DCSDC Draft EQIA for Playing Pitches Strategy

Draft Impact Assessment Report for Playing Pitches Strategy December 2020 1 Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Executive Summary 4 3. Background to the Policy 5 4. Socio–Economic Profile of Derry City and Strabane District Council Area 7 5. Consideration of Available Data and Research 14 6. Consideration of Measures to Mitigate any Adverse Impact 24 7. Conclusions 24 Appendices Appendix 1 Consultation Feedback 25 2 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (“the Act”) requires the Council in carrying out its functions, powers and duties to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity: Between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation; Between men and women generally; Between persons with disability and persons without; Between persons with dependants and persons without. 1.2 In addition, without prejudice to its obligations above, the Council shall in carrying out its functions, powers and duties have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group. The Council supports the principles of good relations: equity, respecting diversity and interdependence, and the development of relationships built on trust and respect. 1.3 Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Equality Scheme commits the Council to assess how policy proposals impact on the promotion of equality of opportunity within the terms of Section 75 of the Act. 3 2.0 Executive Summary 2.1 The Playing Pitches Strategy is a two part study into the current pitch provision and to create a strategy that will be used to further develop the pitch infrastructure in the District in a way that is affordable, sustainable, inclusive, high quality and consistent with current best practice in public pitch provision. The strategy has two main aims Audit the design, distribution, demand/supply information and condition of all sites hosting Council education and community/club owned outdoor ‘pitches’ and associated changing facilities in the District. This condition audit is to include all natural turf and synthetic pitches for association football, gaelic games, rugby, hockey and cricket was added to the list given its prominence as a club sport in the District. Review the current provision data and previous strategy work available and evaluate against: Current best practice guidance on the scale and distribution of pitch provision. Condition assessments. Changing needs/expectations of many outdoor sports. Demand/supply/poor condition closure information. Existing information for relevant non-Council facilities. An assessment of current changing provision. Local consultation responses To make recommendations for a prioritised pitch and associated changing provision investment strategy for the District and provide indicative cost estimates. 2.2 In reviewing the Council’s current provision information was obtained from the leisure departments with the Northern Ireland Councils. The information gathered provided guidance on number and standard of pitches for the 5 main sports, namely Football, Gaelic, Rugby, Cricket and Hockey. 2.3 It is noted that the Council provides services to a population base with some of the highest levels of deprivation across Northern Ireland therefore the pricing for pitch usage would need to reflect this characteristic in the local market. 4 2.4 Conclusions Derry City and Strabane District Council wishes to implement a Playing Pitches Strategy, which ensures an equitable and consistent approach in terms of service provided across playing pitch facilities throughout the Council region. The Council welcomes all contributions to this preliminary EQIA and welcomes views with regards to the issues, which were raised through the pre-development consultation. 3.0 Background to the Policy 3.1 Within Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Inclusive Strategic Growth Plan there is specific outcome which states that Council want to ensure that all its residents “live long, healthy and fulfilling lives” – to achieve this Council have committed to the following key actions. Deliver a programme of sports pitch development, to include an extensively refurbished Brandywell Stadium and Melvin Sports Area. Build the capacity of our local sporting and recreational clubs to become more sustainable and encourage higher levels of participation and proficiency in sport and recreational activities. Deliver a sports and physical activities programme to promote greater activity by people with a disability, women, girls, older people and those living in areas of high social need. 1 3.2 The development of a Playing Pitches Strategy will govern the range of pitches and their associated facilities which are managed by Council leisure services. 3.3 The `Chief Executive will have overall responsibility for ensuring the effective implementation of this policy. Staff, who are working in facility and service areas will have responsibility for its operational implementation. 3.4 As already stated the aim of a Playing Pitches Strategy is to ensure there is fair and equitable provision across all Council area which meets the standard and demand for our service users and thus increase the number 1 Inclusive Strategic Growth Plan 2017-2032 https://www.derrystrabane.com/getmedia/1eb99e2e-e657- 45a1-8b27-e2b35a36d65c/SGP_22-November2017_lowres.pdf 5 of people utilising the pitch facilities and so contribute to the health of the population and the quality of life. 3.5 This policy is associated with the following Council policies and strategies: Derry City and Strabane District's Inclusive Strategic Growth Plan 2017-2032 Derry City and Strabane District's Local Development Plan 2032 Leisure & Sport Pricing Policy Leisure & Sport Facility Hire policy 3.8 The proposed policy will contribute towards the achievement of Council’s Community Plan objectives where there is a commitment to ensuring that citizens “live long, healthy and fulfilling lives”2. 3.9 The main stakeholders who will be affected by this policy are sports governing bodies, sports clubs (local and visiting), service users and local residents of the Derry City and Strabane District Council. 3.10 Derry City and Strabane District Council is not aware of any group which might be expected to benefit from the intended outcomes but which do not. 2 Inclusive Strategic Growth Plan 2017-2032 https://www.derrystrabane.com/getmedia/1eb99e2e-e657- 45a1-8b27-e2b35a36d65c/SGP_22-November2017_lowres.pdf p48 6 4.0 Socio Economic Profile of Derry City and Strabane District This section of the report is intended to provide an overview of the scoio- economic profile of the Derry City and Strabane District Council area using quantitative data collated from Northern Ireland Research Agency, Police Service for Northern Ireland, Department of Health and Social Services and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. 4.1 Derry City and Strabane District Council Area Profile Derry City and Strabane District Council has seven district electoral areas, comprising 40 electoral wards. An overview of the Section 75 profile of the new Derry/Strabane Council area is presented below. All data was sourced from the Census 2011 figures, unless otherwise stated. At the year ending mid-2019, the population in the Derry City and Strabane Council area increased by 600 people (0.4 per cent) to 151,300 (74,400 males, and 76,900 females). • This can be attributed to natural growth of 700 people (i.e. more births than deaths), a net loss of 200 people due to net migration, and an addition of 100 people due to other changes. The population aged 65 and over increased by 500 people (2.4 per cent) to 22,900. There was an increase of 100 people in the working age population (0.1 per cent) to 95,600. The number of children remained stable at 32,800. 7 Derry City and Strabane District Council is sixth largest of the eleven District Councils in Northern Ireland, serving a population of approximately 151,300. A large percentage of the council area is rural in nature with 1767 farms registered to addresses in the area in 2019 and a total agricultural labour force at that time of 3578 persons3. The Council area offers a wide range of attractions for visitors including the historic walls, the Tower Museum, the Sollus Centre and is an important centre for the arts accommodating the Millennium Forum, the Alley Theatre and Conference Centre, the Nerve Centre, the Playhouse and a diverse range of community arts groups. Sport is well represented with a number of local football, rugby, cricket, GAA and other sporting clubs in the area. 4.2 Key Statistics Population estimates comparing 2018 to 2028 show that the total population is projected to decrease by 300 people (0.2 per cent) from 150,700 in mid-2018 to 150,400 in mid-2028. This can be attributed to a natural growth of 5,200 people (i.e. births minus deaths) and a net loss of 5,500 people due to migration over the decade. The number of children (i.e. those aged 0-15) is projected to decrease by 2,100 (6.5 per cent) from 32,800 to 30,700 over the same period. The working age population (i.e. those aged 16-64) is projected to decrease by 3,700 people (3.9 per cent) from 95,500 in mid-2018 to 91,800 in mid-2028. The number of those aged 65 and over is projected to increase by 5,600 people (24.9 per cent) from 22,400 to 27,900 over the ten years from mid- 3https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/agricultural-census-northern-ireland-2019 8 2018 to mid-2028. Within this group, the number of people aged 85 and over is projected to increase by 700 people (30.5 per cent). 4.3 Health Over the coming years, both the size and the age structure of the population of the Derry/Strabane Council area and indeed Northern Ireland as a whole will alter, potentially changing the demand for health and social care.

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