SECTION 9 – PLAYING PITCH PROVISION

9. Playing pitch provision

Introduction

9.1 This analysis of playing pitches has been undertaken following the methodology outlined by Sport in ‘Towards a Level Playing Field – A Manual for the Production of Playing Pitch Strategies’ (Sport England and CCPR 2003).

9.2 It considers voluntary participation by adults and young people in competitive:

• football

• cricket

• rugby

• hockey.

9.3 This section presents the key findings arising from pitch specific survey work and consultation, highlighting areas of concern and opportunity. It also summarises the key issues arising from general consultations undertaken as part of the PPG17 assessment.

9.4 The following areas are considered:

• the current picture – a review of current participation trends and playing pitch provision in England for pitch sports and outdoor sports, at national and local levels

• methodology – a summary of the process advocated in ‘Towards a Level Playing Field’

• the current position supply and demand situation– a quantitative and qualitative appraisal of current playing pitches across Charnwood and an evaluation of demand for pitches in the borough

• application of Sport England’s Playing Pitch Methodology (PPM).

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Context

Active People survey

9.5 The Sport England Active People surveys 2005/6 (Active People Survey 1) and 2007/8 (Active People Survey 2), suggest that football is one of the top three sports nationally in terms of percentage increase in participation, with an additional 122,000 people taking up the game between the two surveys.

9.6 The breakdown of participation by sports affecting this playing pitch strategy, and the change in participation between Active People Survey 1 and Active People Survey 2, is shown in Table 9.1 below.

Table 9.1 - Sport by sport results – Active People Survey

% of the adult % change in % of the adult population (16 participation Sport and population (16 plus) taking recreational plus) taking part at part at least activities least once a week – once a week – 2007/08 2005/06 +0.21 (statistically Football (all) 4.97 5.15 significant) +0.01 (not statistically Cricket 0.48 0.49 significant) +0.10 (statistically 0.48 0.49 significant) +0.01 (not statistically Hockey (field) 0.23 0.24 significant)

9.7 The results for the first quarter of 2009 indicate that between 2008 and 2009, the proportion of people participating once a month or more has:

• shown a statistically significant decline for rugby and football

• remained static for hockey and cricket.

9.8 Key national statistics, trends, issues and implications for future demand for playing pitches are outlined in Table 9.2 overleaf. This information is based on Sport England National Governing Body (NGB) guidance packs that outline the participation status for each sport. This context will be important in determining the future demand for pitch sports in Charnwood.

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Table 9.2 - National trends in pitch sports

Key facts Key trends Implication for pitches and ancillary facilities 1.47 million young people More children are More mini soccer and aged 11-15 participate in playing due to popularity junior pitches are football regularly of mini soccer needed Female participation has More women are playing Improved quality of risen 21%, equating to the game ancillary facilities and in 35,000 more players particular dedicated changing facilities Informal 5-a-side football More mid-week fixtures Players defecting to five- has grown in popularity in (often five-a-side a-side, therefore recent years leagues) and more non- additional synthetic turf grass pitches and indoor space may be required The Active People survey More pitches will be The vast number of indicates that 7.1% of the needed children playing mini- Football Football active population now play soccer will result in the football regularly, making need for more junior and football the 5th most mini pitches in the future popular sport in the UK in and in the long term, terms of participation, with adult pitches. 2.9 million participants As illustrated in Paragraph 9.5, according to the Active People Survey, football has had the third largest increase of all sports between 2005/ 2006 and 2006/2007. 28% of cricketers are aged Increased participation More pitches used for 16-19, compared to 12% by young people Kwik cricket and new who have participated in mobile pitches any sport or active introduced in schools recreation Female participation has Increased participation Improved access risen from 0.14% to 0.19%, by women needed to quality a rise of 0.05 percent. This training pitches and represents a change from improved ancillary 16,000 to 29,000 facilities in smaller clubs

Cricket participants, 13,000 is required additional female participants. England won The Ashes in The England and Wales Increased pressure on 2005 and subsequently Cricket Board has pitch availability, and lost the series in 2007. reported a 50% increase requirements for in participation across all additional ancillary forms of cricket accommodation

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Key facts Key trends Implication for pitches and ancillary facilities Rugby - Making An Impact Rugby union is predicted Clubs will be targeted to is the most comprehensive to grow by 0.1% from ensure they can run study into participation 0.6% to 0.7% between additional teams, trends in rugby union in 2005 and 2013. This therefore the demand for England. 254 ex-players, represents a 17% pitches will at least 193 people involved in change remain static or rugby at all levels, and potentially increase 1,708 members of the (positive outcome of public were interviewed Rugby World Cup 2007 between January and April may have had an 2003. impact) The Active People survey Many initiatives are in May require better Rugby indicates that rugby is the place to increase quality pitches with 21st most popular sport in opportunities and ancillary facilities and the UK, with participation promote the sport increased promotion of rates of 0.7%. junior rugby Women’s participation has Increase in participation Improved clubhouse increased significantly in by women. Women’s facilities and increased recent years. rugby is still a minority access to pitches sport but is stronger than ever, particularly in universities Hockey is one of top five Slight decline in youth Continuing requirement most popular games in participation. Emphasis for STPs and improved schools, although adult therefore is placed on clubhouse facilities to participation has declined promoting hockey meet league recently and the number of among young people to requirements and to children citing it as secure the future of the encourage club/team enjoyable has dropped game. However, many formation may be

Hockey from 13% to 10%. The clubs still do not have required Active People survey access to STPs indicates that 0.3% of the population participates in hockey.

Current provision

Quantity

9.9 There are a total of 211 pitches in the borough. These sites are listed in Appendix L. This figure includes all known public, private, school and other pitches whether they are in secured public use or not. The existing pitches comprise of the following:

• 79 adult football pitches

• 44 junior football pitches

• 16 mini football pitches

• 40 cricket pitches

• 21 rugby union pitches

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• 1 rugby league pitch

• 12 synthetic turf pitches.

9.10 Of these 213 pitches, 141 (66%) are full-size adult football, cricket and rugby pitches. This equates to circa one pitch for every 903 adults in Charnwood. This ratio of pitches to adults ranks Charnwood as average in comparison with many other authorities for which data is currently available (from PMP’s database) as shown in Table 9.3. Furthermore, the number of pitches to adults is above the national average.

9.11 With the exception in the reduction of a junior playing pitch at Lodge Farm, pitch, provision is consistent with that that was recorded in the 2007 Options Appraisal although some pitches were not marked out at the time of the initial site visits.

Table 9.3 – Ratio of pitches to adults

Local Authority Ratio (Pitches: adults) Kennett District Council 1:365 St Albans City and District Council 1:540 Chichester District Council 1:599 South Somerset District Council 1:608 Halton Borough Council 1:677 Staffordshire Moorlands District Council 1:761 Lichfield District Council 1:766 North Council 1:773 North Wiltshire District Council 1:804 Derwentside District Council 1:815 Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council 1:867 South Ribble Borough Council 1:891 Charnwood Borough Council 1:903 Swindon 1:926 Adur District Council 1:947 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council 1:968 England 1:989 Ipswich Borough Council 1:992 County 1:1,015 St Helens 1:1,050 Portsmouth City Council 1:1,100 Tamworth Borough Council 1:1,221 Sandwell MBC 1:1,327 Wolverhampton City Council 1:1,537

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9.12 In addition to the grass pitches, as highlighted in section 8, there are 12 full size synthetic turf pitches located within Charnwood. Three of these pitches are 3G pitches. These pitches are suitable for competitive adult football matches and can therefore potentially alleviate shortfalls of adult grass football pitches.

9.13 There are also a number of pitches located on school sites that do not allow formal community use. These pitches are not included within the 213 pitches identified and will be discussed later in this section.

9.14 Although many schools do not allow formal community use County Council encourages community use of school facilities where possible. However, schools are responsible for the own management of their facilities and ultimately the individual school decides whether community use of these facilities is allowed.

Accessibility

9.15 In line with ‘Towards a Level Playing Field’, our definition of ‘community pitches’ is those pitches with ‘secured community use’.

9.16 In practice this definition embraces:

• pitches which are in local authority management or other public ownership or management

• any facilities owned, used or maintained by clubs/private individuals which as a matter of policy or practice are available for use by large sections of the public through membership of a club or admission fee. In either case the ‘cost of use’ must be reasonable and affordable for the majority of the community. ‘Reasonable cost’ implies that pitch hire rates are broadly similar to other public sector provided pitches

• pitches at education sites which are available for use by the public through formal community use arrangements. However, no formal community use arrangements are in place in Charnwood

• any other institutional facilities which are available to the public as a result of formal dual/community agreements.

9.17 Of the 213 pitches identified, 152 (72%) are formally secured for use by the local community. As demonstrated in Table 9.4, 72% ranks Charnwood highly in comparison to other local authorities in PMP’s database. It is important to note that comparisons are made for information only, from a sample of other authorities that PMP has completed work for.

Table 9.4 – Percentage of secured community pitches

Local authority % of pitches secured for community use Ipswich Borough Council 84% Tamworth Borough Council 80% North Lincolnshire Council 77% Bromsgrove District Council 75% Wolverhampton City Council 73%

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Local authority % of pitches secured for community use Croydon Borough Council 72% Charnwood Borough Council 72% South Somerset District Council 69% Sandwell MBC 67% Lichfield District Council 65% Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council 64% Maidstone Borough Council 61% Staffordshire Moorlands District Council 56% Swindon Borough Council 55% Halton Borough Council 54% Adur District Council 53% St Albans City and District Council 49% South Ribble Borough Council 47% Chichester District Council 43%

Location of pitches

9.18 The distribution of existing pitches by settlement size has been considered, using the geographical areas outlined in Section 1.

9.19 Table 9.5 illustrates the area of playing pitches (in hectares) available for community use and the proportion of the total pitches available.

Table 9.5 – Distribution of pitches in Charnwood

Total playing pitch % of playing pitch Total playing pitch area with secured Sub-area area with secured area (hectares) community use community use (hectares)

Larger Settlements 96.98 60.78 62.7% Service Centres 105.38 65.18 61.9% Smaller Settlements 28.76 15.44 53.7% Total 231.12 141.40 61.2%

9.20 In total there are 231.12 hectares of playing pitches across Charnwood. 72% of this total area is secured for community use (including synthetic turf pitches).

9.21 The largest area of playing pitches is found in the service centres, with a total area of 105.38 hectares. This area also has the greatest amount of playing pitch area formally secured for community use (65.18 hectares).

9.22 Despite the service centres having the highest quantity of pitch area secured for community use the larger settlements have the highest percentage of pitches secured for community use (62.7%).

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9.23 The distribution of pitches by settlement is set out in Appendix L. The location of pitches across the borough is illustrated in Map 9.1 overleaf.

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Map 9.1 – Provision of grass pitches in Charnwood

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Ownership

9.24 Table 9.6 below illustrates the ownership of all pitches. It can be seen that the Parish Council and the Local Education Authority (LEA) are the largest overall providers across the borough.

Table 9.6 – Ownership of all playing pitches in Charnwood

Ownership Nr of adult football pitches football pitches Nr of adult Nr of junior football pitches pitches mini football Nr of pitches Nr of cricket pitches union rugby Nr of adult pitches union Nr of junior rugby pitches league rugby Nr of adult pitches Nr of artificial Borough Council 13 3 6 6 4 0 0 1 LEA 24 30 9 8 7 2 0 7 Other Education 3 0 0 2 3 0 1 4 Parish Council 29 9 1 7 1 0 0 0 Private/voluntary 10 2 0 17 4 0 0 0 Total 79 44 16 40 19 2 1 12

9.25 Table 9.7 overleaf summarises the ownership of community pitches in Charnwood.

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Table 9.7 – Ownership of community pitches in Charnwood

Ownership Nr of adult football pitches football pitches Nr of adult Nr of junior football pitches pitches mini football Nr of pitches Nr of cricket pitches union rugby Nr of adult pitches union Nr of junior rugby pitches league rugby Nr of adult pitches (hockey) Nr of artificial Local authority 13 3 6 6 4 0 0 1 LEA 11 7 3 1 1 0 1 3 Other Education 3 0 0 2 3 0 0 4 Parish council / 0 voluntary sector 29 9 1 7 1 0 0 Private/corporate 10 2 0 17 4 0 0 0 Total 66 21 10 33 13 0 1 8

9.26 Table 9.7 above indicates that in addition to schools being key providers of pitches in the borough, there are also a number of pitches with formal community use agreements. This reinforces the important role that schools play in the provision of sports facilities in Charnwood.

Quality of pitches

9.27 Perceived quality of pitches (and ancillary facilities) is almost as important as actual quality as the perceptions of users or potential users can easily change patterns of use.

9.28 Site assessments were undertaken by PMP using the site assessment matrix provided as part of the ‘Towards a Level Playing Field’ guidance. It is important to note that the assessments represent a snap shot in time and therefore any natural influences such as the weather may affect the quality of the pitches. Scores for each pitch are provided in Appendix M.

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Site facilities

9.29 The site assessment matrix rates both the overall facilities (changing rooms, parking, etc) and the pitches themselves. The percentage scores for the overall site are broken down as follows:

• over 90% - excellent

• 60% to 89% - good

• 40% to 59% - average

• 30% to 39% - poor

• less than 30% - very poor.

9.30 Table 9.8 summarises the ratings awarded to site facilities across Charnwood.

Table 9.8 – Quality of site facilities in Charnwood

Quality of site facilities Proportion of sites in this category Excellent 0% Good 73% Average 13% Poor 14% Very poor 0%

9.31 No sites achieved a score that ranks the overall quality of facilities as excellent or very poor.

9.32 Six sites scored 39% and below, indicating that the quality of facilities is poor. These sites were:

• Barrow Park, Barrow upon Soar – This site has no changing facilities or dedicated parking

• Fowkes Street Playing Pitches, Rothley – This site has no changing facilities and parking is limited

• King Georges Field, Queniborough - This site has no changing facilities or dedicated parking

• Netherfield Road, Anstey - This site has no changing facilities or dedicated parking

• Rempstone Road Football Pitches, Wymeswold - This site has no changing facilities or dedicated parking

• Thurmaston Doorstep Green, Thurmaston - This site has no changing facilities and there is limited parking.

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9.33 All of these sites are owned by Parish Councils and the main reasons for the poor scores are a lack of changing facilities and a lack of dedicated car parking. Full details for each site are provided in Appendix M.

9.34 The mean score across all sites was 63% indicating that the quality of facilities is generally good. Although the provision of changing facilities and improved car parking may be a future priority at some sites, it is important to note that any requirement for on-site facilities is dependent on the current usage or status of a site. This will be returned to later in this section.

Pitch quality

9.35 The percentage scores for pitches are broken down as follows:

• over 90% - excellent pitch

• 65% to 90% - good pitch

• 55% to 64% - average pitch

• 30% to 54% - below average pitch

• less than 30% - poor pitch.

9.36 The ratings for each individual pitch at each site can be found in Appendix M. Table 9.9 summarises the ratings awarded to pitches across Charnwood.

Table 9.9 – Quality of playing pitches across Charnwood

Quality of pitch Proportion of pitches in this category Excellent 0% Good 70% Average 30% Below average 0% Poor 0%

9.37 The overall results for the quality of pitches indicate that the significant majority of pitches are rated as good (70%). 30% of pitches were rated as average and no pitch achieved a score less than average.

9.38 When considering the quality of pitches for individual sports site assessments indicate that the quality of cricket pitches is noticeable higher in comparison to football and rugby pitches. The average quality score of a cricket pitch is 75% and for football and rugby the average quality score of a site is 67% and 66% respectively.

9.39 Examples of highly rated pitches in the borough were:

• Loughborough Town Cricket Club (91%) - Loughborough

• Shepshed Messengers Cricket Club (87%) - Shepshed

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• Nanpantan Sports Ground (84%) - Loughborough

• Pasture Lane Park and Sports Ground (79%). - Hathern

9.40 The poorest pitches in the Borough were considered to be:

• Thurmaston Doorstep Green (61%) - Thurmaston

• Towles Fields (61%) – Burton on the Wolds

• Barrow Park (59%) – Barrow upon Soar

• Station Road (58%) – Stafford Orchard.

9.41 Site specific issues raised on Council owned pitches included:

• Derby Road Playing Fields – the quality of pitches is generally good, however the length of grass on the rugby pitches is too long and the goalposts are rusty. It is important to note that the rugby pitches are leased to Loughborough RFC and they are responsible for the maintenance of the rugby pitches at Derby Road. The 2007 options appraisal suggested that there are also problems with security and safety at this site

• Lodge Farm Playing Fields – the quality of pitches is generally good, however at the time of site visits, the grass was too long and there was evidence of graffiti and vandalism on the changing rooms

• Nanpantan Sports Ground – the quality of pitches is generally good, however the changing facilities are in need of refurbishment. This is particularly the case if junior and women’s football is provided and was also identified as part of the 2007 options appraisal.

User perceptions

9.42 The key issues in terms of participation, facilities used, issues experienced by clubs and development opportunities are summarised in tables 9.11 – 9.14 overleaf. The issues raised in local strategic documents relating directly to each sport are also highlighted in these tables.

9.43 The key findings relating to grass pitches arising from the household survey are summarised below:

• while 42% of residents had no opinion on the quantity of grass pitches, 45% said provision was sufficient and only 13% indicate that it is insufficient. Residents living in the smaller settlements displayed higher levels of negativity

• with regards the quality of pitches, 27% rate grass pitches as average, 17% rate them good and 5% rate them poor.

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Research and Consultation

Demand

9.44 Table 9.10 outlines the number of clubs and teams for football, rugby, cricket and hockey currently playing in Charnwood. A full list of teams can be found in Appendix H.

Table 9.10 – Teams within Charnwood

Sport Number of clubs Number of teams

Football 68 258 Cricket 13 83 Rugby Union 7 41 Rugby League 1 4 Hockey 6 37 Total 95 423

9.45 Of the 423 teams currently playing in Charnwood, nearly two thirds are football teams (61%). Of the football teams, 41% (105) are adult teams. The remaining 59% of teams are made up of junior and mini sides.

9.46 It is important to note that the PPM only considers teams which play their home matches on pitches within the borough. A number of clubs based within Charnwood play outside the borough. However these teams indicated that their current home venue is their preferred venues, these teams are as follows:

• Anstey Town FC

• Birstall United Juniors U8s - U10s.

9.47 Demand would increase if these teams decided to play on pitches more local to their home.

9.48 Most teams in Charnwood are playing at their preferred location, and are playing in close proximity to the home. Clubs did however emphasise the importance for club development of having all teams playing at the same site.

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Table 9.11 – Football in Charnwood

Consultee Issue Status in Charnwood Sports clubs Membership Football is the most popular team sport in terms of participation in Charnwood with a total of 258 teams, excluding the semi-professional/professional sides. There was no clear trend in the levels of membership. 38% indicated that membership had increased, 38% stated that membership had remained static and 25% specified that membership had decreased in the last five years. Of those clubs that indicated that membership had increased, reasons given focused on an increase in the number of junior and mini teams. 23% of clubs indentified increasing the number of members as a key aim for the future. A lack of funding and ownership of land were identified as the main issues affecting these clubs who are looking to expand. Standard of play There are a several leagues that cater for teams from the Charnwood area. These leagues extend into the rest of the county, particularly towards in the south. This means that there is a lot of cross border travel. The two primary leagues are: • Charnwood Sunday Football League which plays Sunday mornings • North Leicestershire Football League which plays on Saturday afternoons. The leagues above are considered to be part-time social leagues. Other leagues that teams in Charnwood play in include Leicester and District Mutual League, Leicester and District Sunday Juniors Football League and the Leicestershire Senior League. A number of semi-professional teams (Shepshed Dynamo, Loughborough Dynamo and Quorn FC, all of the Unibond league) also play within the borough boundaries. The FA football data suggests that teams play in 31 leagues in Charnwood. Adult football in Charnwood is played on Sunday mornings and Saturday afternoons and junior and mini football on Sunday mornings, these are therefore the peak day/times for football. Facilities used The major Borough Council owned sites for football are at Derby Road and Nanpantan Sports Ground. Derby Road contains a total of 17 pitches (football, rugby and cricket) and Nanpantan Sports Ground contains a total of 11 pitches (football and cricket). The quality of pitches at both sites was generally good. A full audit of scores is provided at Appendix I. These pitches provide the main central venues for football in the borough. The only other remaining Borough Council owned pitches are Lodge Farm Playing Fields and Park Road Sports Ground. Lodge Farm Playing Fields provides 3 adult football pitches and is used extensively by a number of teams in the borough. Park Road Sports Ground contains one cricket pitch and is home to Loughborough Town Cricket Club. There are four educational establishments that have secure community use and 15 establishments which allow informal community use.

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Consultee Issue Status in Charnwood Issues The main quality, quantity and accessibility issues highlighted through site assessments and consultations were: • respondents to the sports club questionnaire highlighted a difference in opinion regarding the quantity of pitches. 31% stated that there was average provision, 25% good and 25% poor. Encouragingly 19% of respondents stated that the provision of pitches was excellent – this suggests that overall there are generally positive perceptions of the adequacy of pitches in Charnwood • in addition to the above, all clubs indicated that their current home pitch is their preferred match venue • over 90% of clubs indicated that they do not have problems accessing local facilities for competitive play. 27% of clubs specified that they do have problems accessing local facilities for training. The main reasons given for a lack of access to training facilities were that facilities were often fully booked and expensive to hire. • over half of respondents stated that the overall quality of pitches was good (54%). 38% indicated that the quality of pitches was average. Encouragingly, only 8% of respondents felt that the quality of pitches was poor. The firmness of surface and free drainage were the highest rated factors and disabled access and changing facilities were the lowest rated factors. This suggests that the main quality issues revolve around site facilities, rather than the quality of pitches • Lodge Farm Playing Fields and Derby Road Playing Fields were specifically highlighted as good quality sites by football clubs. However, the quality of changing facilities at Council owned pitches was identified as an issue • a difference in opinion regarding the condition of facilities was evident, with 47% indicating that the quality of pitches had deteriorated and 33% stating that the quality of pitches had neither improved nor deteriorated. 20% of clubs felt that the quality of facilities had improved • only 43% of clubs felt that they get good value for money in relation to the quality of pitches and 75% of these respondents indicted that they would be willing to pay more if the quality of pitches was improved • specific development issues raised by clubs included: - Loughborough Youth FC – the club has an ‘access for all’ policy and increases its number of teams by one or two each year. The club has a total of 16 teams but they do not currently own their ground. This is detrimental to the development of the club and currently three teams do not have a ground to play at for the 2009/10 season. The club would like to own their own ground but are restricted by a lack of money

- FC Dynamo – the club competes at a high standard in Leicestershire North League Division one. If the club is promoted to the Premier Division they will require a floodlit ground. The club is also looking to introduce a reserve team but are finding this difficult as the team is required to play at the same pitch as the first team.

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Consultee Issue Status in Charnwood League Consultation with league secretaries highlighted few issues with regards to the quantity of pitches in Charnwood. secretaries However, although there was perceived to be enough pitches, the availability of pitches was considered to be an issue. An example given was that pitches are marked on Thursday and if it rains on this day they are not marked and then matches get cancelled on the weekend. The quality of pitches was specified as generally good by league secretaries. The maintenance of Borough Council owned pitches was considered to be adequate and no major problems were highlighted. However, the pitches at Lodge Farm and Derby Road were said to occasionally have minor problems with drainage and the changing rooms at Derby Road Playing Fields were identified as unsecure, with these facilities often being broken into. Nanpantan Sports

Ground and Lodge Farm were given as examples of high quality sites in the borough. The secretary for the Charnwood Sunday Football League identified increasing the availability of pitches as a key priority for the future. Increasing access to school pitches was also perceived to be important. The need for a high quality venue for hosting cup final matches was highlighted as a priority by the secretary of the North Leicestershire Football League. No issues were raised with regards to the accessibility of sites. Leicestershire The key aims of the Leicestershire and FA are to: and Rutland • increase participation Football Association • improve the quality of provision • widen access to football opportunities in the county. Leicestershire and Rutland County FA Strategy 2008 – 2012 The key challenges identified include investing in facilities and halting the decline of the male 11-a-side game and support the existing teams. The four strategic goals are: • growth and retention – sustaining and increasing the number of players • raising standards and addressing abusive behaviour – creating a safe and positive environment • developing better players – focusing on the 5 – 11 age group • running the game effectively – leading and governing the game. Targets of the strategy include: • increasing the number of youth and adult teams • increasing the number of FA charter standard youth and mini teams • increasing investment in football facilities from £1.25 million to £5 million.

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Table 9.12 - Rugby in Charnwood

Consultee Issues Status in Charnwood Sports clubs Membership There are seven rugby clubs in Charnwood which contain a total of 41 teams. Respondents indicated that membership had either remained static or increased over the past five years. All respondents highlighted increasing the number of members as a key aim for the club. Standard of play Teams play in a variety of leagues across the county. These leagues include (North) League, Midlands 2 East and Leicestershire League Division 3. Teams also compete in a number of cup competitions across the county. Facilities used Teams play at a variety of facilities in Charnwood. Loughborough RFC is the largest club in the borough and the club leases the rugby pitches at Derby Road Playing Fields. Syston RFC is the only club in the borough that owns its own ground and the remaining teams play at educational establishment sites including Loughborough University, Hind Leys Community College and Longslade Community College. Issues Responding clubs indicated that the overall quantity of pitches in the borough was generally insufficient. A number of clubs highlighted that pitches are predominantly located on educational sites and that they play at their venue because it is the only facility in the area. The overall quality of pitches was generally perceived to be average. Specifically, Birstall RFC indicated that the pitches they use at Longslade Community College are not marked out properly and litter can be regularly found on the pitches. Shepshed RFC indicated that the pitches at Hind Leys Community College are adequate, but could be improved with some investment. Access to facilities was not identified as an issue. Rugby No response received to date. Football Union (RFU)

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Table 9.13 – Cricket in Charnwood

Consultee Issue Status in Charnwood Sports clubs Membership There are a total of 13 clubs in Charnwood, comprising of 83 teams. The majority of clubs contain both senior and junior teams. 80% of responding clubs indicated that membership had increased in the past five years and reasons given for an increase in membership revolved around the growth of junior sections and involvement in initiatives such as ‘Chance to shine’. The majority of responding clubs (60%) specified increasing the number of members as a key aim for the future. Standard of play The two major competitive leagues in Charnwood are: • Everands Leicestershire County Cricket League • Leicestershire Youth League. League fixtures are on Saturday afternoons, with clubs also fielding Sunday sides and many teams competing midweek. Facilities used The majority of cricket clubs are owned privately or leased directly from the Council/Parish Council (Loughborough Town Cricket Club and example). The overall quality of pitches is perceived to be good, however the grass on the outfield at Council owned sites was considered to be too long. This was perceived to be due to the use of facilities for a variety of sports. Issues The quantity of pitches was generally perceived to be sufficient by respondents and all clubs indicated that they play at their preferred venue. Specifically it was stated that the majority of settlements in Charnwood have a local cricket pitch. The quality of pitches was highlighted as good by respondents. The length of grass, grass coverage and bounce of the ball on the pitch were identified as the highest quality factors. Parking and changing facilities were perceived to be the main areas for improvement. Specifically, Burton on the Wolds Cricket Club indicated that the grass is too long on the outfield at Towles Fields. A key issue raised by some clubs was a problem with the development pathways from youth to senior level. It was stated that when junior players progress beyond the U17 age group they find it difficult to establish themselves in the senior teams due to the presence of older players. Burton on the Wolds Cricket Club was an example of his process, with the club stating that many of their players have joined the club from far afield because of this situation. Burton on the Wolds Cricket Club indicated that the pavilion at Towles Fields has recently been extended. No specific issues were highlighted with regards to accessibility. League No response received to date. secretaries Leicestershire No response received to date. & Rutland Cricket Board (LRCB)

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Table 9.14 – Hockey in Charnwood

Consultee Issues Status in Charnwood Sports clubs Membership There are currently six hockey clubs in Charnwood, comprising of a total of 37 teams. Charnwood Sileby Ladies Hockey Club and Loughborough Town Hockey Clubs have a specific focus on increasing the junior sections of their clubs. Standard of play The two major competitive leagues are: • Midland Regional Hockey Association Leagues (male) • Leicestershire and Rutland Hockey Association League (female) Matches take place on Saturdays afternoons and a number of teams also compete in a variety of cup competitions. Facilities used Clubs play at a variety of synthetic turf pitches across the borough. Pitches used by clubs for competitive matches are Soar Valley Leisure Centre,and Loughborough University. Soar Valley Leisure Centre is the only Borough Council owned facility in Charnwood. All other pitches are located on educational sites. Issues and Responding clubs did not identify any specific issues with regards to the quantity of provision. Overall the provision of constraints synthetic turf pitches was perceived to be sufficient, however accessing facilities was identified as an issue by clubs. A lack of publicly accessible facilities was identified as the key reason for this, with Soar Valley Leisure Centres STP identified as the only public facility in Charnwood. The quality of pitches was generally perceived to be good and Soar Valley Leisure Centre was highlighted as a high quality site. However, it was emphasised that 3G pitches are unsuitable for hockey, making three of the STPs in the borough ‘unusable’. English Consultation with English Hockey (EH) supports the findings of sports club consultation. EH highlighted that hockey is Hockey predominantly played at Soar Valley Leisure Centre in Mountsorrel due to difficulties in accessing other pitches in the borough. Loughborough University was specifically emphasised as a site which is difficult to access due to the use of the pitch by all University teams and as a Centre of Excellence. The school facilities, such as Hind Leys Community College, were identified as vital for developing young players and increasing access to these facilities was identified as key to developing hockey in Charnwood. EH did not identify any specific quality issues with regards to synthetic turf pitch provision, however the popularity of 3G pitches was perceived to have a detrimental impact on the development of hockey due to the unsuitability of the surface. The cost of facilities was identified as a barrier to access, particularly for smaller clubs.

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9.49 Loughborough Students is the only rugby league club in the borough. The club comprises of two male teams and two women’s teams. Competitive matches are played at Loughborough University.

9.50 The remainder of this section draws on the findings of the supply and demand analysis to identify key issues and a future delivery strategy for pitches in Charnwood.

Adequacy of current provision – The Playing Pitch Methodology

9.51 The Playing Pitch Methodology (PPM) comprises eight stages. Stages 1 to 6 involve numerical calculations, whilst Stages 7 and 8 develop issues and solutions. The methodology draws on the information collected earlier in this section and is employed to analyse the adequacy of current provision and to assess possible future situations, in order that latent and future demand (identified through Team Generation Rates), and the problems with quality, use and capacity of existing pitches can be taken into account. The increase in population is considered by modelling a future year scenario – in this case, 2026. Potential changes to the pitch stock over that time are also taken into consideration.

9.52 Figure 9.1 sets out the eight stages of the Playing Pitch Methodology,

Figure 9.1 – Key stages of the Playing Pitch Methodology Process

Stage 1 Identifying teams

Stage 2 Calculating home games per team per week

Stage 3 Assessing total home games per week

Stage 4 Establishing temporal demand for games

Stage 5 Defining pitches used/required on each day

Stage 6 Establishing pitches available

Stage 7 Assessing the findings

Stage 8 Finding solutions

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9.53 It is implicit to the methodology that each sport is dealt with individually with a specific set of calculations for each because, despite some superficial similarities, they exhibit very different patterns of play.

9.54 We have further subdivided the analysis of some sports to deal with specific sub- sectors of activity within them, eg junior play or adult play, in order that important aspects are not submerged in aggregated data. Football and rugby have been subdivided in this manner, whereas no differentiation has been made between junior and senior cricket and junior and senior hockey teams as they play on pitches of similar dimensions.

9.55 As the playing pitch strategy is a peak day model, we have determined on which day teams/leagues wish to play their fixtures, as well as the peak time (AM or PM). The methodology also considers the ability of pitches to sustain play on the peak day and at the peak time. In Charnwood, it is important to note that adult football teams play on both Saturday and Sunday. All PPM calculations for Charnwood BC are set out found in Appendix H.

Pitch Quality - Carrying capacity

9.56 There is no formula for calculating the carrying capacity of pitches, as it is dependent on a wide range of factors such as weather conditions, age/weight of users, quality of players etc. However, through local knowledge, user surveys, site visits, interviews and an analysis of usage patterns from the previous season, it is possible to estimate the approximate capacity of each pitch.

9.57 In calculating the carrying capacity of a pitch, the following should be considered:

• what proportion of games are cancelled on the pitch due to poor pitch condition?

• is the condition of the pitch declining over the season?

• what is the maintenance regime for the pitch at present?

• could the capacity of the pitch be improved by enhanced maintenance?

• to what extent are pitches required to accommodate training activity?

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9.58 The weighting system used to account for the carrying capacity of pitches is outlined in Table 9.15. The standard PPM assumes that pitches are able to take two games per week. However, if a pitch is of particularly good quality, it may be able to accommodate more than two matches per week, hence a higher weighting. If, on the other hand, the pitch in question is only able to accommodate one match, it is equivalent to half a pitch – able to take one game per week.

9.59 Increasing the quality of a pitch will therefore increase the capacity of a pitch and reduce the overall number of facilities required. Qualitative improvements are therefore likely to be as important as the provision of additional pitches.

Table 9.15 – Carrying capacity of each type of pitch

Carrying Capacity Multiplication Factor Three matches (or more) per week 1.5 Two matches 1.0 One match per week 0.5 One match or less per fortnight 0.25

9.60 In light of lower levels of wear and tear generated by young players, and the short duration of matches, mini football pitches are considered able to sustain three or four games per week without detrimental impact on the pitches.

9.61 No pitches are considered to be able to sustain less than two games per week.

9.62 Synthetic hockey pitches are not affected by the conditions discussed above as wear and tear on these pitches does not occur to the same degree as grass. These pitches have therefore been considered able to take four hockey games on the peak day, although this is dependent on flexible programming of matches to ensure this is feasible.

9.63 Grass hockey pitches are no longer used for competitive senior matches and have therefore been excluded. However, a small amount of junior hockey teams in Charnwood do play on grass hockey pitches.

PPM Calculations

9.64 Table 9.16 shows the calculations undertaken to determine the surplus/deficit of pitches in Charnwood. The data behind these calculations is found in Appendix H. Explanatory notes are provided below:

• as per PPM guidance, it is assumed that all football and rugby teams play a home match every fortnight. However, for cricket teams it is assumed that many teams play home matches more than every fortnight (ie mid-week matches, ground hire to work teams etc), hence the figure of 0.7

• data has been determined by a combination of questionnaire responses, telephone interviews and discussions with league secretaries. Figures are approximate and it is acknowledged that these may change weekly

• the figures highlighted in Red or Green represent the peak day demand.

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Table 9.16 – PPM calculations for Charnwood Borough Council

Rugby Football Mini-soccer Cricket Rugby Union Hockey League STAGE ONE Adult games 105 43 23 4 27 76 Identifying teams Junior teams 77 40 18 0 1 STAGE TWO Adult games 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Calculate home games per week Junior teams 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 STAGE THREE (S1x S2) Adult games 53 30 12 2 14 38 Assessing total home games per week Junior teams 39 28 9 0 1 STAGE FOUR Adult games 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Saturday AM 0% Junior teams0% 0%0%0%0% Adult games 45% 95% 100% 100% 90% Saturday PM 10% Junior teams 5% 60% 100% 0% 90% Adult games 55% 0% 0% 0% 5% Sunday AM 90% Establish temporal demand for Junior teams 95% 0% 0% 100% 0% pitches Adult games0% 0%0%0%0% Sunday PM 0% Junior teams0% 0%0%0%0% Mid week 1- Specify Adult games0% 5%0%0%5% 0% day Junior teams 0% 40% 0% 0% 10% Mid week 2- Specify Adult games0% 0%0%0%0% 0% day Junior teams0% 0%0%0%0% STAGE FIVE (S3 x S4) Adult games 0 0 0 0 0 Saturday AM 0 Junior teams 0 0 0 0 0 Adult games 24 29 12 2 12 Saturday PM 4 Junior teams 2 17 9 0 0 Defining pitches used each day Adult games 29 0001 Sunday AM 34 Junior teams 37 0 0 0 0 Adult games 0 0000 Sunday PM 0 Junior teams 0 0 0 0 0 Mid week 1- Specify Adult games 0 2001 0 day Junior teams 0 11 0 0 0 Mid week 2- Specify Adult games 0 0000 0 day Junior teams 0 0 0 0 0 STAGE SIX Adult games 59 11 1 15 34 16 Establishing pitches currently available Junior teams 18 0 0 STAGE SEVEN (S6-S5) Adult games 59.0 11.0 0.5 Saturday AM 15.0 33.5 16.0 Junior teams 17.5 0.0 0.0 Adult games 35.4 -0.5 -1.5 Saturday PM 11.2 -11.9 3.4 Junior teams 15.6 -9.0 0.0 Adult games 30.1 11.0 0.5 Sunday AM -19.2 33.5 15.3 Identifying shortfall (-) and surplus Junior teams -19.1 0.0 0.0 (+) Adult games 59.0 11.0 0.5 Sunday PM 15.0 33.5 16.0 Junior teams 17.5 0.0 0.0 Mid week 1- Specify Adult games 59.0 11.0 0.5 15.0 20.8 15.3 day Junior teams 17.5 0.0 0.0 Mid week 2- Specify Adult games 59.0 11.0 0.5 15 0 33 5 16 0

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9.65 The key issues arising are:

• there are sufficient adult football pitches to meet demand at the peak time (Sunday am) equal to 30.1 pitches

• there is a significant undersupply of junior football pitches at peak time (Sunday am) of 19.1 pitches

• there is a large undersupply of mini football pitches at peak time (Sunday am) equal to 19.2 pitches

• there is a large shortfall of cricket pitches at peak time (Saturday pm) equal to 11.9 pitches

• there is a minor undersupply of adult rugby union pitches at peak time (Saturday pm) equal to 0.5 pitches

• there is a under supply of junior rugby union pitches at peak time (Saturday pm) equal to 9 pitches.

9.66 These results are based on the assumption that teams wish to play on pitches which meet the National Governing Body recommendations for their age category. However, we are aware that in Charnwood some junior football teams play on senior sized pitches. This was also evident at the time of the 2007 Options Appraisal. This means that the oversupply of adult pitches may not be borne out in reality and indeed, when amalgamating the total supply of adult and junior pitches (on the peak day Sunday am) and balancing this against total demand there is sufficient provision of pitches. It does however mean that the lack of appropriate pitches for junior and mini teams may be inhibiting participation. This was also recognised in the 2007 Options Appraisal.

9.67 In addition to the community facilities offering full public access, 16 schools in Charnwood offer casual access for teams and a number of other schools offer no community access. As highlighted, these sites do not fall under the definition of secured community use and have therefore been excluded from calculations. The level of use at each school is summarised in Appendix H.

9.68 A lack of secured community use agreement means that there is no long term guarantee that the pitch will be available. When including those school pitches which allow informal community use at the current time the undersupply of junior pitches decreases significantly to 9.6 pitches. This serves to highlight the important role that these schools play.

Analysing provision in Charnwood in more detail

9.69 Analysing pitch provision in Charnwood as a whole disguises the patterns of supply and demand within different geographical areas.

9.70 The adequacy of provision in the three settlement hierarchies is set out in Table 9.17 overleaf.

9.71 Demand has been classified according to the home ground at which a club plays. This means that consideration of the table in isolation may disguise areas of shortfall arising as a result of ‘invisible need’ ie areas where there are no pitches but demand is present. This will be returned to later.

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Table 9.17 – Summary of PPM results by Settlement Hierarchy

Sub-area name / Surplus Shortfall (Adult pitches) football Shortfall / Surplus (Junior pitches) football Shortfall Surplus / (Mini pitches) football (Cricket Surplus / Shortfall pitches) / Surplus Shortfall (Adult pitches) Rugby / SurplusShortfall (Junior pitches) Rugby pitches Total A - Major settlements 12.3 -10.7 -3.2 -4.7 -4.0 -0.5 -10.7 B - Service centres 14.7 -10.0 -15.6 -3.6 3.5 -8.5 -19.5 C - Smaller rural settlements 3.2 1.6 -0.5 -3.6 0.0 0.0 0.7 30.1 -19.1 -19.2 -11.9 -0.5 -9.0 9.72 The keys issues arising from Table 9.17 are as follows:

• the supply of adult football pitches exceeds demand in all sizes of settlement (however, it is important to note that a number of junior teams are currently playing on adult pitches)

• there is an undersupply of junior football pitches in the larger settlements and service centres, indicating that junior teams may currently be playing on adult pitches

• there is an overall shortfall of 19.2 mini soccer pitches, with shortfalls located in the service centres and larger settlements

• there is an undersupply of 11.9 cricket pitches in the borough, with shortfalls located in the larger settlements as well as in the smaller settlements

• there is a minor undersupply of adult rugby union pitches, equivalent to 0.5 pitches. However, there is a shortfall of 9 junior rugby union pitches. In light of the lack of junior rugby pitches in the borough, this suggests that the junior teams currently play on adult pitches

• there is an overall shortfall of playing pitches . However, there is sufficient provision of football pitches for all age groups in the smaller settlements

• the highest pressure on pitches is found in the service centres (19.5 pitches shortfall).

9.73 Table 9.18 summarises the adequacy of provision within the individual settlements in Charnwood. These calculations exclude Platts Lane in Cossington as these pitches were closed for renovation during the season when data was collected. Platts Lane will provide two adult football pitches once renovated and this will increase provision in Cossington.

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Table 9.18 – Summary of PPM results by settlement (pitches) n

Ward name football adult of Shortfall Shortfall of junior football Mini-soccer of Shortfall Shortfall of cricket union rugby adult of Shortfall unio of junior rugby Shortfall pitches Total Sub-area Anstey 0.2 -2.4 -2.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 -4.5 B - Service centres Barkby 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 1.5 C - Smaller rural settlements Barkby Thorpe 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Barrow Upon Soar 3.0 0.0 1.5 -2.9 0.0 0.0 1.6 B - Service centres Beeby 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Birstall 4.0 -3.8 0.0 2.0 -2.5 0.0 -0.3 A - Major settlements Burton on the Wolds 0.7 0.0 0.0 -0.3 0.0 0.0 0.4 C - Smaller rural settlements Cossington 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Cotes 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements East Goscote 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 B - Service centres Hathern 1.3 0.2 1.8 1.7 0.5 -5.5 -0.0 B - Service centres Hoton 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Mountsor rel 2.2 -1.0 -1.4 -1.4 0.0 0.0 -1.5 B - Service centres Newtown Linford 0.0 0.0 0.0 -2.7 0.0 0.0 -2.7 C - Smaller rural settlements Prestwold 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Queni bor ough 0.9 -1.4 -0.5 0.0 3.0 -3.0 -1.0 B - Service centres Quorndon 2.5 -3.6 -6.3 1.5 0.0 0.0 -5.9 B - Service centres Ratcliffe on the Wreake 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Rearsby 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 B - Service centres Rothley 0.2 0.6 -1.4 -2.0 0.0 0.0 -2.6 B - Service centres Seagrave 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Shepshed 3.1 -1.8 2.7 -2.1 -0.5 -0.5 0.9 A - Major settlements Sileby 0.9 -0.5 -3.2 1.5 0.0 0.0 -1.2 B - Service centres South Croxton 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Swithland 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Syston 2.5 -1.9 -4.1 -1.9 0.0 0.0 -5.3 B - Service centres Thrussington 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Thurcaston 0.0 1.0 0.0 -2.0 0.0 0.0 -1.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Thurmaston 2.7 -3.3 -3.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 -3.8 A - Major settlements Ulverscroft 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Walton on the Wolds 0.0 0.0 0.0 -2.1 0.0 0.0 -2.1 C - Smaller rural settlements Wanlip 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Woodhouse 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 C - Smaller rural settlements Wymeswold 1.5 0.6 -0.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 2.6 C - Smaller rural settlements Loughborough 2.5 -1.8 -2.7 -4.6 -1.0 0.0 -7.5 A - Major settlements Total 30.1 -19.1 -19.2 -11.9 -0.5 -9.0 -29.5 9.74 Table 9.18 indicates the following:

• there is an overall shortfall of playing pitches in 13 settlements in Charnwood

• the greatest overall shortfall of playing pitches is found in Loughborough (7.5 pitches) and Quorn (5.9 pitches)

• there are sufficient adult football pitches in all settlements in Charnwood

• there is a shortfall of junior football pitches in ten settlements, with the highest shortfalls in Birstall (3.8) and Quorn (3.6)

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• there is a shortfall of mini soccer pitches in ten settlements, with the greatest shortfalls located in Quorn (6.3), Syston (4.1), Sileby (3.2) and Thurmaston (3.2)

• there is a shortfall of cricket pitches in ten settlements. The greatest shortfall is found in Loughborough (4.6) and Barrow Upon Soar (2.9)

• the greatest pressure on rugby pitches is in Hathern

• although shortfalls are identified in Birstall and Thurmaston, as previously, highlighted there is planned provision of at least one sports pitch in both of these settlements. This will offset demand to an extent.

9.75 Although there is currently a shortfall of playing pitches in Birstall new pitches will be provided as part of the Hallamfields Development. This may reduce existing shortfalls in Birstall.

9.76 It must be noted that some teams are currently travelling across the Borough to access pitches. Provision of community pitches in Rothley and East Goscote may reduce demand in other parts of the borough.

Predicting the future

Team Generation Rates

9.77 Team Generation Rates (TGRs) indicate how many people in a specified age group are required to generate one team. TGRs are derived by dividing the appropriate population age band for the relevant sport (eg for adult football it is the 16-45 age group) by the number of teams playing that sport. Calculating TGRs enables fair comparison to be made between different areas where similar studies have been undertaken. They also enable the projection of likely future participation.

9.78 Team generation rates also provide an indication of latent demand (potential future demand).

9.79 TGRs can be calculated for each of the individual disciplines, such as adult men’s football, adult women’s football, mini-soccer. Once these TGRs have been calculated, they can be brought together to form one TGR for each sport.

9.80 The TGRs for each sport in Charnwood are shown Tables 9.19 – 9.23 and are compared to the national average based on Sport England database of Team Generation Rates.

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Table 9.19 – Football team generation rates

Age group Charnwood TGR National average Senior male 1:330 1:314 Senior female 1:16,973 1:10,593 Junior male 1:86 1:71 Junior female 1:861 1:818 Mini soccer 1:102 1:141

9.81 Table 9.19 indicates that with the exception of mini soccer teams, the number of people required across each age group to generate a team is above the national average. This suggests that participation in football is below average.

9.82 Data provided by the FA County Administration system (Football Association 2009) provides a contrasting viewpoint, indicating that participation in mini and junior teams is below the national average. It suggests that to achieve participation targets an additional 15 junior male teams, 6 junior female teams and 12 mini football teams would be required.

9.83 This data source differs from the Sport England data as it considers all local authorities, and not just those that have prepared Playing Pitch Strategies. The lower levels of participation in junior and mini football suggest that the lack of appropriate pitches is potentially inhibiting participation.

Table 9.20 – Cricket team generation rates

Age group Charnwood TGR National Average Senior male 1:936 1:1,333 Senior female 1:39,295 1:72,518 Junior male 1:255 1:1,481 Junior female 1:9,943 1:15,926

9.84 Table 9.20 indicates that the number of people required across each age group to generate a team is significantly below the national average. This indicates that participation in cricket is above average, particularly junior cricket.

Table 9.21 – Rugby Union team generation rates

Age group Charnwood TGR National Average Senior male 1:1,612 1:10,315 Senior female 1:7,253 1:43,770 Junior male 1:440 1:1,864 Junior female 0 1:19,529

9.85 Table 9.21 indicates that the population required to generate one team for both senior and junior rugby is significantly less than the national average. This suggests that participation levels in rugby are high.

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Table 9.22 – Hockey team generation rates

Age group Charnwood TGR National Average Senior male 1:1,886 1:7,595 Senior female 1:2,425 1:10,292 Junior male 1:1,670 1:4,239 Junior female 1:2,505 1:5,115

9.86 Consistent with the findings for rugby union, Table 9.22 indicates that the population required to generate one team across all age groups is significantly less than the national average. This indicates that participation levels in hockey are high.

Projections for 2026

9.87 By applying TGRs to population projections for 2026, using the PPM we can project the theoretical number of teams that would be generated over the LDF period and gain an understanding of the adequacy of current pitch provision to meet future demand, assuming the supply and capacity of pitches does not alter in the interim.

9.88 Table 9.23 therefore models the likely implications of future population change. The calculations behind this model are set out in Appendix H.

Table 9.23 - Summary of PPM results for 2026 ootball pitches) ootball

Sub-area name / SurplusShortfall (Adult football pitches) Shortfall/ Surplus (Junior football pitches) ShortfallSurplus / (Mini f Shortfall / Surplus (Cricket pitches) / SurplusShortfall (Adult pitches) Rugby Shortfall (Junior / Surplus pitches) Rugby pitches Total A - Major settlements 10.1 -13.3 -5.2 -7.8 -4.9 -0.6 -21.7 B - Service centres 13.1 -13.3 -19.2 -5.2 2.7 -9.8 -31.7 C - Smaller rural settlements 2.0 1.3 -0.5 -6.5 0.0 0.0 -3.6 25.3 -25.3 -25.0 -19.5 -2.2 -10.3 9.89 Table 9.23 indicates that pressure on existing pitches will grow by the year 2026, particularly with regards to junior football and mini soccer. The location of population growth will be a key determinant of where additional pitches will be required.

Summary of need for playing pitches

Charnwood Borough

9.90 Table 9.24 overleaf summarises the adequacy of pitch provision across the borough in terms of quality, quantity and accessibility.

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Table 9.24 - Summary of need for playing pitches in Charnwood Borough

Playing Pitch provision

• The ratio of pitches to adults (1:903) is above the national average and average in comparison to other local authorities. • The largest pitch providers in the borough are Parish Councils and educational establishments. These two owners provide 69% of pitches in the borough. • The quantity of pitches in the borough is generally perceived to be adequate by users. • PPM calculations indicate that there is a theoretical shortage of pitch provision within all of the three settlement hierarchies. The greatest shortfalls are for mini soccer pitches and junior football pitches, with two out of the three areas having insufficient provision, equating to a theoretical overall shortfall of 19.2 mini soccer pitches and 19.1 junior football pitches. There are also shortfalls of provision for rugby. Quantity Quantity • The supply of adult pitches is significantly greater than demand, however, many junior teams do currently play competitive matches on adult pitches. When the supply of adult and junior pitches is considered together, there is an overall surplus of circa 10 pitches in Charnwood (This takes in to consideration the current carrying capacity of pitches). • In addition to the above, including all school sites which offer informal community use within calculations significantly reduces shortfalls in provision. Further improvements to the level of community access will therefore enhance pitch provision in the long term. • Site visits indicated that the quality of pitches is generally good. This is supported by consultation findings. • Deficiencies identified by the PPM and highlighted earlier can be addressed through the improvement of existing pitches (as this increases the carrying capacity of pitches). Key issues highlighted by consultation and site assessments with regards to the quality of pitches include: - the quality of pitches is generally perceived to be good. Lodge Farm Playing Fields and Nanpantan Sports Ground are specifically highlighted as high quality sites Quality - the lack of suitable ancillary facilities was highlighted as the key issue with regards to the quality of sites. There is a significant amount of pitches in the borough that do not have changing facilities or dedicated parking, which makes them unsuitable for clubs competing in local league competitions. This also leads to issues accommodating female teams and problems of providing for junior teams alongside senior teams due to child protection issues.

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Playing Pitch provision

• Of the 213 pitches identified in Charnwood, 72% are secured for use by the community. • The role of educational establishments that offer informal access in Charnwood is vital. As previously identified, if all schools offering informal community use had secure community access the shortfall of junior football pitches decreases by over 50% (10.5 pitches) to 7.6 pitches. • Currently 16 schools offer informal community use and whilst these school pitches are currently available for use by teams, a lack of security surrounding the agreements means that this can change at any time, placing significant pressure on the remaining pitch stock. Long term security of these agreements is therefore essential. • In addition to these schools, there are also a number of schools which have pitches that are currently not available for community use. Securing community use of these pitches will also be important if current shortfalls of junior football pitches are to be alleviated.

Access Access • Encouraging schools to permit community use may require financial commitment from the local authority to improve playing surfaces and capacity, provide or improve changing accommodation. The BSF programme may offer opportunities to enhance and upgrade facilities in future years. The extended schools agenda may also facilitate the use of school facilities for community use. Increasing access to pitches at school sites ensures that resources are maximised. • More than half of clubs (53%) that responded to the sports club survey indicated that currently, they do not get value for money in relation to the cost of pitches. Nearly two thirds of clubs (65%) suggested that they would be willing to pay more if the quality of pitches was to be improved. Following pitch improvements the current charging policies should be reviewed and consideration should be given to the implementation of a hierarchy of prices, where higher quality facilities are available at a higher fee.

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Key issues and solutions

9.91 The remainder of this section summarises the key issues and highlights solutions relating to pitch provision in Charnwood. It considers:

• a hierarchical approach to pitch provision

• dealing with overuse and underuse

• addressing shortfalls and surpluses

• setting local standards for pitch provision.

9.92 In view of the need to achieve higher standards of pitch and ancillary provision across the borough, a hierarchy of pitch provision is proposed.

9.93 Sport England recommends a playing pitch "hub" approach where pitches for an area are concentrated on fewer sites with a greater number of pitches on each site. This is with a view to providing a higher standard of facilities on fewer sites. A hub site may be a local authority, school or university facility. The potential for such a hub was also discussed as part of the 2007 Options Appraisal, with Nanpanton Sports Ground identified as a potential opportunity.

9.94 The second tier of the hierarchy comprises of smaller satellite sites, located strategically to serve communities across the borough. Satellite sites are able to add value, as additional, complementary opportunities through their being associated with the hub facilities. These sites are particularly important in a rural Borough like Charnwood, where residents want opportunities to play competitive sport close to their home. A better use of limited resources will arise from investment and management in more sustainable sites. Long term sustainability of provision was a particular concern.

9.95 This hierarchy has been used to identify the pitches providing for higher level adult and junior competition, and those for lower level adult competition, casual play and training.

9.96 One of the key principles of the hierarchy is that changing facilities should only be provided on sites with management in place and that in order to ensure long term sustainability; focus should be placed on multi pitch sites.

9.97 A set of qualitative standards have been recommended for each tier in the hierarchy. Based on an appraisal of sites, Table 9.25 identifies existing sites that are most suitable for inclusion in each tier of the hierarchy. However, it is important to note that the qualitative standards recommended for each tier are aspirational and the most suitable existing sites may require enhancements before they can reach this standard. For many clubs in the Borough, club identity is essential, and this hierarchical approach will ensure that facilities can provide the opportunity for these clubs to have their own facilities which are sustainable.

9.98 These standards have been developed taking into account the principles outlined in PPG17, which state that:

“Quality depends on two things: the needs and expectations of users, on the one hand, and design, management and maintenance on the other”

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Table 9.25 - Proposed hierarchy of pitch provision

Tier Qualitative standards – aspirational Example pitch sites Tier 1 - • Multi pitch site (at least 4 pitches) Derby Road Playing Flagship/hub • Adequate changing facilities that: Fields, Nanpantan sites Sports Ground, - are flexible, fit for a variety of purposes and Rawlins Community which fully comply with the provisions of the College. Disability Discrimination Act

- provide for a number of different groups to use the facility at the same time, in safety The 2007 options and comfort appraisal identifies the - meet current standards - Sport England potential for and NGB guidelines Nanpanton Sports Ground to become the • Managed community access flagship facility, which • Very high standard of maintenance would include the • Quality of site – should score 90% or above stadium for the using site assessment matrix Unibond League teams. • Sufficient dedicated car parking • Size of pitch must meet NGB specification. • Potential to include 3g pitches for training Tier 2 - • Multi pitch site (at least 2 pitches) Memorial Park, Satellite • Adequate changing facilities (new builds must Meadow Lane Playing sites meet current standards) Fields, Lodge Farm Playing Fields • Managed community access

• Quality of site – should score 70% or above using site assessment matrix Many of the larger • High standard of maintenance Parish Council facilities would fit into • Some dedicated car parking – to lesser this categorisation extent than hub sites • Size of pitch must meet NGB specification. Tier 3 – • Suitable for the use of a small number of local South End Recreation Single pitch teams Ground, Elizabeth sites • Changing perhaps not essential Park, Birstall Playing Fields • Quality of site – should score 60% or above using site assessment matrix • Car parking nearby but not necessarily on site • Medium level of maintenance.

9.99 The tier 1 and 2 sites should be prioritised for improvement. Further development of pitch sites in the future should be assessed in line with the above hierarchy. Improvements required should be informed by the scores achieved on the site assessments carried out as part of the development of this strategy.

9.100 In order to drive a programme of improvements, a minimum quality standard should be applied, measured by the score according to the site assessment matrix. It is recommended that this is set at:

• 60% for the site and ancillary facilities (the percentage score required to be categorised as good)

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• 65% for the pitch area (the score currently required to be categorised as a good pitch). This should reflect a minimum standard of provision.

9.101 It is important to note that the above quality standards are minimum requirements and in the long term the quality standards outlined in the pitch hierarchy (Table 9.25) should look to be achieved at the relevant pitch sites.

9.102 The proportion of pitches and ancillary facilities meeting this requirement should be monitored annually. The site assessment matrix can be found in Appendix J.

9.103 The Council should act as an enabler and support all partners in maintenance, improvement and enhancement of their facilities.

PPS 1 Seek to enhance the quality of pitches in line with the quality vision. The programme of improvement should concentrate on tier 1 and tier 2 pitch sites – multi pitch sites offering fit for purpose facilities and changing accommodation. Construction of changing facilities on single pitch sites is not recommended.

Dealing with overuse

9.104 The quality of pitches is currently impacted by the overuse of some sites. There are a number of sites in the borough that are currently being over used. Given that this significantly impacts on pitch quality, it should be addressed prior to further qualitative improvements at these sites:

• Elizabeth Park, Thurmaston (2 adult football pitches) – seven junior football teams and seven mini soccer teams currently use this site even though no junior or mini pitches are provided

• Memorial Playing Fields, Syston (5 adult football pitches) – nine adult football teams currently play at this site. Additionally, nine mini soccer and four junior football teams also play at this site even though no pitches are provided for these age groups

• Rawlins Community College, Quorn (3 adult and 6 junior football pitches) – nine adult, six junior and eight mini soccer teams currently use this site. This site is particularly overused when considering curricular use of the pitches.

9.105 In contrast there are a number of pitches in the borough that are currently underused by teams in the borough:

• Barrow Park (Barrow Upon Soar)

• Beacon Road Sports Ground (Loughborough)

• King George V Playing Fields (Loughborough)

• Rearsby Village Hall (Rearsby)

• South End Recreation Ground (Loughborough)

• Station Road (Quorn)

• Thurmaston Doorstep Green (Thurmaston).

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9.106 The 2007 Options Appraisal also identified some surplus provision at Lodge Farm and Derby Road. This occurred as a result of a lack of provision for junior and mini teams, while the supply of adult pitches remains high.

9.107 One new sports pitch will be provided as part of the planned ASDA development in Thurmaston and and two new sports pitches as part of Hallam Fields at Birstall. These facilities will help to reduce existing deficiencies in these areas.

9.108 To help reduce pressures on over used pitches, providers of pitches should seek to either:

• move teams currently playing on over used pitches to other pitches in the borough that are currently under used

• improve the quality of existing pitch sites so that carrying capacity is increased and the pitch is able to sustain more matches per week

• develop new pitches.

9.109 However, before moving teams it is important to consider the quality of sites to ensure they can meet the increased demand. This is particularly important with regards to school pitches.

PPS 2 Consider reallocation of teams to pitches which are currently underused in order to reduce overplaying and maintain quality. Providers of pitches should look to do this in conjunction with schools/colleges and Parish Councils.

Addressing deficiencies

9.110 The analysis of the PPM by settlement enables the identification of localised priorities within Charnwood. Analysis reveals that the key current shortfalls of all types of playing pitches are located in:

• Syston (8.9 pitches)

• Loughborough (7.5 pitches)

• Quorn (5.9 pitches)

9.111 Deficiencies can be addressed by several mechanisms including:

• upgrading existing pitches and consequently improving the capacity (discussed above)

• improving access to existing sites

• providing new facilities.

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Protection of existing provision

9.112 The first component of addressing deficiencies is to protect existing provision.

9.113 The identified deficiencies of certain pitch types (and pressures on the overall pitch stock in the borough for junior and mini pitches) emphasises the importance of protecting many of the existing areas of playing pitch land and open space in public, private and educational ownership, as playing pitches can be under threat from other, non sport development. This was discussed in Section 8 (OSF1) and is particularly important for pitches.

9.114 Sport England policy outlined in A Sporting Future for Playing Fields in England outlines five conditions that may allow for development on a playing field. If one of these five conditions is met then disposal of a site may be permitted if the overall change to the pitch provision has positive repercussions for pitch provision in the borough. The five conditions are:

• a carefully quantified and documented assessment of current and future needs has demonstrated to the satisfaction of Sport England that there is an excess of playing field provision in the catchment, and the site has no special significance to the interests of sport

• 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

• 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 areas of any playing pitch or the loss of any other sporting/ancillary facilities on the site

• 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 and of equivalent or greater quantity, in a suitable location and subject to equivalent or better management arrangements, prior to the commencement of development

• 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.

PPS 3 As a result of the pressure on the existing pitches, protect pitches from development in the LDF. Policy should include Sport England criteria for the protection of pitches

Improving access

9.115 According to PPG17, access to outdoor sports facilities are only considered high valued if they are accessible to the local community. An inaccessible facility is of limited value to the local community as a sports facility, regardless of the quality of the space.

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9.116 Access to school and college sites is a frequently raised issue across the UK, with many good quality playing fields sitting unused on peak days. While the proportion of schools permitting community use in Charnwood is high, there are several schools currently permitting usage but without a secured agreement. These include:

• Barrow Hall Orchard Church of England Primary School

• The Martin High School, Anstey

• Woodhouse Eves St Paul’s Church of England Primary School

• Sileby Redlands County Primary School.

9.117 Many of the community schools are also let out on an ad hoc basis only.

PPS 4 In areas of pitch deficiency, consider negotiating formal access to school pitches as an alternative to providing new facilities.

Specific Priorities

Specific issues raised by clubs relating to their pitches were highlighted in Tables 9.10 to 9.14. The priorities in the areas with the largest shortfalls are summarised overleaf in Table 9.26 for each sport.

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Table 9.26 - Key issues by sport & potential solutions

Sport Priority areas Potential Solutions Football The main gap in provision focuses In Syston, there are particularly pressures on junior and mini football pitches. in terms of ensuring that facilities are able The areas of highest priority are: to accommodate juniors and women as • Syston (shortfall of 1.9 junior well as adult males. Reconfigured pitches / pitches and 4,1 mini pitches) pavilions (and additional provision) is • Quorn (shortfall of 3.6 junior required in this area. Pitches in Syston are pitches and 6.3 mini pitches) also catering for clubs from outside of the town. Improving pitches in other areas may • Loughborough (shortfall of 1.8 reduce demand in Syston. junior pitches and 2.7 mini pitches). In Loughborough, the extension of Nanpanton Sports Ground to include Other priority areas include Sileby additional pitches could reduce pressure in and Anstey. Loughborough (and in surrounding areas). Consultation with clubs in Quorn did not identify any issues with regards the quantity of pitches, but shortfalls in this area reinforce the value of Rawlins Community College and the importance of securing these pitches for long term use. Additionally, there are opportunities at primary schools in the area to secure formal agreements for use of the pitches. Demand in Quorn should be monitored. Consultation also indicated that there are pressures on pitches in Queniborough, and that a lack of provision is inhibiting club development. It must be noted that some teams are currently travelling to pitches. The increased usage of the provision of community pitches in Rothley and East Goscote may reduce demand in other parts of the borough. Cricket Shortfalls in cricket provision have Given that quality was identified as a higher predominantly resulted in clubs priority by cricket clubs, focus should creating junior teams. Key areas remain on quality in the short term. of pressure are: Pressures on pitches in these areas should • Loughborough however be monitored. The Sports Ground • Syston Options Appraisal identified the potential to reconfigure pitch provision across sites in • Barrow Upon Soar Loughborough to realign pitch provision. • Newtown Linford Rugby Pressure is focused around There are insufficient facilities of existing clubs in Birstall, appropriate quality and there is a need to Loughborough and Shepshed. increase provision, particularly in the areas Again this is generated as a result where pressure is high. School facilities of increasing demand for the junior currently used are of limited quality and game. require improvement if appropriate provision is not available at public sites. Hockey There are sufficient pitches to Priority should be given to improving meet the needs of hockey teams. existing facilities to ensure that they are suitable for matches, particularly Hind Leys Community College, Burleigh Community College and Longslade Community College (as highlighted in S8).

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9.118 The priorities for improvement / new provision should be determined by the level of shortfall in each area (outlined in Table 9.18).

Developing local standards

9.119 The findings of this Playing Pitch Assessment can be used to inform the creation of local standards. These build on the standards set out in Section 8 and provide more specific detail for pitches. Local standards have been set for playing pitches in terms of quantity, quality and accessibility. These are summarised below and set out in full detail in Appendices D and E.

Accessibility Standards

9.120 As part of the PPG17 assessment (and explained in more detail in Section 8) recommendations have been made for local standards across the Borough. These standards have been derived from local needs consultations. The recommended local accessibility standard for pitches has been set at a 10 minute walk time and it is therefore important to consider pitch provision at a localised level (although there is also an accepted need to travel further for competitive matches). This ten minute standard is based on both residents’ opinions of how far they would expect to travel to pitches for both formal and informal use. The justification for this standard is summarised below and set out in detail in Appendix E.

Recommended standard – outdoor sports facilities 10 minute walk time to informal grass pitches 20 minute drive time to formal grass pitches Justification Analysis of consultation with residents demonstrates that the majority of users currently expect to find a grass pitch within walking distance of their home and are willing to travel up to 10 minutes (this was both the most common and the modal response. All clubs responding to the club survey who are playing competitively indicated that they would expect to travel by car to high standard grass pitches which are suitable for competitive. Most would expect to travel between 20 and 24 minutes. A local standard has therefore been set at a 10 minute walk time, to represent the views of those who expect to find informal pitch provision locally. For formal pitches, a drive of up to 20 minutes should be expected (based on club consultation). Consultation highlights the expectation that facilities will be provided local to the home, however it is clear that the quality of sites and the degree to which they are fit for purpose takes on greater importance. Good access to school facilities will be essential if this standard is to be achieved.

Setting a Local Quantity Standard

9.121 Fields in Trust Standard for pitch provision states that for every 1,000 people, 1.2 hectares of playing pitches should be provided. However, this is a national benchmark and it is important to also consider the local context and local variations that may cause this.

9.122 PPG17 advocates the development of local standards that consider the local population and local community needs. In sections 4 – 8, local quantity standards have been set for all types of open space and a broad overarching standard has been set for outdoor sports facilities (section 8).

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9.123 The findings of the Playing Pitch Methodology calculations inform the development of a local quantity standard for pitches which will reflect specific local demand for football, cricket and rugby pitches in the Borough. Synthetic turf pitches are also not included in this standard due to the range of pitches (eg sand based, 3G) and the fact that they are only used for competitive play by hockey clubs. Synthetic turf pitches were discussed in Section eight.

9.124 The existing level of provision is based upon the current supply of community accessible pitches (measured in area) in the borough, divided by the population. The current level of community accessible playing pitches is 0.90 hectares per 1000 population.

9.125 The PPM outlines where current shortfalls and surpluses exist for each type of sport and a local standard can therefore be created based on these calculations. The standard takes into account the additional pitches needed (or surplus pitches identified) to meet demand and calculates the area of this required level of provision. This method of calculating the standard is based on local need and is therefore compliant with the principles set out in PPG17.

9.126 For Charnwood, a minimum of 1.09ha of accessible playing pitches per 1000 people is required to meet local demand.

9.127 This figure constitutes a minimum level of provision to ensure that supply and demand are aligned, and does not take into account the recommended strategic reserve.

9.128 The justification for the recommended standard is outlined overleaf.

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Quantity Standard (Appendix E)

Existing level of provision(hectares per 1000 Recommended standard (hectares per 1000 population) population) 0.90 hectares 1.09 hectares

Justification

The application of the Playing Pitch Methodology (PPM) suggests that overall, the quantity of provision is sufficient to meet needs although there are some localised deficiencies as well as issues relating to the supply for specific sports.

In order to calculate the amount of area required for community pitch use, the following calculations were undertaken:

Total playing Playing Additional Total pitch area pitch area Required pitch area future Sub-area Population with per 1,000 Population Pitch required pitch secured population Provision (ha) area (ha) community (ha) use (ha) A - Major 15,229 60.78 3.99 3.32 64.10 91,027 0.70 settlements B - Service centres 90,375 65.18 0.72 -8.80 56.38 55,477 1.02 C - Smaller rural 51,874 15.44 0.30 20.62 36.06 11,003 3.28 settlements Total 157,477 141 0.90 30.28 171.68 157,507 1.09

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Developing quality standards

9.129 In section 8, the key quality criteria for all outdoor sports facilities were set out. In addition to this, for pitches, they should be measured against the quality criteria set out in Towards a Level Playing Field. The minimum baseline scores targeted should be:

• 60% for the site and ancillary facilities (the percentage score required to be categorised as good)

• 65% for the pitch area (the score currently required to be categorised as a good pitch). This should reflect a minimum standard of provision.

9.130 The local quantity standard for playing pitches has been set above the existing level of provision (0.90) at 1.09 hectares per 1000 population.

PPS 5 Increase the existing level of community accessible pitch provision from 0.90 hectares per 1000 to 1.09 hectares per 1000 population.

Summary

9.131 The ratio of pitches to adults (1:907) is above the national average and average in comparison to other local authorities. The largest pitch providers in the borough are Parish Councils and educational establishments. These two owners provide 69% of pitches in the borough. Charnwood Borough Council provides a series of large multi pitch sites in and around the Borough.

9.132 The quantity of pitches in the borough is generally perceived to be adequate by users although a series of quality issues were identified. Ancillary provision is perceived to be a particular issue, particularly if children and females are to be encouraged to play the game. In particular, the quality of ancillary accommodation at Nanpantan Sports Ground, Lodge Farm Playing Fields and Derby Road Playing Fields is currently inadequate.

9.133 PPM calculations indicate that there is a theoretical shortage of pitch provision within all of the three settlement hierarchies. The greatest shortfalls are for mini soccer pitches and junior football pitches, with two out of the three areas having insufficient provision, equating to a theoretical overall shortfall of 19.2 mini soccer pitches and 19.1 junior football pitches. There are particular pressures on football pitches in and around the larger settlements.

9.134 In addition, there is pressure on existing cricket pitches (particularly in the rural settlements) and on rugby pitches (particularly in the larger towns).

9.135 The key priorities arising out of this analysis are therefore:

• increase the amount of provision for junior teams. This may mean increasing community use of school pitches, increasing the provision of junior pitches or alternatively, increasing the amount of junior teams playing matches on adult pitches. Whilst this is not ideal from a development perspective it provides a degree of flexibility with the existing pitch stock (ie both senior and junior teams can use them). Any joint use of pitches should consider the implications of child protection etc and it should be ensured that appropriate changing facilities are provided. Longer term, new provision is required for junior teams, this may include reconfiguring existing adult pitches. This is also outlined as an option within the 2007 Options Appraisal

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• to alleviate deficiencies of mini soccer pitches consider increasing provision in Charnwood. This could be achieved through the conversion of surplus adult pitch into mini soccer pitches

• in consideration of the high level of use of pitches from both junior and senior teams, seek to enhance the quality of pitches using the hierarchical approach to prioritise improvements

• seek to secure formal community use agreements for all school pitches in the borough, particularly in areas of deficiency.

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