County Durham Open Space, Sport and Recreation Needs Assessment

Area Profile: Newton Aycliffe

CONTENTS

Page (s)

1.0 Sub Area Map 3

2.0 Description of Sub Area 4

3.0 Local consultation findings 5 - 11

4.0 Quantity of provision 12 - 13

5.0 Quality of Open Space 14 - 15

6.0 Analysis of Provision 16 - 22

1.0 Sub Area Map

2.0 Description of Newton Aycliffe Area Action Partnership

Population 26,161

Location & Demographics

Newton Aycliffe was the first new town in the North of England designed to house many of the people affected by the closure of the mines and provide employment opportunities within the area. It hosts the second largest industrial park in the region and Aycliffe Business Park, a major source of manufacturing- related employment for the surrounding areas. There are many housing estates within Newton Aycliffe including Woodham Village, the new Cobblers Hall establishment, and more recently the Lanes Development.

The Newton Aycliffe AAP area includes the outlying area of Middridge, Aycliffe Village and School Aycliffe. Middridge is a small village situated North West of Newton Aycliffe. The Village is situated not far from a quarry that was mined by the people many generations ago. Aycliffe village is situated immediately to the south of Newton Aycliffe, and includes a mixture of cottages, old houses and new builds. On the whole, its architecture is varied with some houses dating back several hundred years to a small amount of relatively new- build properties.

The area of Newton Aycliffe contains the following parishes: Middridge, Aycliffe, Newton Aycliffe, Woodham, School Aycliffe.

Further information on this area can be found at http://www.durham.gov.uk/PDFApproved/Profile_Newton_Aycliffe.pdf

And http://www.durham.gov.uk/PDFApproved/NewtonAycliffeAAPProfile.pdf

3.0 Local Consultation Findings

The following is a summary the main local findings of relevance from local consultations which are described in full in the Needs Assessment Report (Appendix 1 to the Main Report).

3.1 Detailed comments from web survey

Postcode Comment DL5 4JQ More places for the 14 to 18 age group Early evening adult only swimming sessions The burn cleared of rubbish and litter more frequently and also at the DL5 4UY woodham end dig out to make a pond area with seating. DL5 4LS More cycle ways and safe accessible areas for young people.

3.2 Best Value Survey by Action Area Partnerships

The results of the 2006/7 Best Value User Satisfaction Surveys for parks and open spaces in each of the districts have been disaggregated to AAP level as shown below.

Significant AAP % Very/fairly satisfied Rest of County Difference Bishop Auckland and Shildon 54.4 59.1 No Chester le Street 63.8 57.8 Yes Consett 59.0 58.5 No Crook Willington and Tow Law 56.6 58.6 No Durham City 59.6 57.9 No Easington 51.9 60.9 Yes East Durham rural corridor 62.3 58.3 No Ferryhill and Chilton 54.0 58.9 No Mid Durham rural west 59.3 58.5 No Newton Aycliffe 72.6 59.6 Yes Spennymoor 74.3 58.1 Yes Stanley 42.4 59.6 Yes

Significant AAP % Very/fairly satisfied Rest of County Difference Teesdale 65.6 58.4 Yes Weardale 71.0 58.5 Yes

3.3 Summary of Relevant Findings from the Open Space, Sport and Recreation Study

• Focus Groups and survey results tended to share the view that provision of open space good and sports facilities in Newton Aycliffe are good. Although dissatisfaction was expressed with the state of public tennis courts.

• Young people were provided with disposal cameras and asked to record aspects of open space/recreational/play in their areas that they found good and those that they thought were poor. Following this the groups met to look at the photographs and identify the strengths and weaknesses of provision and to suggest some possible ideas for improvement. The results of this project are summarised below:

Strengths *Lots of open space, open grass areas, attractive planting and trees. *New Estates – good lighting, paths, cycleways, planting – well designed. *Lots of playing fields – schools, Town Centre Park, Oakleaf etc.

Weaknesses *Some areas are in a poor state of repair –e.g. tarmac next to Methodist Hall and rear of A167 and “Room for *Open areas need bins and seats Improvement” *Areas to rear of PCC could be improved and developed – paths/cycle paths *Some areas don’t feel safe

Priorities *Potential to improve area rear of A167 *More seats, bins and dog bins. *Meeting places for young people *Improve area to rear of PCC Other Generally happy with area. Need simple improvements e.g. More shrub planting, seating, bins, youth shelters etc. Comments Better monitoring of spaces would improve safety.

3.4 Summary of Relevant Findings from the Play Strategy

3.4.1 Main Conclusions

The following were general findings from the Sedgefield Play Strategy, and therefore have relevance to this Action Area/sub area:

• 71% of children and young people said that there was not enough play spaces locally. The lack of facilities and activities in for young people in general, across the whole borough has been highlighted as a widespread need. • The main reason for children/young people to visit their most used space is to provide informal opportunities to meet and play games with friends. Findings highlight the importance of providing informal open spaces for children to meet near their homes that are not necessarily designated play or sports facilities. • Age appropriate play facilities have been highlighted as an area that needs improvement. Facilities for the over 8’s have been indicated as a specific need. • The need for all facilities to be accessible and not restricted by bad design or unconsidered street furniture has been highlighted as a key issue for facilities to be inclusive. • Some existing play facilities have been identified as ‘old hat’ and boring and therefore are being underused. This has been highlighted most prominently in areas that are considered disadvantaged and rural as local children need locally accessible free play provision. • Pro active engagement and involvement of children and young people and hard to reach groups needs to increase to ensure that these groups voices are heard and to ensure that provision is developed to meet their needs. • The main issue highlighted by Play and Youth Organisations was the lack of facilities for teenagers such as skateboard areas and BMX sites. • 70% of town and parish councils felt that the needs of young people were not being adequately met and that new/improved play areas, sports pitches and other play/youth facilities would help.

The strategy includes a gap analysis for play spaces highlighting specific needs across five sub-areas within the borough as well as noting a number of borough-wide issues. These should be taken note of in relation to the current PPG17 assessment.

3.5 Town Council Survey findings of Relevance

3.5.1 Survey Findings

Quantity and Quality of Recreational Facilities Town Councils were asked to comment about the quantity and quality of a range of facilities and the following table highlights the issues of concern (marked with an X) (no X entered indicates no perceived problem).

Town Council Shortageof WildlifeAreas Not Enough Not Rugby Pitches Not Enough Not Cricket Pitches Not Enough Not FootballPitches Quality Poor Playing Pitches Not Enough Not Areas Teenagers For Not Enough Not Informal OpenSpace Not Enough Not Children's Play Areas Poor Quality Poor Children's Play Areas Not Enough Not Tennis/ Netball/Mugas Poor Quality Poor Tennis/ Netball/Mugas Shortage Indoor Of Halls Suitable For Sport Not Enough Not BowlingGreens/Short-Mat Bowls Poor Quality/ Poor Inadequate ChangingFacilities Shortage Footpaths/ Of Bridleways/Cycleways

Great Aycliffe X X X X X X

Local Issues

Specific comments received from the Great Aycliffe Town Council are provided below, and they are especially helpful:

• There are fluctuations in demand for football pitches; however this is also linked to quality and number of facilities. • There is also scope to open former school pitches, but changing accommodation would then be an issue. Do schools have enough grass pitches in suitable condition? • The quality of some pitches is poor. Drainage and thus playability is an issue. This restricts multiple use or pitch sharing. • Horndale pitches x 3 should have been drained via Burnhill Way (Cobbler's Hall) Scheme. Durham County Council (DCC) have been advised of this as a potential liability. • The Town Council may have to look at funding the scheme or closing the pitches for competitive use. • Changing facilities attached to public pitches vary greatly. Some do not meet governing body standards, e.g. Horndale and Simpasture Park. • The parish is generally well serviced by good parks and local play areas. However, there are gaps in provision. • The former Borough Council removed 16+ play areas and now provides a small number in housing areas. • The north west of the town has a lack of play areas. • The Cobbler’s Hall area should have been given facilities under the Cobbler’s Hall Development brief. Then under the Burnhill Way Development Scheme. • There are not enough dedicated ‘teen’ areas. However, siting may be a problem. • Footpath networks for recreational use are good. • Cycleways are not joined up, this leads to problems as cyclists use footpaths which are unsuitable, e.g. Woodham Burn • Section 106 monies should be utilised to enhance play or the environment. • Joining up of cycleways via non-traffic areas would be very positive. • Improvement, by providing cycleways alongside footpaths, would improve access to areas and avoid friction between pedestrians, dog walkers and cyclists. • It is critical that DCC works with parishes/towns to deliver improvements. This cannot be delivered in isolation. • Schools have been developed as far as possible. There are issues of charges that supporters of dual use now recognize, that restrict usage of certain sections of the community/clubs. • There are a number of pitches which could be re-opened that were previously school fields, i.e. detached Avenue fields, Elmfield Junior School. • DCC should take on the Cobbler’s Hall development brief and additional proposals as required and consulted on by the former

Borough Council as part of their liability and assets transfer. • Joint initiatives or assistance with funding need to be offered/sorted out to enable major capital investment in changing facilities, play areas. • Devolve the management (under a management plan) of nature areas/reserves to parish/town councils and/or local associations and volunteers.

3.6 Action Area Partnership Board Members Survey (main priorities identified)

• Environmental & Street Cleansing (36 votes) • Support to Community & Voluntary (32 votes) • Activities for Young People (29 votes) • Town Centre Vitality (28 votes) • Health and Lifestyles (22 votes) • Improve Community Cohesion (18 votes) • Unemployment levels (17 votes) • Educational attainment (15 votes) • Crime and Anti social behaviour (12 votes) • Communication and Co-ordination (4 votes)

3.7 Main consultation findings from the Playing Pitch Study

For football the key issues highlighted through consultation were:

• refusing teams entry into their leagues due to pitch availability and quality (mainly junior teams) • latent junior demand could be a significant Borough wide characteristic • evidence of teams being turned away at some community schools because of over demand, and likewise for some local council pitches • lack of access to schools pitches in general • some dissatisfaction pitch and facility quality • high 'running costs' may be suppressing demand

As part of the Sedgefield Borough PPG17 study a survey of pitch sports clubs was conducted The information, together with responses received from the other surveys can be used to validate the conclusions in relation to issues contained in the 2003 report. This survey suggests some issues that are generally consistent with the outcome of the playing pitch study consultation and these include:-

• Maintenance quality and consistency across the Borough; • Pitch availability; • Training provision; • Passporting youth activity levels into other age groups; and, • Developing and maintaining a dialogue with the Clubs.

The above also have relevance to the Action Area/sub area.

4.0 Quantity of provision

The table below shows provision against the County Durham standards for the AAP as follows: • The figures show the supply of open space in hectares. • Provision is shown as ‘sufficient’ (green) or ‘insufficient’ (red). • Figures are provided for the AAP as a whole and for each ward within the AAP. • The AAP provision does not always equate to the sum of the ward figures because some open spaces may span more than ward, so are accounted for in both wards. This is an important factor in considering overall provision of open space.

Supply of open space (hectares) Semi- Outdoor Amenity Natural Parks & Sport Open Green WARD Gardens Space Play Space Space Space Allotments NEWTON AYCLIFFE (TOTAL) -4.97 -0.15 -0.97 89.65 -11.94 -20.68 Greenfield Middridge -5.53 6.14 -0.19 29.41 4.98 -3.99 West 7.6 -4.37 0 7.69 -5.67 -5.67 Woodham -2.15 -5.4 -0.61 22.15 -1.69 -5.4 Shafto St Marys -0.74 7.64 -1.02 15.27 -5.4 -3.64 Neville and Simpasture -4.74 2.9 0.73 33.43 -4.74 -2.55

The existing provision of open space is shown on the map on the following page. Further maps showing provision for each ward within the AAP are available and are held in a separate appendix.

5.0 Quality of open space

The quality of open space within this AAP varies as much as it does across the whole County, and therefore the recommendations and observations made in part 1 of the study report should be referred to. A number of specific observations follow.

• There are 5 parks within the area, and a number of them have potential to become green flag parks with the development and implementation of an effective management. (e.g. OSNA/7/34). • There has been some improvement to play space within the area, however, there is a need to role out further improvements, particularly improving the provision of facilities for young people. (e.g. OSNA/7/20) • There is a need to improve the quality of some of the sports spaces, in particular the provision of changing rooms. • Newton Aycliffe has a good network of green corridors (Great Aycliffe Way), and this provides valuable access and recreation opportunity. Some areas are in need of improvement, and this should be co-ordinated through a management plan. • There are a number of amenity spaces which have been planted with trees, shrubs etc and this adds aesthetic and biodiversity value, this should be rolled out across other amenity spaces where opportunity arises (e.g. OSNA/7/222).

Excellent new park created through development Simple enhancement of amenity space Semi-natural greenspace on roadside verges (OSNA/7/240) (OSNA/7/125) (OSNA/7/135)

Green networks and paths (OSNA/7/34) Good new play facilities (OSNA/7/239) Formal bedding providing simple enhancement (OSNA/7/222)

6.0 Analysis of provision

A series of maps have been produced using the GIS toolkit developed as part of this study. The maps show the following information:

• A ‘typology chart’ showing the existing provision of each typology (green bar) and the required provision against the standard (red bar). All figures are in hectares. • The map shows the existing provision for each typology and access to each typology is shown as buffers. Each buffer represents the access standard in metres (see part 1 of the report).

Alongside each typology map is a brief analysis of issues related to the quantity of provision and access to facilities, along with any key recommendations.

In addition to the information outlined above, further information is held as an electronic appendix to provide further information as required. The following is available:

• A table for each AAP showing existing and required provision, this is represented in hectares and hectares per 1000 people. • A table for each AAP showing existing and required provision, this is represented in hectares and hectares per 1000 people. • A map for each ward showing a typology chart and map of existing provision.

Allotments

1. Overall, there is an under supply of allotments in the area. 2. There are gaps in access across the area, 3. As expected, the quality of existing provision varies greatly. 4. New provision for allotments should be sought through development where there is an existing gap in access or under supply in provision.

Amenity Open Space

1. Overall, there is a sufficient supply of amenity open space across the AAP. 2. Access to amenity open space is generally good. 3. Quality varies, however, there are some good examples of spaces that have been planted with trees, shrubs and floral features.

Parks & Gardens

1. Overall, there is an under supply of parks and gardens across the AAP. 2. Access to facilities is good in the northern part of the AAP, which also has the main communities living. 3. Those parks that do exist, have some potential to become green flag parks with the implementation of a management plan.

Outdoor Sport Space

1. Overall, there is an under supply of outdoor sport space across the AAP. 2. Access to facilities is good in the northern part of the AAP, which also has the main communities living. 3. There is a need to improve quality in some sites. 4. There are a number of education sites within this area which have potential to meet some of the shortfall.

Play Space

1. Overall there is an under supply of play space, although this is localised. 2. Access to play space varies, it is generally good with local gaps. 3. The quality of play areas varies greatly, with some having enjoyed recent investment, and some in need of replacement. 4. There is a need for additional facilities in this AAP, which should be sought through development and providing new facilities on existing open spaces.

Semi-natural greenspace

1. This AAP has an under provision of semi- natural greenspace. 2. Access to semi-natural greenspace also falls below the minimum standard, and is largely restricted to the north of the area. 3. There is a need for additional semi- natural greenspace in this AAP, this should be sought through development where possible, and through creating semi-natural greenspace areas within existing spaces e.g. amenity open space.