men’s teams and 4 ladies teams all in competitive leagues and a junior section launched in 2013.

Development England Hockey launched a facilities strategy in 2012. Leyland and Chorley Hockey Club are working hard to drive the development of hockey in the region and have a five year development plan. EH and the FA are working in partnership to strategically assess all AGPs to identify the need and ensure both sports are adequately catered for.

Rush Hockey is a new development programme introduced by England Hockey aimed at increasing participation through a small sided game (5-a-side) and can be played on any indoor or outdoor surface. This will result in teams needing access to AGPs in order to deliver the programme. However, existing pitches are generally being used to capacity.

There is limited hockey activity across secondary schools in Chorley due to a lack of suitable playing surfaces. Schools playing competitive hockey are generally those that have access to a sand filled surface on site but tarmac and sports hall surfaces can be used. Clubs suggest that not having a schools competition inhibits junior development and restricts the flow of juniors into clubs. However, Chorley Borough Council is developing hockey within its schools and working with the club to support its schools delivery and future club development.

Nationally, in recent years, the number of grass hockey pitches has reduced significantly as England Hockey does not sanction the use of grass pitches for competitive play. However, grass pitches are still important in terms of introducing the game to beginners and still make an important contribution to the stock of hockey pitches, particularly in terms of school facilities. No schools in Chorley currently provide hockey grass pitches.

Pitch supply There are three full size AGPs currently in Chorley, suitable for competitive hockey. All pitches are floodlit.

It would be of benefit to develop two full sized pitches at a location next to each other as clubs highlight the benefits this has in attracting clubs playing in national league fixtures from outside Central Lancashire.

Site name KKP Ref No of AGPs Floodlit Quality Buckshaw Village 69 1 Yes Holy Cross High School 206 1 Yes Parklands New 1 Yes

Pitch Quality The AGPs in Chorley are assessed as either good or average/poor quality. The pitch at Buckshaw Village was built in 2005 and Holy Cross in 2006. The typical life span of an AGP is 10-12 years, but depends heavily on the type of sub base used, quality of the carpet that has been installed, amount of usage levels, clear rules on the footwear worn by users and the quality of on-going maintenance.

Future Demand Chorley has demand for an additional AGP for Hockey calculated on the number of peak period visits to current provision. The location of future AGPs should be done in liaison with England Hockey, FA and local clubs.

The majority of unmet demand is due to existing AGPs operating at capacity. There is competition between football and hockey on existing AGPs and the hours of usage are significantly higher for football than hockey.

Club demand Latent demand has been identified (number of teams that could be fielded if there were sufficient pitches) and is concentrated in Preston and Chorley. Leyland & Chorley Hockey Club accesses AGP provision in Chorley as there is no provision in Leyland (Preston), they have latent demand for a further 2 senior teams and one junior team. A venue is yet to be found to create a further AGP on.

EDUCATION PROVISION

The provision of pitches at schools and colleges can make an important contribution to the overall stock of playing pitches. A significant proportion of pitches across the Borough are not available for community use, specifically at primary schools. There is a possibility of upgrading primary school pitch quality to meet the projected shortfall of junior and mini pitches in a partnership approach.

BOWLING GREENS

Bowling greens were not included in the KKP Study carried out in 2011/12. However, it was felt that Bowling Greens play a prominent part in the sporting asset of Chorley and they should be included in Chorley Council Playing Pitch Strategy.

There are seven leagues in Chorley:  Chorley and District Crown Green Bowling League  Mixed Veterans Bowling League.  Chorley Churches League  Chorley Vets League  Ladies League  Adlington League  Leyland and District League

There are approximately 20 to 70 teams in each league. There is also a junior league.

There are 6 public greens on Council owned sites across Chorley, all other greens are privately owned and managed and only available to members. Many private sites linked to social clubs have sadly closed in recent years such as St James, Chorley and St Bede’s, Whittle-le-Woods. The public greens have little or no lighting which is an issue for night matches and often suffer from anti-social behaviour and unauthorised use for football. An all- weather crown green bowling surface with flood lighting at a central strategic venue would be a big asset to Chorley.

There is an indoor bowling facility available at Coppull Leisure Centre for winter use.

Bowling clubs are affiliated to the British Crown Green Bowling Association (BCGBA).

ATHLETICS

Athletics was not included in the KKP study carried out in 2011/12. Chorley Athletics and Tri Club has over 300 members, a high proportion of which are juniors. It has achieved Charter Standard Accreditation. The club uses Chorley Cricket Club changing facilities and club house as a base but has an aspiration to secure a multi-sport compact Athletics facility in the Borough. The club struggles to retain membership due to the lack of an adequate central facility.

ARCHERY

Archery was not included in the KKP study carried out in 2011/12. Chorley Bowmen were established in 1981 and are the only archery club in Chorley. The long term aim of the club is to develop a centre of excellence for archery in the North West. The club has a strong membership of 130 consisting of many professional world record holders and disabled archers amongst some junior member’s. The club is progressing Charter Standard Accreditation.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

American Football was not included in the KKP Study carried out in 2011/12. Chorley Buccaneers train at Chorley Rugby Club on Chancery Road.

4.3 Assessment Summary and Key Findings

The Playing Pitch Strategy recommends a playing pitch standard of 1.21 hectares per 1,000 populations. This has been calculated by adding the number of hectares of pitches available for community use to the identified shortfall/surplus of pitches and applying it to potential future population growth.

There was 97.55 hectares of playing pitch provision in the Borough in 2012, (this will have increased due to new pitch at Gillibrands etc.) The Strategy identifies a shortfall of 29.06 hectares of pitch provision to meet the identified demand. This does not necessarily relate to 29.06 hectares of new provision, some of this demand could be met by improvements to existing pitches.

Table showing outdoor sports provision in Chorley 2012 Provision to meet Total required Standard based Current Provision to Current Current deficiencies – to meet on demand standard meet latent Analysis area provision population from the PPM by demand identified (ha per 1,000 demand (ha) 2026 identified (ha per 1,000 population) (ha) (ha) (ha) population) Chorley 97.55 107,155 0.93 8.42 20.65 126.62 1.21

Latent demand is defined as the number of teams that could be fielded where access to a sufficient number of pitches available. Consultation reveals that a number of clubs currently consider themselves to have latent demand, which they cannot meet due to lack of access to good quality facilities.

Summary of latent demand in Chorley 2012 Pitches Total area converted into Hockey Football Cricket Rugby union hectares (using average pitch sizes) Senior Junior Senior Junior Mini All Senior 2 1 2.5 3.5 1.5 1 8.42

Accessibility

Community access to playing pitches and artificial grass pitches is important. The use of accessibility standards enables the identification of areas of deficiency. Accessibility in this instance refers to the distance to travel to provision, rather than to access for disabled people. There is a recommended 15 minute walk time distance threshold is applied to outdoor sports across the study area. From mapping sites and a fifteen minute walk time it is evident that the main settlements are well served by playing pitches, there is an identified gap in the centre of Chorley.

Surpluses/Deficiencies in Pitch Provision Deficiencies in the supply of playing pitches occur where there is an overall shortage and/or when existing pitch(es) cannot accommodate existing demand, particularly at peak periods and as a result of poor quality facilities which do not offer sufficient capacity. It is important that some surpluses (i.e. spare capacity) are built into the pitch provision and indeed all outdoor sports facilities as an integral aspect of allowing rest and rotation of pitches and also ensuring that pitches are available for training purposes and to support informal play.

Recommendations identify the need for additional provision, it is important that the recommendations for pitches are placed within the wider context of demand and housing

36 development and considers facility development which may be feasible in the long-term and where the latent demand/pressure for additional pitches both now and in the future has been identified.

The identified deficiencies should be addressed through a range of actions including improvements to the current pitch stock and re-aligning a proportion of the existing pitch stock i.e. changing some senior pitches to junior pitches according to expressed demand in those areas and playing sites not currently formally used. It is important that the Strategy also recognises the long term need for senior pitches as juniors’ progress into senior football, cricket, rugby and hockey.

The following table identifies surpluses/deficiencies in pitch provision for each sport in the Borough at present and the predicted situation in 2026 and suggests how any deficiencies can be addressed.

Surplus/deficit in pitches Key Issues Proposed Action to address pitch shortages

Senior football The surplus of senior pitches is Pitches with spare capacity at peak time attributed to spare capacity across 22 could help to address the shortfall of junior At present: surplus of 20 sites including significant spare capacity and mini football. By 2026: surplus of 17.8 at St Michael’s High School, Parklands Overplay at some sites could be High School and Westway Playing accommodated on sites with spare capacity. Fields, Astley Village. Seek to maintain at least 1 pitch to The pitches on Westway are extremely accommodate overplay, 3 pitches for latent waterlogged at times of heavy rain demand and at least 4 pitches as strategic resulting in games having to be called reserve (10% of the stock of the area). off. Furthermore at least six senior pitches should be maintained to accommodate future increases in participation and the new football formats (i.e. 9x9). Junior football There are a large number of junior Increase community use at school sites teams playing on senior sized pitches. (where there is junior or senior pitches) to At present: deficit of 6.5 accommodate junior teams and latent By 2026: deficit of 8 demand.

Chorley Council are creating a new pitch on Astley Park, Gillibrand and Rangletts Recreation Ground. Re-designation of senior pitches for which there is an oversupply to accommodate junior pitches. Mini football The deficiency is as a result of the large Seek to provide a dedicated mini soccer site number of mini teams (23) playing and to alleviate play elsewhere and to service the At present: deficit of 5.5 the shortage of pitches at peak time. catchment areas of Bretherton and Croston. By 2026: deficit of 6.5 Land off Westhead Road is recommended. If land is found to not accommodate such a facility in Chorley, explore opportunities to offset provision in West Lancashire. This will help to address the deficiency of junior pitches. Cricket The deficiency is attributed to overplay It is vital that all sites are protected from at five sites in the area particularly development and that clubs/providers are At present: deficit of 2.2 Chorley, and Charnock Richard cricket supported to increase the availability of By 2026: deficit of 3.8 clubs. artificial wickets for seniors.

In addition, increase community use and quality of cricket wickets at secondary school sites; Parklands, St Michael’s and Southlands to help meet the deficiency. Senior Rugby union The slight surplus is attributed to spare Seek to maintain this level of provision to capacity at Chorley Rugby Club to accommodate future increases in At present: surplus of 0.5 accommodate future growth. participation. By 2026: surplus of 0.4

Surplus/deficit in pitches Key Issues Proposed Action to address pitch shortages

Mini Rugby Union The small deficiency is attributed to The senior rugby pitches can accommodate mini rugby teams playing on senior the mini play and the deficiency identified is At present: deficit of 0.8 rugby pitches at Chorley Rugby Club. not necessarily a true reflection of current By 2020: deficit of 0.8 demand. No new provision is required to meet deficiencies identified for rugby. Senior rugby league The slight surplus is attributed to spare Seek to maintain this level of provision to peak time capacity at King George V accommodate future increases in At present: surplus of 0.5 Playing Fields, Adlington (Saturday am). participation. By 2020: surplus of 0.4 Junior rugby league The deficiency results from the large The deficiency of junior rugby union pitches number of junior teams (14) playing at is attributed to the large number of junior At present: deficit of 6.0 peak time (Sunday) at Chisnall Lane teams playing at Chisnall Lane Playing Fields. By 2020: deficit of 6.6 Playing Fields. The Council should support Panthers to further improve rugby league pitches at Chisnall to meet demand. Artificial Grass Pitches Chorley has demand for an additional AGPs be reassessed to ensure demand is AGP (both hockey and football surface) met in Chorley. At present: deficit of 1 calculated on the number of peak

By 2020: deficit of 2 period visits to current provision (Chorley currently has five pitches) Bowling Greens To be identified To be identified

Bowling Greens to continue to be allocated At present: surplus /deficit of and protected ? By 2020: surplus /deficit of ?

The table above identifies that the majority of deficiencies can be met by increasing community use at schools, utilising spare capacity at other sites and re-designating pitches. It identifies that some new pitch provision is needed to meet existing deficiencies.

5.0 KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES FOR ACTION

5.1 Key Issues and Management Objectives

1. Address known deficiencies of playing pitch stock to meet existing unmet demand and plan for new provision as and when required.

a. Adopt minimum levels of provision which are accessible and sustainable and which are adequate to support current and future demand. b. Regularly review and refresh area by area plans taking account of any improvements in pitch quality (and hence increases in pitch capacity) and also any new negotiations for community use of education sites in the future. c. Rectify inadequacies and meet identified shortfalls as outlined in the Assessment Report through improvements to the current pitch stock and ancillary facilities in line with the Action Plan. d. Identify opportunities to add to the overall pitch stock to accommodate both latent and potential future demand. e. Establish an approach to securing developer contributions which prioritises projects according to a range of core criteria. f. Prioritises new capital development projects from the action plan identifying strategic need, sports development objectives, sustainability of provision and work with target groups g. Work with facility providers to establish an approach to co-ordinate investment to address the community’s needs, to target priority areas and to avoid/reduce duplication of provision.

2. Address known deficiencies of playing pitch stock and enhance existing provision to continue to support high levels of participation.

a. Increase the capacity of sites. b. Invest in key strategic multi-pitch/sport sites strategically distributed and located across Chorley which will accommodate the greatest number of teams and are located in the areas of highest population density at new and existing sites, to address the deficiency and future changes to pitch sizes of junior football pitches. Focus on poor/average sites first and those which will have greatest impact on the largest number of teams. c. Projects should improve pitch/surface quality as a priority particularly in the first instance on sites involving three of more pitches including improvements to changing accommodation and parking as necessary. d. Formalise the use of single site recreational pitches where appropriate. e. Prepare funding packages as appropriate to secure improvements to the quality of existing outdoor playing fields and to provide new ones where a shortfall has been identified or is predicted to be significant in the future. f. Adopt a Chorley wide quality standard - all sites to be a good quality by 2026. Work to deliver the improvements to pitch sites that are rated as average or below g. Chorley Council to improve pitch maintenance practices and invest in annual upkeep. Provide regular training for grounds men and volunteers to pass on best practice.

3. Maximise access to all outdoor facilities (including DDA compliances, marketing and accessibility).

a. Maintain, improve and encourage community use of school facilities (including toilet and changing provision) b. Secure tenure and access to sites for high quality, development minded clubs through lease arrangements. The term of lease would be subject to negotiation dependant on the size of the club, the site proposed and the size of the proposed project. This will enable clubs to apply for external funding to develop facilities. c. Work to ensure that pitch site ancillary facilities are DDA compliant.

d. Create centralised booking services for playing pitches and sports grounds to ensure easy access on pitch availability for local teams, and to aid general promotion of sport and one- stop marketing of provision.

4. Ensure that unmet current demand and future demand is accommodated through planned increases in provision.

a. Adopted a tiered approach to the management and improvement of facilities which allows for facility developments to be programmed within a phased approach including ancillary facilities such as changing accommodation and car parking. b. Use the findings of the Strategy to provide an evidence base for the Local Plan to secure new provision from new development.

5. Support the development of local leagues and clubs to meet their needs within Chorley.

a. Support high levels of participation at clubs which contribute to the achievement of sports development objectives. Chorley Community Development Team to provide support to increase participation, raise standards and develop skills of staff. b. Work with local clubs which have achieved quality accreditation to, where relevant, identify and secure facility improvements, appropriate sites for new facility development and funding opportunities. Help clubs to achieve aims and ambitions cross areas including management, funding, facilities, volunteers and partnership working. c. Support local clubs to demonstrate sustainability. d. Have a high satisfaction level of feedback from customers. e. Chorley Council to adopt a Community Asset Transfer Policy. Council to adopt a policy to support community management and ownership of assets to local clubs, community groups and trusts. Gives opportunities to take ownership of own facilities.

5.2 Sport Specific Objectives and Strategic Recommendations

The objectives and associated actions below should be read within the context of the summary findings identified by the Assessment Report. They will guide delivery of the strategy.

FOOTBALL OBJECTIVES

 Create more junior and mini pitches to meet demand.  Retain senior pitches in order to rest, maintain and rotate allocations.  Increase provision in central Chorley due to gap in accessibility.  Council to maintain a regular dialogue with local sports partners and existing networks.

Senior football

 Protect the current playing pitch stock.  Work with clubs to ensure that sites are not played beyond their capacity and encourage play, where possible, to be transferred to alternative venues which are not operating at capacity.  The anticipated surplus of senior pitches should be considered in contributing towards addressing the current and future deficit of junior and mini pitches. However, also ensure that some senior pitches are retained for strategic reserve.  Where appropriate, develop lease arrangements with large, sustainable, development- minded (i.e. Charter Standard) clubs to manage their own ‘home’ sites thus facilitating club development (as detailed in the management objectives).  Continue to support clubs in the management and improvement of their facilities.

 As far as possible, support clubs with facility development aspirations through the planning and application stages.

Women and girls’ football  Invest in central venue sites to accommodate anticipated growth in girls’ football.  Increase the quality and standard of changing rooms to accommodate segregated changing.

Junior boys’ football  Improve the quality and capacity of existing pitch stock.  Work to maximise primary school sites to address the shortfall of junior pitches and ensure site security and access to changing facilities is enhanced.  Work with clubs to achieve FA Charter Standard accreditation. As a target, work to achieve at least 75% (form the current baseline of 21.7% in Preston, 27% in South Ribble and 20% in Chorley) of youth and mini teams playing within a Charter Standard club (in line with national targets) by 2015.

Mini football  Meet likely future deficiencies in mini pitches by utilising senior pitches in areas of oversupply and marking out more pitches where land is available on existing sites.  Increase the quality and standard of changing rooms to accommodate segregated changing.  Encourage greater usage of primary school sites to cater for mini-soccer demand.

FA Youth Development Review The FA's Youth Development Review will see an increased use of small-sided games for all age groups up to U12s. This will allow children to progress gradually through age-appropriate formats. The entry point for U7s and U8s will be the 5v5 game. U9s and U10s will then step up to 7v7, followed by a new 9v9 level for U11s and U12s.

Summary of each step and the appropriate pitch and goal sizes Age Format Pitch size (m) Goal size 7-8 5 v 5 30 x 20 – 40 x 30 Mini soccer (12’x6’) 9-10 7 v 7 50 x 30 – 60 x 40 Mini soccer (12’x6’) 11-12 9 v 9 70 x 40 – 80 x 50 New 9v9 goals (16’x7’) 13+ 11 v 11 90 x 50 – 110 x 70 Full size (24’ x 8’)

Playing smaller-sided games has been proved to give children an increased number of touches of the ball, while providing more goals and scoring attempts, more one-v-one encounters and more chance to attempt dribbling skills. It is this increased contact time with the ball that the FA believe will help children enjoy the game more while providing them with better preparation for the 11-a-side a game.

The introduction of 9v9 football, by the FA, is designed to help bridge the gap between mini soccer at U10s and 11 a-side at U11s and will see the introduction of a new intermediate sized pitch. Teams in Central Lancashire are already playing 9v9 fixtures in the Central Lancashire Junior League which fields 9v9 divisions at U11 and U12. However, this is no on designated 9v9 pitches and is often on senior sized football pitches.

The FA reports the solution is to use existing 11 a side pitches and mark out two 9v9 pitches in blue lines, with either one pitch from box to box or two pitches across half a pitch (see diagram below):

Through marking out two 9v9 pitches on one senior pitch this will thus help to meet the shortfall of junior pitches identified at peak times in Chorley. However, portable intermediate sized (16’x7’) goalposts will be required, which the FA, in partnership with the Football Foundation, is making funding available as part of the Grow the Game scheme. Furthermore, Sport England can also provide 100% funding for 9v9 goalposts via the small grants scheme. The proposals became mandatory in the 2013/14 season.

The table below provides a predicated forecast to indicate how many 9v9 pitches are likely to be required by 2014 at peak time (Sunday AM) based on current participation levels (season 2011/12).

Area Requirement of pitches in 2014 (estimated)

Chorley 6

The table above identifies the number of pitches required in Chorley. Chorley Council are working towards introducing 9v9 pitches in 2013/2014 to ensure it can accommodate this new format of football. These comprise of 1 pitch on Astley Park, one pitch on Gillibrand, one pitch on Rangletts, one pitch on The Willows Eaves green (7 v 7?)proposed for 2015/16 and one pitch on????

However, this does not take into account latent demand in increases in football participation. This could be achieved by re-marking senior pitches (of which there is a surplus) as 9v9 pitches to accommodate this new format of football. Any new pitch development should take into consideration the 9v9 pitch requirements.

CRICKET OBJECTIVES

 Maintain current provision levels and quality but work to increase access to single team club pitches for those clubs expressing demand.

 Support clubs to develop their ancillary facilities to further meet local needs.  Ensure that any facilities developed support opportunities for senior women’s and junior girl’s competitive cricket.  Increase the quality of cricket pitches where necessary.  Encourage and support development of junior girls’ and women’s cricket.  Support clubs to develop and improve practice facilities.  Support the development of cricket informally within parks.  Collaborative working with Chorley and South Ribble Councils where cross-over of catchment is prevalent.

RUGBY UNION OBJECTIVES

 Work towards meeting identified deficiencies and increase quality as required.

 Work with Chorley RFC to support its facility development plan.  Encourage and support further development of school rugby union.

RUGBY LEAGUE OBJECTIVES

 Work towards meeting identified deficiencies and increase quality as required. 

 Work with Chorley Rugby League to support its facility development plan.  Encourage and support further development of school and college rugby league.

HOCKEY OBJECTIVES

 Maintain current levels and create sand based AGPs to meet current and future demand for hockey.

 Work with England Hockey (EH) to support ‘Rush Hockey’ which is a new development programme introduced by EH aimed at increasing participation  Work to ensure that plans are in place to maintain AGP quality in the long term.  Work to make quality improvements to AGPs to address current issues.  Create a new AGP in Chorley to meet current and future demand

BOWLING OBJECTIVES

 Maintain current levels and aim to increase provision to meet demand.

 Work with all bowling leagues in Chorley.  Support clubs to develop their ancillary facilities to further meet local needs.  Ensure that any facilities developed support opportunities for increasing participation of a wider range of age groups.  Improve the quality of existing bowling green’s where necessary.  Identify a strategic site to create an all-weather floodlit bowling green in Chorley.

ARCHERY OBJECTIVES

 Secure a long term lease at a venue in the Borough.  Maintain current levels of provision.

 Work with Chorley Bowmen to achieve club development plan.  Support clubs to develop their ancillary facilities to further meet local needs.

ATHLECTICS OBJECTIVES

 Develop a multi-sport compact athletics site and suitable field facility at a venue in the Borough.

 Work with Chorley Athletic and Triathlon Club to achieve their club development plan.  Support the club to develop a dedicated athletics base in the Borough and associated ancillary facilities to further meet local needs.

EDUCATION OBJECTIVES

 Work with schools to encourage greater community use, particularly for junior sports at appropriate sites.

 Secure existing community use through implementation of formal community use agreements where they are not currently in existence in order to provide sustainable community access.  Ensure appropriate access to changing provision on school sites to support community use of their playing fields and sports grounds/courts.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL OBJECTIVE

 Maintain current levels of provision.

 OBJECTIVESupport club to develop their ancillary facilities and club growth.

Maintain current levels of provision.

6.0 FUTURE PROVISION: RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRIORITIES

6.1 Policies and Supplementary Planning Document

The Playing Pitch Strategy and Action Plan form the evidence base to inform Chorley Council’s Playing Pitch Policy within the Local Plan. The guidance should be followed to secure outdoor sports facilities through new housing development. The guidance should form the basis for negotiation with developers to secure contributions for the provision of appropriate facilities and their long term maintenance or the improvement of existing pitches. Section 106 contributions will be used to secure the contributions.

Policy HS4B: Playing Pitch Requirements in New Housing Development

All new housing developments will be required to pay a financial contribution towards new playing pitch provision in the Borough or towards improvements to existing playing pitches.

The financial contribution will be calculated using a standard of 1.21 hectares per 1,000 population.

A number of management objectives should be implemented to enable the above to be delivered:

 Continue to ensure that where sites are lost, through development or closure, that facilities of the same or improved standard are provided to meet the continued needs of residents.  Capital receipts from disposals of playing pitch facilities should be ring-fenced specifically for investment into other playing pitch facilities. They should be invested in accordance with the aims of the Strategy.  Planning consent should include appropriate conditions and/or be subject to a Section 106 Agreement. Where developer contributions are applicable, a Section 106 Agreement must be completed specifying the amount and timing of sums to be paid.  A ‘central pot’ for developer contributions should be established to invest in playing pitch facility provision and maintenance to aid Action Plan delivery. Where appropriate the contribution will be allocated to the nearest site in the action plan.  Where new pitches are provided, changing rooms should be located on site.

The background in this document along with the Action Plan in the Executive Summary seek to address the surpluses and deficiencies identified together with the key issues identified on each site for improvement or maintenance. Chorley Council will use the proposed actions/development plans as part of the process of seeking developer contributions. The action plans determine the need to provide new provision, improve the quality of existing sites or to open up sites which are not currently used for community use i.e. education sites.

Improvements to existing sites

No housing developments will be required to provide new playing pitches on-site. A formula has been used to calculate the contribution per dwelling for improvements to sites identified in the Action Plan or to bring forward allocated sites.

All residential developments will be required to contribute towards playing pitch provision. The Playing Pitch Strategy does not identify deficiencies on a settlement or ward basis as it is not considered appropriate, it assesses provision on a Borough basis and identifies that there is a deficit of provision. The amount of deficit identified does not necessarily equate to new provision as some can be addressed through improvements to existing playing pitches. The Strategy identifies where new provision is needed based on demand and in those areas

sites have been allocated in the Local Plan. The Strategy also includes an Action Plan which identifies sites where improvements/facilities are needed to improve capacity. Financial contributions will be used to bring forward sites allocated for new provision and to improve the sites identified in the Action Plan, which will be reviewed continually.

Changing facilities

Across Chorley, some pitches are of such poor quality they are often unable to accommodate matches, especially after a prolonged spell of wet weather. On some sites there is either a lack of changing facilities or current changing provision is poor quality. All playing pitches should be served by suitable, good quality ancillary facilities; these should be located in close proximity to the playing area.

To achieve an increase in participation in sport and physical activity, it is imperative that in addition to the need to secure developer contributions for pitch provision, contributions should also be sought for improving and providing changing room accommodation. Changing provision requirements are reliant on the number of pitches not the size of pitches. Changing facilities are required for new pitches, whether they are on or off site.

6.2 Qualitative Standards

As well as achieving the local standard of 1.21ha per 1,000 population for Chorley which mirrors the Fields in Trust Six Acre Standard it is advised that the Council should aim to achieve some qualitative standards which are based on the research and consultation during the production of the strategy. These are not intended to be absolute measures but represent reasonable aspirations for the Council in partnership with local schools, clubs and private businesses to strive to achieve.

Qualitative standards to achieve by 2020:

 All pitches with community use to be rated as average or above quality.  All pitches with community use to have the carrying capacity for a least 2 matches per week (4 matches for mini and 9v9 football pitches).  Improved drainage across all sites.  Complaints regarding dog fouling on pitches to be reduced to 0.  Complaints regarding litter left after club matches to be reduced to 0.  Number of postponed matches to be reduced to less than 5% of scheduled fixtures across all sites with community use.  Sufficient AGPs to meet demand for football and hockey.

6.3 Recommended New Pitch Provision

The Playing Pitch Strategy recommends that new provision of pitches is required as follows:

 Seek to provide a dedicated mini soccer site to service the catchment areas of Bretherton and Croston to address the deficiency of junior pitches.  Seek to provide rugby league pitches in Coppull to meet demand.

A site has been allocated in the Local Plan at Westhead Road, Croston to address the deficiency of junior pitches identified in the Playing Pitch Strategy. This site is adjacent to Croston Sports and Social Club.

A site is not allocated in the Local Plan to meet the identified deficiency in Coppull. The planned improvements to Chisnall Lane Playing Fields will meet the current demand therefore a new allocation is not necessary.

Key Recommendations

 All existing playing pitches should be protected, maintained and enhanced to secure provision now and in the future.

 A new playing pitch should be allocated at Land off Westhead Road, Croston.

 At least two new Artificial Grass Pitch (AGP) of sand based or third generation turf are required to meet the identified shortfall. As football is the dominant sport 3G would be the preferred surface.

6.4 Priorities for Investment

The Priority Investment Plan seeks to address the surpluses and deficiencies and pitches rated as poor or below average quality as identified in the playing pitch assessments together with key issues. This should be used to spend developer contributions (where secured).

The Priorities for Action by Neighbourhood Area does not identify all quality improvements required and information throughout this strategy can be referred to by clubs seeking investment. Prioritisation of improvements will also be led through the annual maintenance planning programmes at individual sites as can be seen in the action plan by neighbourhood area.

Justification of sites within the Action Plan by Neighbourhood Area

The Action Plan recommendations relate to individual sites and the need to enhance and develop new sporting provision. The following criteria have been used to identify priorities and justify the inclusion of sites within the Action Plan. Just one of the following may apply:

 A project is currently underway to enhance the existing site and/or funding has been secured.  The site is of poor or below average quality and is reportedly well used or has deficiency of capacity and ancillary facilities unless indicated otherwise.  The desired action is small scale, short term and will enhance the quality of current provision, whilst aiding community use.  The importance of the site is identified in other strategies.

Management and development

The following issues should be considered when undertaking sports related site development or enhancement:

 Financial viability.  Security of tenure.  Planning permission requirements and any foreseen difficulties in securing permission.  Adequacy of existing finances to maintain existing sites.  Business Plan/Masterplan – including financial package for creation of new provision where need has been identified.  Analysis of the possibility of shared site management opportunities.  The availability of opportunities to lease sites to external organisations.  Options to assist community groups to gain funding to enhance existing provision.  Negotiation with landowners to increase access to private strategic sites.

Area by area specific action plan

The Action Plan has been created to be delivered over a five year period. The information within the Assessment Report, Strategy and Action Plan will require updating as developments occur. It is not feasible to include all sites with identified development issues. Only sites, which meet the criteria listed above, have, therefore, been included.

Only sites identified as poor/average quality will receive S106 contributions for playing pitches.

Priority Investment Plan

Playing Pitches Site and KKP Current Issue to be resolved Recommended actions Priority Ownership Ref Quality West Way Playing 109 Below Pitches poor quality with Work in partnership with S Pitches average no changing facilities Chorley RUFC to develop site. Allocate S106 to pitch drainage scheme King George V 186 Below Poor quality pitches Allocate S106 to site S Playing Fields, average providing two senior improvements. Pitch Adlington football pitches, junior drainage scheme and Chorley Council and mini with spare enhance changing facilities. Club Site capacity at peak time (Sunday). Changing facilities need investment. Wigan Lane 187 Below Pitch waterlogged. No Improve pitch quality. M Playing Field average changing facilities / Support Chorley Bowmen to Chorley Council shelter. improve site and develop Club Site club membership. Twin Lakes, 180 Below Pitch is overplayed by Transfer some of the teams S Croston. average 2.5 matches each week. using the site to nearby sites Croston Parish Waterlogged with spare capacity e.g. Council Croston Sports Club (KKP Club Site ref: 77) and Bishop Rawstorne C of E Language College (KKP ref: 216). Improve pitch drainage. Jubilee Rec 123 Below Pitches adequate quality Allocate S106 to site M Playing pitches average with no changing improvements and new facilities changing facilities. Gillet Playing 78 Below Pitch waterlogged. Poor Pitch drainage scheme and L Field. Limbrick, Average changing facilities / new changing facilities for Cowling shelter shared with cricket and football. cricket field. Highfield Primary 402 Below Pitch waterlogged Pitch drainage scheme M School average Kem Mill Lane 64 Average Pitch waterlogged Pitch drainage scheme M

Astley Park 185 Average Waterlogged uneven Pitch drainage scheme and M pitches improvements to ancillary facilities.

Adlington Cricket 83 Average Bottom end of ground Drainage scheme S Club waterlogged

Site and KKP Current Issue to be resolved Recommended actions Priority Ownership Ref Quality Croston Sports 77 Good Seek to provide a New playing pitch should be M Club dedicated mini soccer allocated at Land off Club Site site to service the Westhead Road, Croston. catchment areas of Bretherton and Croston to address the deficiency of junior pitches.

Changing facilities

Site and KKP Current Comments Recommended actions Priority Ownership Ref Quality1 West Way Playing 109 Poor No current on site To create new changing and S Pitches changing facilities parking facilities.

Chorley RFC 226 Adequate Plans are in place to Club to progress scheme. S replace and relocate the clubhouse facility elsewhere on the site. Proposals include providing four changing rooms, an official’s room, medical room and a large function room. Chisnall Lane 174 Excellent Chorley Panthers Plans should be supported M Playing Field development plan aims by the Council. to improve the clubhouse facility Gillett Playing 78 Very Poor Poor quality changing Support the Club to identify M Field, Limbrick, rooms / kitchen, potential funding Cowling spectator facilities and opportunities to make the storage. required improvements. King George V 186 Very Poor Poor quality changing. Work with clubs and seek to M Playing Fields, identify funding Adlington opportunities to upgrade Chorley Council the facilities. Plans Club Site supported by the Council Jubilee 123 Very poor No current on site Carry out feasibility study. L Recreation changing facilities Provide changing and Ground parking

Timescales: (S) -Short (1-2 years); (M) - Medium (3-5 years); (L) - Long (6+ years).

Focused on the interior of the changing room.

6.5 Priorities for Action by Neighbourhood Area

Timescales: (S) -Short (1-2 years); (M) - Medium (3-5 years); (L) - Long (6+ years). (C) - Complete

CHORLEY TOWN EAST

Management Financial Site Name and Ownership Investment Priority Priority Objective Source FOOTBALL Rangletts Recreation 1d Junior Pitch to be created to meet S106 funding C Ground. Chorley Council demand secured Holy Cross High School 3a To be determined by school TBC M LCC development manager Holy Cross High School 3a School to review pitch surface and Holy Cross and C Artificial Grass Pitch maintenance to address quality. External Funding Albany Science College 3a Work with the school to develop a multi- School, M sport compact athletics and suitable field Potential S106 based facility. and application to funding body Victory Park – Chorley 5 To be determined Chorley Football M Football Club Club

Wigan Lane Playing Pitches 2d, 2f, 3b Lease to Chorley Bowmen/AJFC for duel External S use as archery facility and football pitch. Funding/S106 Improve drainage, parking and ancillary facilities Highfield Primary School 3a, 2f Improved maintenance regime, review possible S106 S pitch quality after 12 months. Possible drainage scheme needed. HOCKEY Holy Cross High School 3a, School to review pitch surface and Holy Cross and C Sandbased AGP maintenance to address quality. External Funding RUGBY Holy Cross Rugby League 3a To be determined

CRICKET Southlands High School 3a Seek to use site for community use and School and S improve quality of cricket wickets. External Funding BOWLING GREEN Tatton Recreation Ground 1b, 1f, 5a To be determined External funding M Harpers Lane 5a To be determined Chorley Council

St Peters 5b To be determined Club

St Josephs 5b To be determined Club

CHORLEY TOWN WEST

Management Financial Site Name and Ownership Development Plans Priority Objective Source FOOTBALL Astley Park. 2b, 2f, 2g, Creation of new junior pitch to meet Chorley Council. C Chorley Council demand.

Implement pitch drainage scheme and M improvements to toilets. Link site usage to newly developed facilities on West Way. Parklands High School 1d, 3a Creation of new AGP in Chorley to Parklands C AGP address the issues of capacity. 2014/15 Chorley All Saints Primary 3a Are hosting a 5 v 5 schools league School Gillibrand Playing Pitches 1d, 4a, 4b Land adoption from developer 2015. Chorley Council C Chorley Council Changing facilities built on Buttermere and Developer Green with parking and access to pitches. 1 x 11v11, 1x 9v9, 1 7v7 pitches. Southlands High School 3a The site could cater for growing Southlands C mini/junior demand in Chorley. Maintain existing high standards. New sports hall created. Southlands AGP Good quality well used facility. No Meet within 3a development plans at present existing provision RUGBY Parklands High School 3a No development plans at present Rugby League CRICKET Chorley Cricket Club Extended and refurbished changing Sport England’s 2013/14 5b rooms/club house at the site to Inspired C accommodate junior and women’s Facilities Fund cricket and enhance the existing and Buy a Brick facilities. Also used by Chorley Athletic campaign and Tri Club. 2014 →

3a Utilise local high school cricket pitch (community use) Southlands, Parklands or St Michaels, to accommodate junior teams and over play at CCC. St Michaels High School 3a Seek to use site for community use and S improve quality of cricket wickets Parklands High School 3a Seek to use site for community use and S improve quality of cricket wickets BOWLING GREEN Astley Park Seek investment for floodlighting, toilets Chorley Council M and kitchen facilities Coronation Rec Ground 2g, 5b Increase the flood lighting period on site Chorley Council S to allow night matches and upgrade ancillary facilities Chorley Bowling Club 5b To be determined Club St Mary’s 5b To be determined Club St Georges 5b To be determined Club

CLAYTON AND WHITTLE

Management Financial Site Name and Ownership Development Plans Priority Objective Source FOOTBALL Great Greens Lane Playing 2f, 2g Continue to maintain pitch and support Existing S Pitch usage of facility resource Chorley Council Buckshaw Village 2f Pitch surface in need of refurbishment. Management M Sandbased AGP To be determined company Whittle-le-Woods Football 2f5a, 5b, 5c Improvements to site drainage. S106 M Club Clayton Brook Leisure 2f, 3c Pitch surface renewed 2016 Chorley Council C Centre. Astroturf and Active Nation HOCKEY Buckshaw Village AGP 2f Pitch surface in need of refurbishment. Management M To be determined company CRICKET Whittle and Clayton le 5b To be determined M Woods Cricket Club BOWLING GREEN Ley Inn 5b To be determined M

EASTERN PARISHES

Management Financial Site Name and Ownership Development Plans Priority Objective Source FOOTBALL Brinscall St John Primary 3a, 2f Pitch Drainage. Joint funding bid with External S School School and BVJFC. Funding and club fund raising Hillside Parke, Brinscall. 2c, 5b The club is expanding and needs more BVJFC. S Brinscall Village Junior pitches for training and matches. Sport England. Football Club. (BVJFC) Redevelopment of 2 pitches at BWARA £50,000 secured. Abbey Village. Sunny View. To be determined -

Sandy Lane, Brinscall. 2b, 2c, 5b Site gets waterlogged. Funding bid Sport England C (BWARA) successful for drainage and relaying pitch £50,000 by BVJFC CRICKET White Coppice Cricket Club To be determined

Brinscall and Withnell 2b, 2c, 5b Find funding for grass wickets. Resolve External funding M Athletic & Recreational drainage issue at bottom of pitch and source Association. (BWARA) enhance overall ground facilities. Expand Brinscall Cricket Club youth teams within the club. Withnell Field Sports and To be determined Social Club, Withnell Fold

Hoghton Cricket Club 5b,2c Pitch improvements and maintenance via External funding S/M new equipment and levelling of outfield. and fund raising Proposed new pavilion / extension to village hall BOWLING GREEN Brinscall (BWARA) 5b To be determined Club

St Chads 5b To be determined Club

Hoghton Bowling Club 5b To be determined Club

EUXTON, ASTLEY AND BUCKSHAW

Management Financial Site Name and Ownership Development Plans Priority Objective Source FOOTBALL Jim Fowlers Memorial 2b, 5 Latent demand for 2 senior teams and External M Ground (Euxton Villa FC) four junior teams. Proposed pitch Funding improvements and drainage work to three senior pitches. Support the club to secure funding which will result in growth of the club. Retain current spare capacity to accommodate future growth West Way Playing Fields 2b, 2c2f, 2g, Improve drainage across the whole site S106 and S 3c, 4a and provide access to changing facilities. external funding Proposal for site to be for seniors only to compliment the long term goal for Astley to be a Junior site Greenside Football Club. Upgrading and drainage of pitches and Sport England S Parish Council improvements to changing rooms 2013.

1c Work with parish council and FA to M/L relocate mini pitch subject to housing app. Pony Field (Derian House) 2a, 3b, 5b Lease drawn up with Astley and -- S Buckshaw Junior Football club Dec 2014.

To be determined M Astley Village Playing Field. 1g, 2b, 5b Create access to duel use ancillary M LCC facilities Buckshaw Primary School, 3a Chancery Road RUGBY Chorley Union Rugby Club, 1, 3c, 4a, 5a, Site has capacity to accommodate Developer and S Chancery Road 5b additional matches. Predicted increase of Club membership to require additional pitch provision. Planning permission for developer to carry out pitch drainage and create a new 3G pitch and new full size rugby pitch. Create four changing rooms, an official’s room, medical room and a large function room within a new club house.

CRICKET Euxton Cricket Club 5a, 5b, 5c Good quality facility. To be determined. Club

BOWLING GREEN Euxton. Parish Council 5b Development plan, funding and S agreement for creation of new green Buckshaw Oakbridge 5b To be determined

SOUTHEAST PARISHES

Management Financial Site Name and Ownership Development Plans Priority Objective Source FOOTBALL Fairview Youth and 2a, 2f, 2g New pitch / training pitch to be created. Community S Community Centre Chorley 9 v 9 Association Council Jubilee Football Pitches. 2a-g Creation of a 5 v 5 mini football pitch Chorley Council C Chorley Council with goals on site. S106 Provide ancillary facilities on site – feasibility study to be undertaken M King George’s V Field 2a-g Pitches get waterlogged. Poor quality S106 S/M Chorley Council changing facilities on site. Seek possible S106 contribution to drain pitches and improve changing facilities Gillet Fields, Limbrick 3b, 3c, 5 Leased to Chorley Wanderers Junior External M Football Club. Very waterlogged - funding/S106 develop the site including drainage and surface works, upgrade shared ancillary facilities with Cricket Club CRICKET Cricket Club. Gillet Playing 3b, 3c, 5 To find funding for a non-turf practice External M Fields. Limbrick net facility and funding to improve Funding/S106 ancillary facilities Adlington Cricket Club 2b Improvements to playing pitch 2016 S106 C

BOWLING GREEN Anderton St Josephs 5b To be determined Club

St Pauls 5b To be determined Club

Rivington 5b To be determined Club

Bay Horse, Heath Charnock 5b To be determined Club

SOUTHERN PARISHES

Management Financial Site Name and Ownership Development Plans Priority Objective Source FOOTBALL Coppull United 5 To be determined Club/External funding Charnock Richard Football 5 Excellent facility. Club The Meadows Heskin. 5 Leased to Heskin FC . To be determined Parish Council Charnock Richard Primary 3a Improve maintenance regime Existing S School resource RUGBY Chisnall Lane. Chorley 5 Facility development plans. Pitch Has received 2011 – Panthers Rugby League drainage, floodlighting and new changing funding from 2013 Leased from Chorley facilities carried out 2011/12. the RFL and Council private funders Improvements to club house proposed. M The site is overplayed. Support club CRICKET Charnock Richard Cricket 5 Find funding to replace the concrete S/M Club, Charter Lane wicket to artificial. Site is overplayed BOWLING GREEN Coppull Conservative Club 5 Proposals to expand create an extra Club/External M green Funding

WESTERN PARISHES

Management Financial Site Name and Ownership Development Plans Year Objective Source FOOTBALL Drapers Avenue, Eccleston. 5 To be determined Parish Council Bradley Lane Football Pitch 5 To be determined

Bishop Rawstorne C of E 3a 3G pitch created. Future plans to be School 2014 determined. C Croston Sports Club. 4, 5 To be determined. S106 or external TBC Westhead Road Creation of a mini pitch to address the funding bids deficiency of junior pitches in the catchment Twin Lakes, Croston 4, 5 Pitch is over played. Transfer some of the Club/S106 S Croston Parish Council teams to nearby sites with spare capacity e.g. Croston Sports Club, Bishop Rawstorne and Rec Ground on Station Road. Improve pitch drainage M Bretherton Sports Club 5 To be determined M Parish Council CRICKET Mawdesley Cricket Club 5 New pavilion built 2013/14 230K secured 2013/14 (Rectory Field) Develop and expand girl’s cricket. C Funding for practice nets External grants M Eccleston Cricket Club 5 Capacity for more matches

Bretherton Cricket Club 5 To be determined

Croston Sports Club 5 Find funding to replace the mobile nets with a fixed new facility. BOWLING GREEN Bretherton Sports Club To be determined Club

Mawdesley To be determined Club

Wymott To be determined Club

Croston Black Horse To be determined Club

Croston Bowling Club To be determined Club

Eccleston To be determined Club

6.6 Asset Transfer Policy – Lease Arrangement Recommendations to Clubs

As well as improving the quality of well-used, local authority sites, there are a number of sites which have poor quality (or no) ancillary facilities. Such sites are therefore considered the ‘home ground’ of the club, despite not always having a long-term lease. It is recommended that security of tenure should be granted to the clubs playing on these sites (term subject to negotiation) so the clubs are in a position to apply for external funding to improve the ancillary facilities.

There is potential for a number of sites in Chorley to be leased to sports clubs and/or organisations. Each club will be required to meet service and/or strategic objectives set out by Chorley Council. However, an additional set of criteria should be considered, which take into account the quality of the club, aligned to its long term development objectives and sustainability.

Owing to Council budget cuts, it is increasingly important for each Council to work with voluntary sector organisations in order that they may be able to take greater levels of ownership and support the wider development and maintenance of facilities. To facilitate this, each Council should support and enable clubs to generate sufficient funds to allow this.

Recommended criteria for lease of sport sites to clubs/organisations Club Site  Clubs should have Clubmark/FA Charter Standard  Sites should be those identified as Club Sites accreditation award. for new clubs (i.e. not those with a City-wide  Clubs commit to meeting demonstrable local significance) but which offer development demand and show pro-active commitment to potential. For established clubs which have developing school-club links. proven success in terms of self-management  Clubs are sustainable, both in a financial sense and City Sites and Key Centres are appropriate. via their internal management structures in relation  As a priority, sites should require capital to recruitment and retention policy for both players investment to improve (which can be and volunteers. attributed to the presence of a  Ideally, clubs should have already identified (and Clubmark/Charter Standard club). received an agreement in principle) any match  Sites should be leased with the intention that funding required for initial capital investment investment can be sourced to contribute identified. towards improvement of the site.  Clubs have processes in place to ensure capacity to  A Council representative should sit on a maintain sites to the existing standards. management committee for each site leased to a club.

Club outcomes for lease agreements

Each Council should establish a series of core outcomes to derive from clubs taking on a lease arrangement to ensure that the most appropriate clubs are assigned to sites. As an example outcomes may include:

 Increasing participation.  Supporting the development of coaches and volunteers.  Commitment to quality standards.  Improvements (where required) to facilities, or as a minimum retaining existing standards.

7.0 STRATEGY REVIEW

The Playing Pitch Strategy seeks to provide guidance for Chorley Council, local clubs, schools and planning decisions made in Chorley over the next 5 years (2014 – 2019). By addressing the issues identified in the Site Assessments and using the strategic framework presented in this Strategy, the current and future sporting and recreational needs of Chorley can be satisfied. The Strategy identifies where there is a deficiency in provision and identifies how best to resolve this in the future.

It is important that this document is used in a practical manner, is engaged with partners and encourages partnerships to be developed, to ensure that playing pitches and outdoor sports facilities are regarded as a vital aspect of community life and which contribute to the achievement of the Council’s priorities.

The action plans will be updated as necessary. Progress will be monitored and logged and feedback sought from site users.

An annual update report will be produced to highlight the achievements and setbacks encountered.

It is essential that the site assessment data is reviewed and refreshed area by area taking into account of any improvements in pitch quality, increases in capacity and also any new negotiations for community use of private or school sites. This will keep a tally of the surpluses/deficiencies in the Borough. This will ensure that the audit and assessment data will be accurate in order to respond appropriately to the needs of the local community. This will also avoid the need for a complete review of the Strategy in the short term.

APPENDIX A

Contact List.

SPORT CLUB NAME WEBSITE CONTACT PHONE / EMAIL AGE GROUPS Archery Chorley Bowmen www.chorleybowmen.co.uk [email protected] U10 to Seniors Athletics Chorley Athletic and www.chorley-athletic-and-triathlon.org Terry 01254 830591 U11 to Triathlon Club Dickenson [email protected]; Seniors (BWARA) Brinscall & Withnell Athletic & Recreation David Alston 01254 830096

Association Cricket Lancashire Cricket Board Bobby Denning Cricket Adlington Cricket Club / Junior www.adlington.play-cricket.com Liz Chamberlain 01942818551 Juniors and CC [email protected]; Seniors Cricket Brinscall Cricket Club www.brinscall.play-cricket.com Bryn Huddart [email protected]; U13 to Gregory Bolton [email protected]; Senior Cricket Charnock Richard CC www.charnock.play-cricket.com Harold Heaton 07950144082 U11 to [email protected]; Senior Cricket Chorley CC www.chorleycc.co.uk Peter Mockett 01257 275096 U9 to [email protected]; Seniors Cricket Chorley St James CC Paul McNally [email protected];

01257 413274 Cricket Croston CC Peter Banks

Cricket Eccleston CC [email protected] Cricket Euxton CC www.euxtoncc.co.uk Pauline Toop 01257 266714 U11,U13, U15, [email protected] U18+ S Cricket Hoghton CC www.hoghton.play-cricket.com Greg Gorrell 07557124458 [email protected]; U11, U13 & Seniors Cricket Mawdesley CC www.mawdesley.play-cricket.com Martin Lewis 07962582610 U11,13,15,18 & [email protected]; Senior Cricket White Coppice CC www.whitecoppicecc.co.uk Cindy Dixon 01257 410130 U17 & Senior [email protected]; Cricket Whittle & Clayton Le Woods www.wclewoods.play-cricket.com John Cowley 01257 268029 U11, 13,15 & CC [email protected]; Seniors Football Astley & Buckshaw Juniors FC www.abjfc.co.uk Mark Perks [email protected]; U5 to U18 Phil Lucas [email protected]; Football Brinscall Village JFC www.brinscallvillagejfc.co.uk

SPORT CLUB NAME WEBSITE CONTACT PHONE / EMAIL AGE GROUPS Football Charnock Richard FC www.charnockrichardfc.co.uk Shaun Tootell 01257 792558 U8 to Seniors [email protected]; Football Chorley Ladies FC Danielle Toward Football Chorley Wanderers www.freewebs.com/cwjfc Steve Flux [email protected] U7 to 15 F Football Clayton Community Football Michael O-Sullivan

Club Football Coppull Utd John Chadwick Football Croston Juniors Fc Please contact 01257 515151 or [email protected];

for more information Football Eccleston FC Please contact 01257 515151 or [email protected];

for more information Football Heskin FC Mr E Forshaw

Football Euxton Girls FC www.clubwebsite.co.uk/euxtongirls Mick Walsh [email protected]; U10 to 16 Football Euxton Villa FC www.clubwebsite.co.uk/euxtonvillafc01 Graham Keyte 07970708772 U6 to [email protected]; Seniors Football Gillibrand Warriors FC www.gillibrandwarriors.co.uk Ray Adamson 01257 482160 / 07712 658433 U7 to U18 [email protected]; Football Withnell United Football Club Simeon Stuttard Football Mid Lancashire Football Albert Newton [email protected];

League Secretary Football Chorley Nissan Sunday Derek Highway steven@heig2387/fsnet.co.uk;

League Football Central Lancs Junior League www.cljfl.co.uk Trudi Robinson [email protected]; U7 – U16 Secretary American Chorley Buccaneers www.chorleybuccaneers.com Ian Nicolson 07787530748 U7 to U16 Football [email protected]; Crown Astley Park Bowling Club Mrs M Hargreaves

Green Bowls Crown Coppull Conservative Club www.coppullconclub.co.uk Hilda Jones 01257 792751 7 to 16 Green Bowls secretary [email protected]; Crown Green Chorley Subscription Bowling Christine 01257 276827 Juniors & Bowls Green Garstang [email protected]; Seniors Crown Green Croston Black Horse Jim Reynolds 01772 433797 Juniors & Bowling [email protected]; Seniors

SPORT CLUB NAME WEBSITE CONTACT PHONE / EMAIL AGE GROUPS Crown Green Eccleston Bowling Club Please contact 01257 515151 or [email protected];

Bowling for more information Crown Heapey Lady Bowlers Barbara Duxbury

Green Bowls Crown Green St Chads Bowlers Please contact 01257 515151 or [email protected];

Bowling for more information Crown Green St James’s Bowling Club Please contact 01257 515151 or [email protected];

Bowling for more information Crown Green Welbank Junior Bowling Club Please contact 01257 515151 or [email protected]

Bowling for more information Hockey Leyland & Chorley HC www.pitchero.com/clubs/leylandandchorley Kathryn Wright [email protected]; 7 to Seniors Lisa Evans 01772 336207 [email protected] Hockey England Hockey www.englandhockey.co.uk Julie Longden NW [email protected];

relations manager 07718 980519 Rugby Chorley Panthers www.pitchero.com/clubs/chorleypanthersrlfc Jackie 0771891127 Juniors to open League Dempsey [email protected]; age Rugby Union Chorley RUFC www.pitchero.com/clubs/chorleyrug byunionclub or [email protected]; U8, U10 & for more information Adults Withnell Fold Sports and James Hubbard

Social Club *If any clubs details are incorrect or need updating please contact [email protected] or 01257 515151 *If your club would like help with any development issues then please contact us

APPENDIX B

Funding Opportunities

1) Sport England

www.sportengland.org/funding  Sustainable facilities fund  Sportsmatch  Small Grants  Protected Playing Fields  Inspired Facilities  Iconic Facilities

2) Big Lottery Fund

www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

3) Biffaward

www.biffa-award.org

Please check these funding sources early on to find out if still relevant.

APPENDIX C

Maps by Neighbourhood Area Illustrating the Provision and Distribution of Playing Pitches in Chorley