October 2004 1. INTRODUCTION: 1.1 Space within Northampton is at a premium and is subject to many demands for its use (recreational, residential, retail, wholesale, industrial etc.). This strategy makes the case for protection of open space for formal recreational use, namely sports use. Sports use of open space requires adequate provision of playing pitches and ancillary facilities (changing, showering, and toilet facilities) suitable for the sports being played. 1.2 The analysis on which this strategy is based involves the supply and demand of pitch space for the four main pitch sports played formally within the town: Association Football; Rugby Football; Cricket; and Hockey (hockey is a slightly unusual case as it is no longer played competitively on grass, but requires a specially constructed artificial turf pitch [ATP]). 1.3 The provision and/or loss of playing pitches can be a contentious issue for sport in this country and the current Government has identified, within “A Sporting Future for All: The Government’s Plan for Sport”, that the rate at which playing pitches are being lost to development needs to be greatly reduced. An important tool in achieving this aim is for each local authority to complete a playing pitch audit and develop a local playing fields strategy. This is reinforced within Planning Policy Guidance note PPG17, which states, “to ensure effective planning for open space, sport and recreation it is essential that the needs of local communities are known. Local authorities should undertake robust assessments of the existing and future needs of their communities for open space, sports and recreational facilities”. 1.4 Provision of recreational facilities, in this instance playing pitches, is also important in the context on the Northampton Community Strategy. In particular, it helps to address issues supporting the following key themes within the strategy: (a) Promoting Community Safety (eg. providing formal open space on which diversionary activity of a sporting nature can take place) (b) Improving the Environment (eg. encouraging a more attractive local environment through provision of green spaces) (c) Promoting Good Health, Housing and Social Well-being (eg. providing space where people can partake in formal or informal physical activity which is proven beneficial to both physical health and mental well-being; also people living near green open space experience a greater feeling of well-being than others who do not have that luxury) (d) Providing Quality Education and Learning Throughout Life (eg. pitches provide venues for coach education /training activity, allowing both coaches and participants to develop their skills) (e) Strengthening the Economic Base (pitches provide a “place of work” for individuals with coaching qualifications to earn a living; also, a town with a plenty of recreational opportunities for workers is likely to be a more attractive base to employers) 2 (f) Promoting Leisure and Cultural Opportunities (the Playing Pitch Strategy will assist in providing improved recreational, sport and cultural opportunities for children and young people; as well as helping protect and enhance community and recreational facilities and parks) (g) Engaging with Communities (by ensuring an adequate supply of playing pitches across the town on which community sports clubs and organisations can develop their activities) 1.5 A number of factors therefore have determined that Northampton should adopt a Playing Pitch Strategy: • Compliance with Central Government guidance as detailed in paragraph 1.3 • Timescales fit well in terms of influencing policy within the new Local Plan which is currently under review • Realisation that a strategic case based on need must be put forward to assist in the protection of open space from development • Recognition that any bid for external funding for enhancement of existing or provision of new pitches and facilities is unlikely to be successful unless the need is strategically identified 1.6 It is envisaged that production of the strategy will achieve 5 key aims for the Council: (a) It will provide valuable local information on distribution and demand for pitches across the town that currently does not exist. (b) It will help identify priority areas for development of new, or enhancement of existing facilities that will assist in making bids for external funding. (c) It will help protect important local open space from development (specifically in areas where supply of pitches is poor). (d) It will assist the Council in developing associated strategies, and also will inform the development of policy within the Local Plan. (e) It will help ensure that new developments make appropriate provision for playing pitches 1.7 It is very important to note at this point that provision of formal pitch space for use by sport should not be the only factor in determining the importance of an open space. Playing pitches are perhaps only played on formally for one or two games per week (perhaps a total of 2 – 4 hours of use). At other times (particularly in public open space) they are used for informal recreation (walking, cycling, jogging, picnics, reading, relaxing, etc.), they provide a habitat for wildlife, and also add to the amenity value of an area (and as such are very important in terms of factors affecting the population’s “well-being”). Therefore this strategy cannot be used as the sole determinant for the provision of open space within Northampton, it only purports to make the case for formal sports use of that space. 3 1.8 PPG17 outlines in detail the Governments planning objectives with reference to provision of open space, and pays particular attention to the role that this plays in relation to enhancing people’s quality of life. With specific reference to the provision of playing pitches within public open space, the following statements are made: • Promotion of Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion – well planned and maintained open spaces and good quality sports and recreational facilities can play a major part in improving people’s sense of well-being in the place they live. As a focal point for community activities, they can bring together members of deprived communities and provide opportunities for people for social interaction. • Health and Well-being – open spaces, sports and recreational facilities have a vital role to play in promoting healthy living and preventing illness, and in the social development of children of all ages through play, sporting activities and interaction with others. 1.9 Due to Government concern over the loss of playing fields, Sport England became a statutory consultee on proposals for development which affect playing fields under Statutory Instrument 1817 of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order 1996. This was re-enforced by Circular 12/98 which stipulates that where Sport England has objected to a planning application and where the local authority is minded to grant planning permission, on land owned by a local authority or used by an educational establishment, the application must be referred to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. 1.10 The policy is as follows: ‘The English Sports Council will oppose the granting of planning permission for any development which would lead to the loss of, or would prejudice the use of, a playing field, or any part thereof, or land last used as a playing field, or land allocated in an adopted or draft deposit local plan, unless, in the judgement of the English Sports Council, one of the specific circumstances applies. The specific circumstances are: • E1 A carefully quantified and documented assessment of current and future needs has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the English Sports Council that there is an excess of playing field provision in the catchment, and the site has no special significance to the interests of sport. • E2 The proposed development is ancillary to the principal use of the site as a playing field or playing fields, and does not affect the quantity or quality of pitches or adversely affect their use. • E3 The proposed development affects only land incapable of forming, or forming part of, a playing pitch, and does not result in: the loss of, or inability to make use of, any playing pitch (including the maintenance of adequate safety margins); a reduction in the size of the playing area of any playing pitch; the loss of any other sports/ancillary facilities on the site. 4 • E4 The playing field or playing fields which would be lost as a result of the proposed development would be replaced by a playing field or playing fields of an equivalent or better quality, in a suitable location and subject to equivalent or better management arrangements, prior to the commencement of development. • E5 The proposed development is for an indoor or outdoor sports facility, the provision of which would be of sufficient benefit to the development of sport as to outweigh the detriment caused by the loss of the playing field or playing fields.’ 1.11 National policy with regard to sports use of open space, therefore, is basically to adopt an initial stance objecting to the loss of any playing fields. THE CURRENT PICTURE 2.1 This section outlines the current situation in England with regards to playing pitch and outdoor sports provision. The following aspects are discussed: • national trends in playing pitch and outdoor sports provision • current trends in pitch sport and outdoor sports participation • the local context Playing pitch provision in England – An update A lack of reliable data 2.2 There are no reliable national estimates of the total recreational land resource or the playing pitch component within it, although various local studies show a wide variation in levels of provision. 2.3 The Playing Pitch Strategy states that football accounts for about half of all adult size provision with cricket a quarter and rugby and hockey sharing the balance.