BOROUGH COUNCIL OF WELLINGBOROUGH
Sports Facilities Strategy
The provision of built facilities for sport and recreation in the borough
September 2008
Nortoft Partnerships Ltd The Granary West Haddon Grange Yelvertoft Road West Haddon Northants NN6 7NY Tel: 01788 510057 Fax: 01788 510097 Email: [email protected] Web: www.nortoft.co.uk
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose ...... 8 Vision ...... 8 The profile of Wellingborough ...... 9 Population ...... 13 Population growth ...... 14 Ethnic minorities ...... 17 Deprivation ...... 18 Participation ...... 20 Wellingborough Active People findings ...... 20 Market Segmentation for Wellingborough ...... 27 Access to accredited facilities ...... 30 Policy Context ...... 31 Introduction ...... 31 Sport and recreation policies ...... 31 National context ...... 31 Grow Sustain Excel - Sport England Strategy 2008 - 2001 ...... 32 Sport Playing its Part ...... 33 Regional context ...... 35 Regional Plan for Sport 2004-2008 ...... 35 Countywide context ...... 36 Local Area Agreement ...... 36 Northamptonshire Local Area Agreement 2008 - 2011 ...... 36 Northamptonshire Sport Strategy 2006 – 2009 ...... 37 Health ...... 38 Local context ...... 42 Wellingborough’s Sports Plan 2004-2009 ...... 42 Wellingborough Partnership Community Plan 2006 - 2010 ...... 42 Planning policies ...... 43 Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands ...... 43 Regional Economic Strategy ...... 44 North Northants Core Spatial Strategy ...... 44 Wellingborough Local Plan ...... 46 Building Better Places – Supplementary Planning Guidance ...... 48 Supplementary Planning Guidance IX on the Use of Planning Obligations ...... 48 Wellingborough Town Centre Area Action Plan - Submission Version 51 Site Specific DPD Issues and Options Paper ...... 51 Wellingborough East Masterplan ...... 52 Land Use Planning Implications ...... 53 Integration with planning policies ...... 53 Adopting the Sports Facility Strategy within the planning system ...... 53 Planning and funding ...... 54 Regeneration and growth points ...... 55 Sustainable design and operation ...... 56 Consultation ...... 57
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Introduction ...... 57 Household survey ...... 57 Parish Councils consultation ...... 64 Focus groups ...... 65 Clubs survey ...... 66 National Governing Bodies of Sport ...... 67 Athletics ...... 67 Badminton ...... 67 Basketball ...... 67 Cricket ...... 68 Cycling ...... 68 Football ...... 68 Gymnastics ...... 69 Hockey ...... 69 Netball ...... 69 Rugby ...... 70 Swimming ...... 70 Table Tennis ...... 71 Tennis ...... 71 Education ...... 72 Adjoining local authorities, and 2012 ...... 72 South Northants Council ...... 72 Corby Borough Council ...... 72 Kettering Borough Council ...... 73 Northampton Borough Council ...... 73 Daventry District Council ...... 73 East Northamptonshire Council...... 73 Milton Keynes...... 74 User surveys ...... 74 Sports facility proposals ...... 75 Introduction ...... 75 Active Places Power – the tools ...... 76 Nortoft Calculator ...... 77 Pools ...... 78 Current provision ...... 78 Current standards of provision ...... 80 Trends in the sport ...... 80 Proposals ...... 81 Proposed standard ...... 81 Halls ...... 83 Current provision ...... 83 Possible future provision ...... 86 Current standards ...... 86 Trends in the sports ...... 87 Proposals ...... 87 Proposed standard ...... 87 Investment priorities ...... 88 Synthetic Turf Pitches ...... 89 Current provision ...... 89 Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 3 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
Current standards ...... 89 Trends in the sports ...... 91 Proposals ...... 92 Proposed standard ...... 92 Grass playing pitches ...... 94 Introduction ...... 94 Football ...... 94 Current provision ...... 94 Current demand ...... 98 Current standards ...... 100 Consultation results ...... 101 Trends in the sport ...... 101 Proposals ...... 102 Investment priorities ...... 103 Cricket ...... 106 Current provision ...... 106 Current demand ...... 106 Current standards ...... 106 Trends in the sport ...... 108 Proposals ...... 108 Investment priorities ...... 110 Rugby ...... 111 Current provision ...... 111 Current demand ...... 112 Current standards ...... 112 Trends in the sport ...... 114 Proposals ...... 114 Investment priorities ...... 116 Summary of grass playing pitches ...... 116 Guidelines for grass playing field provision ...... 117 Other facilities ...... 120 Outdoor Bowls ...... 120 Indoor Bowls ...... 123 Indoor Tennis ...... 125 Outdoor Tennis ...... 125 Outdoor Netball ...... 129 Athletics tracks ...... 129 Health and Fitness ...... 130 Golf driving ranges and golf courses ...... 131 Community centres and village halls ...... 133 Introduction ...... 133 Current provision ...... 133 Current standards of provision ...... 135 Consultation results ...... 135 Best practice for new provision ...... 136 Proposals ...... 136 Investment priorities ...... 137 Sub-Regional Facilities ...... 137 Summary, implementation and costs ...... 138 Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 4 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
Introduction ...... 138 Summary of facility standards ...... 138 Summary of options ...... 138 Cost and implementation ...... 142 New provision...... 142 Improving existing provision ...... 143 Land budget assessment ...... 143 Review and monitoring ...... 144
Figure Contents
Figure 1: Existing strategic & hub facilities ...... 9 Figure 2: Urban-rural classification ...... 11 Figure 3: Population density in Wellingborough ...... 12 Figure 4: Strategy sub-areas ...... 14 Figure 5: Population age structure 2007 to 2026 ...... 15 Figure 6: Population growth by strategy sub-area 2006-2021 ...... 17 Figure 7: Index of Multiple Deprivation: Super Output Areas ...... 19 Figure 8: Participation amongst family group members...... 21 Figure 9: Multiple deprivation, and rates of participation in sport ...... 22 Figure 10: Participation by gender ...... 23 Figure 11: Participation in swimming by IPF nearest neighbour ...... 24 Figure 12: Participation in football by IPF nearest neighbour ...... 24 Figure 13: Participation in ‘gym’ by IPF nearest neighbour ...... 25 Figure 14: Participation in golf for IPF nearest neighbour ...... 25 Figure 15: Participation levels – white and non white population ...... 26 Figure 16: Market segmentation summary ...... 28 Figure 17: Market segmentation by Middle Super Output Area ...... 29 Figure 18: Income groups within the authority as a whole ...... 38 Figure 19: Inequalities in life expectancy ...... 40 Figure 20: Indicators of people’s health in Wellingborough ...... 41 Figure 21: Policies from the Local Plan, saved and not saved ...... 46 Figure 22: Proposed facilities hierarchy ...... 54 Figure 23: Where respondents live ...... 58 Figure 24: Leisure facilities by sub area of Wellingborough ...... 59 Figure 25: Wellingborough Town area – satisfaction with facilities ...... 60 Figure 26: New facilities & priority for improvement ...... 61 Figure 27: What would encourage respondents to take more exercise? .... 62 Figure 28: Levels of household income ...... 63 Figure 29: Facilities used in Wellingborough and outside ...... 63 Figure 30: The Waendel Leisure Centre ...... 78 Figure 31: Swimming pools in Wellingborough ...... 79 Figure 32: Redwell Leisure Centre ...... 83 Figure 33: Sports halls of 3+ badminton courts ...... 85 Figure 34: Synthetic turf pitches ...... 90
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Figure 35: Football pitch sites ...... 95 Figure 36: Football pitches with community use ...... 96 Figure 37: Football pitches with private use ...... 97 Figure 38: Comparison of football teams in Wellingborough 2001/2007 ..... 99 Figure 39: Earls Barton Football Club ...... 104 Figure 40: Cricket pitches with community use ...... 107 Figure 41: Old Grammarians ...... 111 Figure 42: Wellingborough rugby pitches ...... 113 Figure 43: Summary of grass playing field requirements ...... 119 Figure 44: Outdoor bowls greens and their quality ...... 121 Figure 45: Swanspool Bowls & Tennis Club ...... 122 Figure 46: Outdoor bowls, indoor bowls and tennis courts ...... 124 Figure 47: Tennis courts at Redwell Leisure Centre ...... 126 Figure 48: Tennis courts and their quality ...... 127 Figure 49: Club Diana, Finedon Road, Wellingborough ...... 130 Figure 50: Golf and gym and fitness ...... 132 Figure 51: Community and village halls ...... 134 Figure 52: Existing & proposed strategic & hub facilities ...... 141
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 Market Segmentation APPENDIX 2 Planning Policies APPENDIX 3 Research Analysis & Results (A) Additional Research & Analysis (B) APPENDIX 4 Football Clubs and Teams APPENDIX 5 Football Demand and Supply (A) Football Demand and Supply (B) Football Demand and Supply (C) APPENDIX 6 Cricket and Rugby Clubs and Teams APPENDIX 7 Teams Summary for Football, Cricket and Rugby 2007; 2016; 2021; 2026 APPENDIX 8 Team Generation Rates 2007 – 2026 APPENDIX 9 Nortoft Calculator APPENDIX 10 Summary of Costs and Land Budget Areas
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THE PROVISION OF BUILT FACILITIES FOR SPORT AND RECREATION IN WELLINGBOROUGH
PURPOSE
1. Wellingborough is due to experience significant expansion over the next few years as part of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth Area. The population is expected to grow by around 25,000 within 13 years (by 2021) and is forecast to grow more up to 2026, bringing the borough’s population from around 76,000 in 2007 to almost 103,000 by 2026. The bulk of the expansion is expected to be to the east and north of the existing town, although there will be some limited growth of the villages.
2. The population as it expands will need to be provided for in relation to open space, and built sport and recreation facilities. There is also a need to review the existing sport and leisure provision across the borough to prioritise investment over the next 5 – 10 years, and to meet the requirements of Planning Policy Guidance 17. This Government guidance requires all authorities to assess their sport, recreation and open space provision and to set local standards of provision of quality, quantity and accessibility.
3. The brief for this project relates to the built sport and recreation facilities, and to the provision of playing pitches. The green space assessment (excluding sports facilities) was undertaken separately.
VISION
4. Wellingborough has active healthy people enjoying a range of sport and recreation opportunities, in high quality facilities, in a high quality environment. People take part in activity from their earliest years, right through to very old age.
Everyone has access to at least three quality facilities within 20 minutes travel from their home. In the town this will be on foot, whilst elsewhere this will be by car.
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THE PROFILE OF WELLINGBOROUGH
5. A map showing the main facilities across Wellingborough is shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Existing strategic & hub facilities
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6. Wellingborough is situated between Northampton to the west, Kettering to the north, the north part of Milton Keynes borough to the south, and East Northants to the east. It is part of the North Northants Joint Planning Unit area which includes the authorities of Corby, Wellingborough, Kettering and East Northamptonshire.
7. The nature of Wellingborough is well illustrated by the ONS classification of urban and rural. See Figure 2 below. The standards of provision for sport and recreation facilities will necessarily vary across the authority – to reflect the density of the population. In the town most facilities will need to be accessible on foot, whilst in the rural area this will be by car.
8. This figure also shows the overall distribution of all sports facilities, demonstrating limited provision in the more rural areas.
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Figure 2: Urban-rural classification (source: Sport England, Active Places Power)
Symbol Range Urban > 10K Town and Fringe Village Hamlet & Isolated Dwelling
9. This is a similar map to that of population density produced by the Northamptonshire Observatory, which also provides an overview of the wards. (Figure 3).
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Figure 3: Population density in Wellingborough
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Population
10. For the purposes of this Strategy, the borough has been divided into sub-areas as follows, and as illustrated by Figure 4.
Sub-Area Wards
Wellingborough Brickhill Town Castle [excluding area east of railway line] Croyland Hemmingwell Redwell East Redwell West Queensway Swanspool West Earls Barton Great Doddington and Wilby West South Irchester Wollaston South North North East Finedon Castle [area east of railway line]
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Figure 4: Strategy sub-areas
Population growth
11. In February 2008 Northamptonshire County Council produced a new set of population figures for all of the authorities in the county. The Wellingborough growth forecasts have been updated, including both the number and structure of the population. The population of Wellingborough in 2007 was estimated to be 76,000, with an anticipated growth to almost 97,000 by 2021, and 103,000 by 2026. The ageing of the population is illustrated by the following graph, Figure 5. This illustrates both the overall increase in population, and that there will be an influx of young people aged under 20 years. There will also be substantial numbers of people who are middle-aged or older.
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Figure 5: Population age structure 2007 to 2026 (source NCC, Feb 08)
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0 2007 2011 4.0 2016 2021 3.0 2026 Population (1000s) Population 2.0
1.0
0.0 0-4 5-9 +85 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 Age
12. The impact of the planned developments will not however fall evenly across the borough. Most of the development is planned to occur to the east and north of the existing town. The population estimates by ward and by sub-area from the 2001 census is provided below.
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Population in 2001 (from National Census)
Population at 2001 (ONS) Brickhill 5902 Castle 6497 Croyland 7608 Earls Barton 5353 Finedon 4186 Great Doddington and Wilby 1682 Hemmingwell 6823 Irchester 4807 North 2163 Queensway 6351 Redwell East 4544 Redwell West 3630 South 2029 Swanspool 5703 West 1692 Wollaston 3547 Total 72517
13. The NCC revised figures for the wards are not yet available, but the following table is based on WBC estimates. Figure 6 is the same information provided as a bar chart, and the areas of substantial growth are clear. The concentration of the development in the expansion areas means that new facilities should be located as far as possible to provide for these new populations, particularly grass pitches and the smaller community facilities. These areas also give an opportunity for new strategic facilities, which can be justified by the overall growth in the borough’s population.
2006 2021 Wellingborough Town 48994 57662 West 9086 9624 South 10810 11456 North 2252 2384 East 4358 15491 75500 96617
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Figure 6: Population growth by strategy sub-area 2006-2021
70000
60000
50000
40000 2006 2021 30000 Population 20000
10000
0 Wellingborough West South North East Town Strategy sub-area
14. Although earlier estimates included forecasts for the population up to 2029, the levels of uncertainty are such that Northants CC now only forecasts to 2026. The growth in the population can be affected by many social and economic factors, therefore the longer term the forecast, the higher the levels of potential inaccuracy. This strategy therefore focuses on requirements up to 2021, with a broad assessment of the likely needs beyond this date.
15. At the time of writing this report, there had been a further slow-down in the housing market. The most recent population projections may therefore need to be revised downwards, at least for the short-medium term. The facility proposals with the report are based on the currently estimated populations at 2016, 2021 and 2026. Should the growth in the population be slower than anticipated, the proposals are still valid but will need to be rescheduled to reflect actual population growth.
Ethnic minorities
16. The following are key facts from the 2001 Census:
• The BME population of Wellingborough is significantly higher than that of Northamptonshire as a whole with 11.7% of the population belonging to BME groups as opposed to 8% of the rest of the county.
• In 2001 Wellingborough had a primarily white population (90.8%).
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• The non white population of Wellingborough is 9.2%, well above the 4.9% average for Northamptonshire, and has seen a large rise from the 1991 Census when 7.2% of the population were from non white ethnic groups.
• The largest ethnic groups in Wellingborough are Indian (3.7%) Black Caribbean (1.9%), white Irish (1.1%) and Mixed White and Black Caribbean (1.1%).
17. Since the 2001 census there has been in migration of Eastern Europeans, but the numbers and therefore their potential impact upon the sport and recreation needs of Wellingborough, is uncertain.
18. The BME population is generally much younger than the white British one, with proportionally more children.
Deprivation
19. Although much of Wellingborough could not be considered as deprived, with some areas being amongst the least deprived in the country, there are pockets of significant deprivation, particularly in the town and around Finedon. The following map (Figure 7) is from the Northamptonshire Observatory, and shows the Super Output Areas which are the most deprived.
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Figure 7: Index of Multiple Deprivation: Super Output Areas
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PARTICIPATION
Wellingborough Active People findings
20. The Active People Survey (Ipsos Mori, 2006), commissioned by Sport England, was developed to assist in measuring and evaluating the increase in sport and physical activity participation. In addition, other key variables were measured including memberships, competition, and the contribution to sport through voluntary activity.
21. The Active People Survey (Oct 2005 – Oct 2006) captured data from 363,724 adult (16+) participants in England by telephone interview. At least 1,000 interviews were conducted per local authority except for the City of London, Isles of Scilly and Birmingham.
22. This section reviews the levels of participation amongst the population of the borough and where possible and appropriate, compares those figures to similar authorities. In relation to participation rates, local authorities can most effectively be compared using the Institute of Public Finance (IPF) ‘Nearest Neighbour’ groups. 'Nearest neighbours' does not refer to geographic neighbours but to authorities that have similar characteristics, for example demographic, economic and social factors.
23. Nationally 21.0% of respondents of the Active People Survey participate in at least 30 minutes of moderate sport or physical activity for 3 days each week (KPI 1). The average participation for Wellingborough is 20.2%. Levels of participation compared to the other authorities in its family group are shown in Figure 8. 54.6% of people in Wellingborough stated that they take no activity at all compared to 50.6% at national level.
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Figure 8: Participation amongst family group members.
Participation by IPF nearest neighbour
30
25
20
15 National (NAT)
10
5
Percentage participation Percentage 0
) ) ) ) A A) ) LA LA) LA) (LA LA (LA) ( (LA) (L (LA) (LA h (L n ( r ( n n ( ic ng gh st ste UA pto ve u sto ore ntw e ce tteri ire m ste a e Rugby (LA) oro F Erewashlou (LA)K sh Ke & N ln rtha uth Ribblegb Worcesteryre & N rt G o th o llin e N S e W rk & Sherwoodinco (LA) ou Po S W rew re L C East Staffordshire (LA) rth me Newa les No El North West Leicestershire (LA)
24. The map at Figure 9 shows estimates of participation at Super Output Area alongside the map showing the overall rates of multiple deprivation for the borough. This demonstrates the close correlation between levels of activity and deprivation.
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Figure 9: Multiple deprivation, and rates of participation in sport and active recreation
25. The rates for walking are in the bottom 25% for the country as a whole and are the lowest amongst Wellingborough’s IPF family group. 17.6% of respondents in Wellingborough say that they undertake at least one recreational walk lasting 30 minutes at moderate intensity in a 4 week period as opposed to 20% of respondents at national level.
26. The differences in levels of participation between males and females are less marked than at national level and in fact the participation rate for women is higher than the national average. (Figure 10)
Figure 10: Participation by gender
Participation by gender
25
20
15 Wellingborough (LA) National (NAT) 10
Percentage participation Percentage 5
0 Male Female
27. Participation in key sports is also below the national average with the exception of swimming which is 12.6% compared to 12.2 % nationally. (Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14)
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Figure 11: Participation in swimming by IPF nearest neighbour
Participation in swimming by IPF nearest neighbour authorities
16 14 12 10 8 National (NAT) 6 4 2
Percentage participation Percentage 0
) ) ) A) L LA) LA) LA LA LA) (LA) ( (LA) ( (LA) A n y ( er ( st ( ring ( U gb st e e shire u e ore t rwood mptoR c et ter F Erewash (LAK he ha th Ribble (LA) S es Wor Gloucester (LA) c ou lingborough (LA) i Nort S l Wyre k & incolnshir e ar South KestevenW (LA) h L CreweEast & Nantwich Staffordshire (LA) ew N Nort rth West Le Ellesmere Port & Neston (LA) No
Figure 12: Participation in football by IPF nearest neighbour
Participation in football by IPF nearest neighbour
8 7 6 5 4 National (NAT) 3 2 1
Percentage participation Percentage 0
) ) ) ) A) A) L A) (LA) (LA (LA) ( (L (LA) (LA h (LA e h r (L c ire (LA) re (LA) en h UA ton v bl ste ester (LA p b ntwi c ire m te ce orest (LA) h a Rugbys F Erewashlou (LA)Kettering (LA)s or & Neston n Ke gborougW & Na t G ol n c North th South Ri Wyre t Staffords in s t Leicestershi Sou Welli a re Por L s CreweE e rth e m Newarko & Sherwood (LA) s N lle E North W
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Figure 13: Participation in ‘gym’ by IPF nearest neighbour
Participation in "gym" by IPF nearest neighbour authorities
12
10
8
6 National (NAT)
4
2
Percentage participation Percentage 0
) ) A) A) L A) A A (LA) ( L (LA) (LA) L h (LA)e h g ( h c s n en (LA) g ri UA (L v e shire (LA) ester ( ntwi rwoodir (LA)r te rou c a rdshir e h Rugby o fo Erewa te es N Kette ns s gb Gloucester (LA) ce in Wor yre Forest (L i th K l W Staf ort & Neston (LA) k & Shncol Northamptonu (LA)Southel Ribble (LA) st P r i Le a L t So W CreweE & rth mere Newao s N lle E North Wes
Figure 14: Participation in golf for IPF nearest neighbour
Participation in golf by IPF nearest neighbour authorities
6
5
4
3 National
2
1
Percentage participation Percentage 0
) ) ) ) A) A A) A) A) LA) (LA) LA) L (L (L ( (L (LA) h (LA n ( y le r (L t c ire od ton b b te h sto p s res s e rwo rshirem (LA) e o ntwi rd a Rug Rib N Erewashoucester (LA) (LA te orc l Kettering (LA) s Kesteventh ( re F & Na affo t & G W y r North th Sou W t St s Po Sou Wellingborough (LA re CreweEa Newark & She North Lincolnshire UA (LA) llesme E North West Leice
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Ethnicity
28. Because of the relatively small numbers of people surveyed for the Active People Survey it is not advisable to draw conclusions about levels of participation amongst the many different ethnic groups which exist. It is only possible to draw robust conclusions based on “white” and “non white” groupings and then only at the countywide level.
Figure 15: Participation levels – white and non white population
Participation levels - white and non white population
22
21.5
21
20.5
20 Northamptonshire (CSP) 19.5 National (NAT) 19
18.5
Percentage participation Percentage 18
17.5
17 White Non white
29. The above graph (Figure 15) suggests that participation amongst non-whites in Northamptonshire is lower than the national average. As Wellingborough has a relatively higher number of non-whites in the community than the rest of Northamptonshire this is of concern, and needs to be considered in determining the future priorities for investment.
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Market Segmentation for Wellingborough
30. Sport England has developed nineteen sporting segments to help understand individual’s attitudes and motivations in relation to sport and physical activity. The research builds on the results of the Active People Survey, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s Taking Part Survey, and the Mosaic tool from Experian.
31. The bar chart is a summary of the overall proportion of the different groups across the authority. (Figure 16). This research from Sport England suggests that overall Wellingborough is reasonably close to the national ‘averages’ for population, but that it has more ‘Comfortable mid-life males’ (Segment 11) and fewer ‘Fitness Class Friends’ (young professional women, Segment 3). (Appendix 1)
32. However when the information is examined more closely, it is clear that there are major differences across the borough, as illustrated by Figure 17. This map is based on Middle Super Output Areas and indicates the largest market segment for each MSOA. There is a clear dominance of market segment 11 in the rural areas of the borough and in the north-west of the town. In the town the dominant sectors are 10, 19 and 2.
33. Sport England’s suggests the sports attractive to the various groups are:
Market Where in Type of person Sports/activities most Segment borough attractive to this group 11 Rural, north- Comfortable Mid- Sailing west town Life Males Football Badminton Cycling Gym Jogging Golf Cricket 10 Town edges Stretched Single Swimming Mums Utility Walking Aerobics Ice Skating 19 Town centre Retirement Home Walking Singles Dancing Bowls Low-impact exercises 2 East town Sports Team Football Drinkers Basketball Martial Arts Weight training Boxing Badminton
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Figure 16: Market segmentation summary
Segment Segment Name 1 Competitive Male Urbanites 2 Sports Team Drinkers 3 Fitness Class Friends 4 Supportive Singles 5 Career Focused Females 6 Settling Down Males 7 Stay at Home Mums 8 Middle England Mums 9 Pub League Team Mates 10 Stretched Single Mums 11 Comfortable Mid-Life Males 12 Empty Nest Career Ladies 13 Early Retirement Couples 14 Older Working Women 15 Local ‘Old Boys’ 16 Later Life Ladies 17 Comfortable Retired Couples 18 Twilight Year Gents 19 Retirement Home Singles
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Figure 17: Market segmentation by Middle Super Output Area
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Access to accredited facilities
34. Other Sport England research shows that in June 2007 only 6.5% of the population had access to a quality accredited facility (Quest, Green Flag etc). The accredited facilities were Irchester and Sywell Country Park. None of the sports facilities in Wellingborough have achieved accreditation although this is now being addressed, with Redwell and Waendel both aiming to apply in Spring 2009.
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POLICY CONTEXT
Introduction
35. The provision of sport and recreation facilities must be in response to the needs of the community – now, and as anticipated as the population of Wellingborough grows. The factors driving provision include the long term health of the community and a need to encourage sustainability including ‘active travel’, and reducing travel times.
36. Justification for provision can also be made in relation to:
• diversionary activities for young people to reduce crime • improved educational achievements • high quality environment encouraging regeneration and new investment • employment opportunities – both directly and indirectly • quality of life and local pride in achievements and opportunities
37. This justification is formalised through the planning system to ensure that appropriate developments are enabled, and key facilities are protected.
38. This section brings together the policy justification of the wider social agenda with the key statutory planning policies. More detail of the planning policy background is provided in Appendix 2.
Sport and recreation policies
National context
Game Plan: a strategy for delivering Government’s sport and physical activity objectives
39. Game Plan outlines the Government’s long-term vision for increasing participation and high performance in sport:
"by 2020 to increase significantly levels of sport and physical activity, particularly among disadvantaged groups, and to achieve sustained levels of success in international competition”.
40. The Government wants to encourage the growth of a mass participation culture, with the ambitious target of achieving 70% of the population active.
41. Game Plan’s remit is wider than sport alone and recognises the link between physical activity and improving health, and the importance of focussing on
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young people. In achieving such links and targeted participation increases, there is recognition of the need for more innovative solutions to provision.
Grow Sustain Excel - Sport England Strategy 2008 - 2001
42. With the Olympics and Paralympics due to come to the UK in 2012 the government asked Sport England to review its approach to community sport in England.
43. The emerging strategy aims to ensure that:
• a substantial – and growing – number of people from across the community play sport;
• talented people from all backgrounds are identified early, nurtured and have the opportunity to progress to the elite level; and
• everyone who plays sport has a quality experience and is able to fulfil their potential.
44. In the future Sport England’s role will be to focus exclusively on sport. Sport can and does play a major role in achieving wider social and economic benefits - notably on the health front. However, the driving force behind the strategy and investment is to address the needs of sport participants across the country. This provides a clear distinction with the physical activity agenda being driven by a number of departments, including the Department of Health and Department of Transport.
45. Sport England will continue to work with the Youth Sport Trust to ensure that young people have the opportunity to participate in a min of five hours high quality PE and sport each week – “the Five Hour Offer”. They will also jointly focus on reducing the drop-off in participation at the age of 16 partly by facilitating the development of a modern sports club network in partnership with National Governing Bodies. The resulting multi-sport clubs will provide a diverse range of opportunities to fit with modern lifestyles and needs
46. As a result of these changes it is hoped that there will be increasing participation in National Governing Body (NGB)-accredited clubs to a third of all 5-16 year-olds by 2010.
47. NGBs will be ‘commissioned’ by Sport England to deliver against the key outcomes highlighted above. The NGBs will have greater autonomy over the investment of public funds within their sport – along with greater responsibility for the delivery of the outcomes. During the second half of 2008 NGBs will be developing their Whole-Sport Plans to illustrate how they propose to deliver
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against these outcomes. These plans will be assessed and reviewed by Sport England, with NGBs then being given a single four-year grant to deliver.
48. Coaches and volunteers will continue to play a critical role in the achievement of all three public outcomes – developing talent, improving satisfaction and encouraging participation and Sport England will work with NGB’s to support and develop this involvement.
49. As a consequence of its new strategy Sport England is committed to delivering:
• 1m people doing more sport by 2012-13. • A reduction in post-16 drop-off in at least five sports by 25% by 2012-13. • A quantifiable increase in satisfaction (actual measure to be determined). • Improved talent development systems in at least 25 sports. • A major contribution to the delivery of the Five Hour Sport Offer
Sport Playing its Part
50. This is a series of reports that were published by Sport England, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s local government board and the Local Government Association that draws together growing evidence of the impact of sport. They cover the following topics:
• The contribution of sport to healthier communities. • The contribution of sport to safe, strong and sustainable communities. • The contribution of sport to economic vitality and workforce development. • The contribution of sport to meeting the needs of children and young people.
The contribution of sport to healthier communities
51. Improving the health of the nation and tackling health inequalities are high priorities at the current time for both the public and the government. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) report 2004 confirms that regular participation in sport can:
• Reduce the likelihood of ill health and illnesses and reduce the mortality risk. • Help to tackle obesity. • Support healthy growth in young people and encourage the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. • Contribute to older people leading more independent lives. • Reduce healthcare costs and workplace absence.
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52. An active lifestyle can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and other potentially fatal conditions. “Game plan” estimated the cost to the nation of inactivity at £2 billion per year.
The contribution of sport to safe, strong and sustainable communities
53. Safe and sustainable communities are communities in which people want to live and work without fear of crime, and these concepts are the key priorities for both local and central government.
54. Research studies at a local and national level provide evidence that sport contributes to:
• Strengthening community cohesion, engagement and capacity building. • Reducing youth crime and anti-social behaviour. • Reducing accidents and fear of crime. • Improving the quality of the built and natural environment and creating a sense of place. • Encouraging sustainable travel.
55. Emerging evidence is highlighting the impact of sport in relation to creating stronger communities and addressing issues of community safety, including reductions in anti-social behaviour, reductions in the propensity to commit crime and reductions in the fear of crime amongst the wider community. Sports facilities can make an important contribution to the physical infrastructure of communities, providing a social focus for a community and affecting people’s perceptions of their neighbourhood.
The contribution of sport to economic vitality and workforce development
56. Ensuring that there is a strong and diverse local economy that provides jobs and generates wealth is one of the key building blocks in the creation of a sustainable community where people want to live and work.
57. Creating a prosperous local economy requires a number of different elements to be in place and sport has an important contribution to make. The sports and leisure sector and its supporting industries are significant employers and contributors to the economy.
58. Evidence has demonstrated that sport can:
• Provide direct employment and contribute to economic output. • Act as catalyst for investment and regeneration. • Assist in developing a positive image and improving the attractiveness of an area for business investment, and as a place to live, work and visit. • Improve the skills and qualifications of the workforce, both for employment in the sport and cultural sector and in other industries. • Reduce the cost to the economy of workplace absence due to ill health. Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 34 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
59. Participation in sport can help the local economy. Nationally, employment in the sport sector accounts for almost 2% of the workforce. Households in England spent almost £11.5million (year 2000) on sport-related goods and activities.
The contribution of sport to meeting the needs of children and young people
60. Children and young people outcomes are a feature of many community and strategic plans and are included in local public service agreements and the local area agreements of local authorities, health, education and care providers, and other partners.
61. Central government has been working with local government to undertake a significant national programme of change to the way government works with children, young people and their families to improve their lives, and in the quality, accessibility and coherence of services provided to them. The Children Act of 2004 sets out statutory duties and accountabilities for children’s services on local government and other service providers. This is supported by a national framework: "Every Child Matters: Change for Children".
62. The framework is based on five key outcomes that children and young people say are important to their well-being now and in later life:
• Being healthy. • Staying safe. • Enjoying and achieving. • Making a positive contribution. • Achieving economic well-being.
63. Research evidence demonstrates that sport can make a significant contribution to meeting the Every Child Matters outcomes.
64. Evidence also suggests that people who exercise regularly in their youth are more likely to continue to do so in later years.
65. There is also evidence to suggest that sports participation can help achieve better results in academic performance and that learning within a sporting environment tends to be more comfortable and less threatening to those who have not participated in learning for some time.
Regional context
Regional Plan for Sport 2004-2008
66. Change 4 Sport is the plan for sport for the East Midlands. It was Sport England’s Regional response to the national government strategy for sport, Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 35 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
Game Plan, and The Framework for Sport in England. Its aim is to make the East Midlands the most active and successful sporting region in England. The document is now reaching the end of its life and its revision is likely to reflect the changes in policy at national level within Sport England. The existing document has eight identified outcomes two of which have key actions associated with facility provision.
Outcomes
67. The objectives of the Plan are:
• To increase participation in sport by 4% 2008. • To become the most successful sporting region in England. • Reduced inequality through increased participation in sport and active recreation by under-represented groups and communities. • Reduced health inequalities and improved health and wellbeing of the people who live in the east midlands. • Stronger and safer communities in the East Midlands through sport • Improved education and lifelong learning through sport. • A stronger regional and local economy through realising the economic potential of sport. • A more efficient and effective sport system within the East Midlands.
68. Relevant key actions
• Pilot new ways of encouraging participation in under-exploited areas, for example, canals and towpaths, urban fringe and inner-city environments. • Work with NGBs to meet specialist facility requirements identified in their plans.
Countywide context
Local Area Agreement
Northamptonshire Local Area Agreement 2008 - 2011
69. The Northamptonshire updated Local Area Agreement (Northamptonshire’s LAA2) was completed in June 2008. It was developed through the 7 themes identified by Government and against which the National Indicator Set (NIS) has been placed. • Stronger, empowered and cohesive communities • Building Safer Communities • Improved life chances for Children • Improved adult health and well being • A stronger local economy • Improved environmental sustainability
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• Tackling exclusion and promoting equalities
70. Of these themes, the “Strong and more cohesive communities” theme has the most relevance to sport and active recreation. The following is an extract from the document:
Increased participation in cultural, sporting and physical activity
Participation in sport and exercise is a major area of social interaction and community cohesion. PSA Delivery Agreement 21: build more cohesive, empowered & active communities recognises the role of culture and sport in building communities. The CLG Citizenship Survey 2001 found sport and exercise were the single greatest contributors to social participation. The Taking Part survey demonstrates the links between participation in cultural & sporting activity and community cohesion where participants in these activities were 20% more likely to know ‘many people’ in their neighbourhood and 60% more likely to believe ‘many of their neighbours could be trusted’. In addition to the contribution to community cohesion, participation in culture, sport & physical activity has positive benefits for individual's mental & physical health & well-being, helping to tackle obesity, heart conditions & diabetes and helping with recovery from mental health conditions and long term illnesses. Overall in Northamptonshire 80% of the adult population are not exercising sufficiently to maintain their health and well-being, with participation rates in Corby and Kettering in the lowest quartile nationally.
The cultural sector in Northamptonshire is currently under resourced and under developed. The growth agenda in the county will mean that this relative lack of provision will be further exacerbated. However the growth agenda also offers the opportunity to attract investment to turn this situation around, and with the opportunities for partnership working also available improving cultural activity is seen a key priority for the Northamptonshire Local Area Agreement.
71. The relevant National Improvement target is NI8 – Adult participation in sport, and the Northamptonshire target is to raise the participation rate from 21.0% to 25.1% by 2010/11.
Northamptonshire Sport Strategy 2006 – 2009
72. The Strategy has four aims: • To provide and co-ordinate a cohesive framework for sports specific development across Northamptonshire, from playground to podium.
• Use physical activity to improve the physical, social, mental health and wellbeing of people in Northamptonshire in order to achieve a physically active Northamptonshire.
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• To target interventions to encourage lifelong involvement in sport and physical activity in order to provide healthier, safer and more prosperous communities.
• To develop high quality education and skills based programmes that provide relevant and accessible opportunities to develop the workforce.
73. The success of the strategy will be measured by a number of Critical Success Factors one of which is closely aligned to facility provision.
• Increasing levels of participation in sport, physical activity and active recreation by 1% annually.
Facility Development
74. Northamptonshire Sport is, in conjunction with partners at regional level, attempting to co-ordinate facility strategy work across the county. There is a recognition that with two delivery vehicles, a two tier local authority system and the MKSM growth area, the facility planning picture in the County is far from clear. NSport is therefore working to pull together the existing and proposed facilities strategies into a broad set of principles which can be applied to any area. This work is in its early stages and therefore Wellingborough’s emerging strategy will help to inform this wider thinking in the future.
Health
75. Overall, the indicators of health for people living in Wellingborough show a mixed picture when compared to England and the East Midlands.
• Teenage pregnancy rates are high compared to the England average. • It is estimated that fewer than 1 in 6 adults in Wellingborough binge drink, which is lower than average. • 1 in 4 adults are obese which is higher than average. • Life expectancy for men is similar to the England average. However, there is a 6 year gap in the life expectancy for men between the fifth most and least deprived areas of Wellingborough. • The rate of people claiming sickness benefit because of mental health problems and the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol specific conditions are lower than the England average.
Figure 18: Income groups within the authority as a whole ('Source: APHO and Department of Health. © Crown Copyright 2007.')
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76. The above map of Wellingborough (Figure 18) shows the five local income groups, and this should be compared to Figure 19 which illustrates the inequalities in life expectancy (2001-05) at birth for men and women for the different income groups.
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Figure 19: Inequalities in life expectancy ('Source: APHO and Department of Health. © Crown Copyright 2007.')
77. The following Figure 20 shows a number of indicators of people’s health in Wellingborough. It shows the local value for each indicator compared to the England worst, England best, England average and Regional average. The circle indicating the local value is shown as amber if it is significantly better or red if it is significantly worse than the England average. An amber circle may still indicate an important public health burden. A white circle is not significantly different from the England average.
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Figure 20: Indicators of people’s health in Wellingborough ('Source: APHO and Department of Health. © Crown Copyright 2007.')
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Local context
Wellingborough’s Sports Plan 2004-2009
78. “To create, extend and develop opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity, in doing so, to contribute to developing communities and enriching people’s lives, helping Wellingborough to become a safer, more prosperous, healthier and better place to work and live.”
79. This document is nearing the end of its life and does not reflect the population growth now planned for the borough. The findings of the audit of outdoor playing pitches which as carried out in April 2002 were reported in the plan. These have been revisited as part of this work. Details can be found in the Grass Playing Pitch section of this report.
80. Broader questions about priorities for investment both at individual and Parish level were also asked as part of the Council’s consultation. Similar questions were included in a 5000 household survey undertaken as part of this work, the detailed findings of which are provided in the Household Survey section of the report.
Wellingborough Partnership Community Plan 2006 - 2010
81. The production of the borough’s Community Plan has been led by Wellingborough Partnership. This is a community led organisation, made up of a broad spectrum of interested organisations and individuals living and working in the borough.
82. The current steering group is made up of representatives from a range of groups/ organisations including :
• Wellingborough Chamber / Business community • Older People’s groups • Northamptonshire County Council • Elected members • Connexions • Faiths Forum • Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust • Wellingborough Borough Council • BME groups • Police
83. The Wellingborough Community Plan sets out an overall framework for improving the social, economic and environmental conditions in the borough of Wellingborough. It is delivered through a range of partners under the auspices of the Wellingborough Partnership.
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84. The plan has 4 main elements:
• Making Wellingborough A Better Place to Be - dealing with environmental, cultural, transport and leisure issues and is aimed at working to improve the quality of life for residents.
• Making Wellingborough A Healthier Place To Be –working to improve the health and well-being of people in the borough of Wellingborough
• Making Wellingborough a More Prosperous Place to Be – supporting economic regeneration, to create a more diverse, prosperous and sustainable economy and to promote lifelong learning
• Making Wellingborough a Safer Place to Be – working in partnership to tackle crime and community safety issues.
Planning policies
85. The detail of the policies impacting upon sport and active recreation in Wellingborough are provided in Appendix 2. The most relevant points are extracted below.
Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands
86. The key elements are:
• The Local Development Frameworks should to seek to improve the health of residents through access to leisure and recreation facilities. • New growth should be sustainable in relation to facilities and services. • Areas such as Nene Valley can provide for sport and informal recreation and contribute to the green infrastructure. • Adequate recreational space and other facilities should be provided in both urban and rural areas to serve both the existing and new populations. • Development policies should reduce dependence on private car use and encourage public transport, walking and cycling. • In building sustainable communities, both the urban areas and the surrounding landscape should contribute to the recreational resource. • Green infrastructure is taken to include recreational and sports facilities, pathways and routes, natural and historic sites, canals and water spaces, as well as accessible countryside. A network of multi-function green spaces in urban areas, the countryside in and around towns and the wider countryside needs to be established and planned at the sub- regional level. • Promote new green infrastructure to enhance the attractiveness of the area and meet the needs of its population. Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 43 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
Regional Economic Strategy
87. The key elements are:
• In relation to improving public health, the value of sporting and recreational facilities, more cycle and pedestrian-friendly routes and open space, is recognised. • High quality services, cultural, leisure and sporting opportunities contribute towards making the East Midlands ‘a great place to live’. • Transport connectivity and accessibility should improve access to recreation and sports facilities. • Green infrastructure should be improved and its opportunities realised for environmental, social and economic purposes.
North Northants Core Spatial Strategy
88. Relevant policies relating to sports, recreation and leisure are as follows:
Policy 13: General Sustainable Development Principles
Points g) and j) state that development should:
Not lead to the loss of open space or recreation facilities, unless a site of equivalent quality and accessibility can be provided, serviced and made available to the community prior to use of the existing site ceasing.
Be designed to promote healthier lifestyles and for people to be active outside their homes and places of work
Policy 16: Sustainable Urban Extensions
Point d) of this policy maintains that master plans for all SUEs should make provision for:
An appropriate level of retail, leisure, social, cultural, community and health facilities that meet local needs but do not compete with the town centre
89. Statements relating to the provision of sport and recreation facilities include:
• The following reference is made to the town centres of the three Growth Towns:
Cultural and tourism facilities should be retained and improved, and new facilities incorporated within town centres and regeneration schemes through a variety of
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mechanisms: including art, indoor sport and leisure, heritage, libraries, green infrastructure and bars and restaurants. (para 3.10)
A balanced network is proposed, focusing new retail, cultural, sport and leisure development on the three Growth Towns with the aim of establishing them as attractive sub-regional centres. (para 3.12)
• Regarding the location of leisure facilities:
Improved cultural, community and leisure facilities within the growth towns will enhance their position as the focal points for the area as a whole and beyond. The towns will benefit from a healthier evening economy, which will support their vitality and viability. The town centres are, however, constrained and while emphasis will be on their regeneration, other complementary sites will be required either edge of town or out of town to fulfil the growth strategy and meet the need for early investment. (para 3.11)
• On the need to assess open space provision:
Open space, sport, arts and culture recreation and tourism are essential elements of sustainable communities that contribute towards health, quality of life, sense of place and overall well-being. In addition they can add to an area’s uniqueness, making it a place that is distinctive, stimulating and an exceptional place to live and work. Spaces and facilities form a part of the overall green infrastructure framework and within built up areas may also provide local linkage with town centres and urban neighbourhoods. Needs and deficiencies in open space and facilities will be identified through district wide assessments. Based on these assessments, open space strategies will be developed at the district level setting out local standards for quantity, quality and accessibility as well as making innovative recommendations for high quality provision in the future that adds to the area’s uniqueness. The London 2012 Olympics may provide significant opportunities to stimulate economic development and increase the provision of sports facilities that benefit the whole of North Northamptonshire. Any site based proposals for new or improved facilities will be included in detailed development plan documents. (para. 3.37)
• On the importance of having a wide range of facilities and activities across the three Growth Towns:
Leisure, cultural and heritage provision in North Northamptonshire will encompass a wide range of activities and facilities in order for people to participate in sport, recreation, arts and cultural and heritage activity. Their inclusion in future planning for the area is crucial in making the three Growth towns and their surrounding catchment a vibrant, exciting and exceptional place to live and work. The delivery of suitable facilities will need to support the development of a balanced network of centres. (para 3.106)
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Wellingborough Local Plan
90. Chapter 6 of the Local Plan contained most of the policies in relation to sport and recreation facilities. The following is a summary of the key policies from the Plan, but only those which are in bold have been saved. (Figure 21)
91. There were other policies relating to provision for other sports including golf, equestrian, motorised, shooting, aerial and water sports. These sports facilities however are not proposed to be subject to standards of provision and therefore fall outside of this brief.
Figure 21: Policies from the Local Plan, saved and not saved (Saved policies in bold type)
Policy L1 Protects small scale community facilities such as community Centres. Policy L2 Enables small scale community facilities meeting local needs.
Developments of more than 350 dwellings are expected to provide on-site ‘small scale multi-purpose meeting/sports halls for ‘local needs’. Policy L3 Protection of purpose-built leisure and large-scale community facilities. Policy L4 Location of new built leisure facilities to be within the town or in close association with it. Policy L5 Protects ‘Important Amenity Areas’. This term includes the existing recreational open space in the borough, comprising recreational/sports grounds (including school sports grounds), playing fields, the town linear park system, formal town parks, pocket parks, allotments, informal open space and children's play areas in close association with housing developments.
Promotion of the dual use of school sites and community use of privately owned sports grounds. Policy L6 Extension of the Town Linear Park and rights of way into the major development areas. Policy L7 Standards for recreational open space (see below). Policy L8 Adoption of small areas of open space, linked with a commuted sum from the developers. Policy L9 Encouragement of outdoor recreational proposals. Policy L10 Enables conversion of rural buildings for recreational or leisure use.
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Policy L11 Enables the development of small scale buildings where needed to support recreational activity in the countryside. Policy L17 Enables limits on hours of use and light intensity for floodlights for sports facilities.
92. The current policy which will require to be revisited in the light of this strategy is as below.
PLANNING PERMISSION FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT INVOLVING TEN OR MORE DWELLINGS WILL NOT BE GRANTED UNLESS ADEQUATE PROVISION FOR NEW RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACE, TO INCLUDE PLAYING PITCHES, INFORMAL AMENITY SPACE AND CHILDREN'S PLAY SPACE, IS INTENDED.
REQUIREMENTS, TO A MINIMUM STANDARD OF 0.35 HECTARES PER 50 DWELLINGS (PRO-RATA), ARE AS FOLLOWS:
YOUTH/ADULT USE, COVERING BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR, INCLUDING PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE SCHOOL FACILITIES ...... 0.22 HECTARES/50 DWELLINGS (1)
CHILDREN'S USE : OUTDOOR EQUIPPED PLAYGROUNDS, ADVENTURE PLAYGROUNDS, INFORMAL PLAY SPACE ...... 0.09 HECTARES/50 DWELLINGS(1)
AMENITY OPEN SPACE (INFORMAL USE) ...... 0.04 HECTARES/50 DWELLINGS(1)
TOTAL :0.35 HECTARES/50 DWELLINGS
PROVIDED THAT:
A. NO DEVELOPMENT SITE SHALL HAVE A RESULTANT RECREATIONAL SPACE OF LESS THAN 0.04 HECTARES; B. NO DWELLING IS LOCATED MORE THAN 250 METRES FROM AN AREA OF OPEN SPACE; AND C. ON DEVELOPMENT SITES OF LESS THAN 50 DWELLINGS THE DEVELOPER WILL MAKE PRO-RATA COMMUTED SUM PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF OPEN SPACE PROVISION FOR YOUTH AND ADULT USE.
(1) based on the National Playing Fields Association "6 acre standard" and assuming a household size of 2.58 persons.
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6.19. Provision of additional open space is a fundamental requirement of new planned development. Developers will, therefore, be expected to provide public open space within housing developments in accordance with the standards set out in Policy L7. Areas such as unusable landscape strips and small incidental pieces of land within housing estates will not normally be counted towards public open space requirements. Additionally, wherever possible, all dwellings should be located within 250 metres of a piece of recreational open space and, in the town, in reasonable proximity to the linear park system. Some flexibility in applying the breakdown of open space may be desirable in certain circumstances, especially with specialised housing schemes, for example it would not be necessary to provide equipped children's playgrounds in sheltered accommodation for the elderly.
6.20. Existing allocated open space at the Redhill Farm development site is unsuited to organised sports use because of the sloping nature of the land. Accordingly, to serve the needs of this development area, it is proposed to allocate a more suitable area of land to the east for playing pitches, etc., comprising some 3.8ha within the existing public open space north of Hemmingwell.
Building Better Places – Supplementary Planning Guidance
93. This SPG refers to both open spaces and green spaces and their design within new developments. Green spaces are multi-functional and can be used for, amongst other purposes, active sport and recreation and informal recreation and access. Supplementary Planning Guidance IX on the Use of Planning Obligations
94. The SPG expands on Policy G25 within the Local Plan which is:
POLICY G25 DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT BE GRANTED PLANNING PERMISSION UNLESS THE FOLLOWING EXIST OR WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT OR OTHER AGENCY: 1. ANY INFRASTRUCTURE OR PHYSICAL WORKS OR OPERATIONS MADE NECESSARY BY THE DEVELOPMENT; 2. OPEN SPACE, SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, RECREATIONAL, SPORTING, OR OTHER COMMUNITY PROVISION, THE NEED FOR WHICH ARISES FROM THE DEVELOPMENT; AND 3. PROVISION, WHERE REASONABLY REQUIRED, TO OFFSET THE LOSS OF OR ADVERSE IMPACT ON ANY AMENITY OR RESOURCE CAUSED BY THE DEVELOPMENT. PROVISION WILL BE SECURED BY CONDITION OR THROUGH SEEKING A PLANNING Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 48 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
OBLIGATION FROM THE APPLICANT OR BY OTHER LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT.
95. Paragraph 13 provides more detail and a strong policy base for seeking developers’ contributions, both from new residential development and from commercial developers.
Para 13. OPEN SPACE, SPORT AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
Para 13.1 Planning obligations have the potential to provide major benefits to sport and recreation by maintaining and improving levels of provision, by ensuring that future developments make adequate provision for sport and recreation, and by ensuring that adequate contributions are made towards community facilities.
Para 13.4 With the above in mind, contributions towards open space, sport and recreational facilities could be used for:- the provision of on-site and off-site recreational facilities related to the development (including formal, informal and wildlife areas). a contribution to nearby sport and recreation or open space provision (in the case of small developments). alternative provision of at least equivalent quantity and quality when recreational land or open space is lost. the future maintenance or upkeep of open space to be adopted by the Council or other body such as a Parish Council.
Maintenance Para 13.8 If the land remains in the developer’s ownership, public access and satisfactory maintenance standards must be ensured in legal terms. In such circumstances, the developer will be required to provide the Council with detailed information about how this is to be achieved.
Para 13.9 As an alternative, open space and the related maintenance can be transferred to be adopted by the Council or run by another body (e.g. a Parish Council). Many developers are willing for this to happen. If this situation occurs, as the transfer of a maintenance obligation is in perpetuity, it is necessary to calculate a commuted sum payable by the developer to reflect this obligation. The value is based on the annual maintenance cost against an expected rate of return. This is a rate of return which the authority would expect to be able to receive on its’ investments and is currently 4.7% (April 2003). In order to take account of inflation the rate is reduced by the prevailing Retail Price Index (currently 3.1%) giving a revised rate of 1.6%. To reflect the time over which the maintenance is to be provided, a 60 year period is used and the present value of an annual payment of £1 at 1.6% is multiplied by the annual maintenance cost to arrive at the commuted sum required.
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Other recreation-related facilities Para 13.10 There are a number of sources which provide information on the amount of other sport and community-related recreation provision which is required to serve an area. These include Sport England, the National Playing Fields Association and local authorities. The Sport England Facilities Planning Model is one tool which can be used in the planning and development of sports facilities. The model can show the distribution of demand in relation to the catchment areas of existing facilities, together with the location of supply and can provide a guide to the provision of facilities.
Para 13.11 Such facilities can include sports halls neighbourhood halls village halls synthetic turf pitches floodlit and non floodlit multi-use games areas tennis courts bowling greens/pavilions athletics tracks skateboard facilities grass playing fields
Para 13.12 All pitches need to be well drained and parking, fencing and appropriate changing rooms need to be provided.
Para 13.13 The Council has produced a Playing Pitch Strategy in conjunction with the County Council. Information on the costings for facilities can be found in the ‘Building Cost Information Service’ data which includes regional weightings and is recommended by Sports England. The Playing Pitch Strategy should be used to inform discussions about the need for and location of new playing pitches.
Para 13.14 Consideration will be given to negotiating appropriate contributions from developments of 10 or more dwellings or 1/3 hectare or more or employment development where it can be demonstrated that the development will generate a need for additional sport and recreation provision. Major developments (such as Wellingborough East and other significant Local Plan sites) which are large enough to include on-site sport and recreation provision will be required to meet the full capital cost (including design, land, buildings and fittings) together with a lump sum for ongoing management and maintenance.
Para 13.15 Industrial and commercial developments also put pressure on existing facilities. People who use these facilities are not always residents of the borough and additional burdens are put on resources as a result. Where appropriate a financial contribution will therefore be
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sought from these developments. This will be based on the estimated number of people likely to be employed by the development who do not already live in the borough of Wellingborough. This information should be provided by the applicants for any large industrial and commercial developments. In the case of speculative developments, where the breakdown of staff is not known, it is likely that a contribution would be placed on deposit pending a later analysis of where staff live (based on census data).
Para 13.16 In the rural areas of the borough there will be few developments of sufficient size to justify an area of recreational space that makes a worthwhile contribution to the local community. In most instances, it may therefore be more appropriate to seek a commuted sum towards other village facilities or enhancement of existing facilities such as providing new play equipment on existing open space.
96. This Strategy provides updated standards of provision for the following facilities, and the SPG will require updating to reflect these:
• Sports halls • Village halls/community centres • Synthetic turf pitches • Tennis courts • Bowling greens • Athletic tracks • Grass playing fields
97. The Strategy also provides commentary on the views of the residents in relation to skateboard facilities and multi-use games areas, which the Council can subsequently use to inform the setting of standards for these facilities.
Wellingborough Town Centre Area Action Plan - Submission Version
98. Part of the vision of this document is that Wellingborough town centre will be “an enjoyable place to spend one’s leisure time.”
99. Policy WTC7 states that the provision of cultural and leisure facilities will be encouraged, and that planning permission will be granted to those developments “which enhance and diversify the range of arts, culture, entertainment, leisure and recreational facilities.” The creation of a Leisure Quarter will be promoted as a vehicle for enhancing existing and new leisure- related uses.
Site Specific DPD Issues and Options Paper
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100. The Site Specific DPD Issues and Options paper includes a spatial objective of improving the network of multifunctional Greenspace. The document refers to the open space strategy (Places and Spaces) of June 2005, which concluded that most dwellings are within 250m of some form of open space. Open space falls into two categories, Environmentally Important Open Space (EIOS) and Important Amenity Areas (IAA), with the latter being the most important for recreation, and that these can be replaced by suitable alternatives if development is required/appropriate.
Wellingborough East Masterplan
101. The following proposed playing pitch standards are set out in the Wellingborough East Masterplan:
• Pitch sports 7.8ha (1.2ha per 1000 population) • Non-pitch sports 2.6ha (0.4ha per 1000 population) (para. 8.6.2)
102. The standards are in line with those set by the NPFA. However, they fall short of Nortoft’s recommendations of 18ha for grass pitch sports (1.55ha per 1000 population). To make up for this shortfall, it is suggested that the remaining 10.2 acres of playing pitches are located on the proposed development east of WEAST. This would mean that the existing plans for WEAST do not need to be altered, but that the population of these new developments have access to the appropriate number of playing pitches.
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LAND USE PLANNING IMPLICATIONS
Integration with planning policies
103. It is essential that new sports facility provision is securely imbedded within the land use planning policies of Wellingborough to both ensure that sufficient space is allocated to sport and active recreation use, and to unlock funding from developers and regeneration initiatives.
104. The basis for the policies needs to be robustly researched, with standards for provision based on methodology meeting the requirements of PPG17. This is provided by this Strategy. The policies also need to reflect the cascade of related planning policies and guidance, and there need to be clear links from the regional policies, through strategic policies, down to the Local Development Document level including design briefs for new development.
Adopting the Sports Facility Strategy within the planning system
105. This Sports Facilities Strategy needs to be locked into the planning policy system to strengthen its delivery. For example, standards of provision linked to clear planning policies on developers’ contributions will be a robust way of supporting facility funding. Any levy or tariff system will need to have clear and defendable policies in place.
106. Planning policies will be locked into the emerging Local Development Framework (LDF). The LDF will be a portfolio of different policies. It includes the North Northants Core Spatial Strategy which sets the vision, and objectives for the future. It also includes other Development Plan Documents which will set out land allocations for future development.
107. This Sports Facilities Strategy will form part of the evidence base for the Local Development Framework.
Specific elements needing adoption
108. Whilst the document as a whole might be adopted as technical guidance or background document, specific elements will be of particular importance. These include:
• “Standards of Provision” that state the number of facilities that will be needed per 1000 population, together with policies on accessibility and quality.
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• “Hierarchy of Sports Facilities” that describe the role of a facility as local community, sub-area, strategic borough or higher level of provision (provides for county, regional or national sport).
109. These both facilitate delivery prioritisation and help secure developer contributions.
110. The hierarchy can help identify the level of developers’ contributions which would be appropriate for each facility. Those which meet a borough-wide need would justify contributions from all developments across the authority, and might include the provision of a new swimming pool. Those which are Hub level may attract funding from both the sub-area in which they are located and the adjoining ones, based on the anticipated catchment area. Facilities at the satellite level would primarily attract users from the strategy sub-area in which they are located, and the local facility network would usually be expected to have catchments of up to 10 minutes walking time within the town, or 5 minutes drive time in the rural areas.
Figure 22: Proposed facilities hierarchy
Planning and funding
111. A robust adopted Sports Facilities Strategy, supported through planning policy, could help to unlock significant funding for new and improved facilities. The following paragraphs begin to address the options which may be available,
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linked to future development :
• Via developers’ contributions – capital for identified community provision, and revenue for the management of the facility.
• Via planning conditions – setting minimum criteria for the public use of facilities , for example the opening hours and design requirements (e.g. joint access areas, separation of changing areas, quality and type of flooring etc).
• Via planning policy – identification of sports facility spatial needs (e.g. requirement for land to be provided and designed for a sports facility, for example through an Area Action Plan).
• Via design briefs – for example defining walking and cycling routes as part of wider networks.
• Via land assembly – where capital or rental receipts directly or indirectly help fund public facilities.
112. The Sports Facility Strategy leads towards a costed and prioritised delivery programme that can feed into future infrastructure planning, such as may be required for the “Community Infrastructure Levy” (CIL) or other such proposals.
Regeneration and growth points
113. Some parts of Wellingborough are being regenerated. Although funding mechanisms and priorities change with the nature of each regeneration scheme and over time, there can be real opportunities to support the development of sport and active recreation facilities, both for the local communities where real need is shown, and for large-scale facilities which will continue to raise the profile of the area.
114. Regeneration initiatives can also provide an opportunity to ‘masterplan’ a relatively large land area, giving a unique opportunity at an early stage to consider the location and co-location of larger sports facilities and services. This is an opportunity which is not usually available within the existing built environment.
115. Sport and recreation has an important part to play in regeneration:
• Supporting the improvement of health and well-being. • Providing infrastructure for local people. • Supporting tourism. • Providing jobs. • Improving the image of the area. • Encouraging inward investment.
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116. The location of sports facilities which are expected to provide for general community use such as sports halls, synthetic turf pitches (STPs) and swimming pools should be an integral part of any development, and be designed in at the outset so that they are fully and easily accessible by walking, cycling and public transport. If new schools or colleges are to be located in the regeneration or new growth area, dual-use should generally be a planning requirement.
117. Other facilities however might be able to be located more easily within an industrial-type area – for example the provision of commercial small-sided football centres. Elsewhere such football centres are sometimes open “24/7”, attracting shift workers at ‘unusual’ times. They also tend to attract young men with access to a car, so siting such facilities away from residential areas poses less problems than for other facility types and is in fact often beneficial (e.g. less issues with floodlighting).
118. Other commercial provision, such as health and fitness facilities will tend either to be located in relatively affluent areas, or in hotels within the business centres.
Sustainable design and operation
119. New and refurbished sports facilities should always be examples of good environmental practice in the way they are constructed and run. There are clear links between the health and well-being of people and the environment in which they live. As part of the transformation and development process, good quality sports buildings should be a high priority for early delivery.
120. Whilst there will be some additional cost to making such buildings more sustainable; benefits from energy savings and improved profile will go some way to offset some of the extra costs. It is suggested that gaps in funding, where additional costs are in excess of available local resources, might be able to be made up by external grants from Government sources.
121. Clear planning policies at local levels could lead the way for private sector developers to invest in sustainable construction and delivery. However it is recognised that, in some cases where there is no extra public subsidy, sustainable development that is over and above statutory requirements, may need to be balanced against other needs.
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CONSULTATION
Introduction
122. This section of the report draws together the findings from the wide-ranging consultation exercises undertaken to support the Strategy work. The objective has been to canvass the views of all sectors of the community across Wellingborough and to achieve this a number of different consultation mechanisms have been employed. The key findings from the consultations are given below, but more detail is provided in the appendices supporting this Strategy report.
Household survey
123. An objective questionnaire was devised in consultation with the Borough Council of Wellingborough, who then distributed the questionnaire randomly to 5,000 households within the borough. A total of 667 questionnaires were returned for analysis. This totals a 13.8% response rate.
124. The original intention had been to analyse 400 responses, however, to include as wide a geographic coverage as possible, it was agreed that all 667 would be input for analysis. The detailed analysis of the results is provided in Appendix 3. This is divided into three parts:
Part 1
125. Analysis by question order, as in the in questionnaire, plus other comments made by respondents, separated into the five districts of Wellingborough as defined in Q1.
126. Additional information on those aged over 60, and those where there is someone in the household with a disability or long term illness. Summary of focus group discussions held with Active Ageing, and PHAB are also contained within this report.
Part 2
127. Additional cross-tabulations to draw out differences across the sub-areas, ages and income brackets of respondents.
Part 3 128. A copy of the questionnaire as circulated. Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 57 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
Findings
129. The following are the main findings from the household survey. Facility specific findings are contained in the appropriate facility section to this report.
130. The majority of respondents live in Wellingborough Town but the responses from the rural areas are in line with the percentage of the population living in those areas. (Figure 23).
Figure 23: Where respondents live
Area
No reply 1% 47%
Wellingborough Town
West - e.g. Mears Ashby, Earls Barton, Wilby, Gt Doddington, 20% Ecton
South - e.g. Irchester, Wollaston, 13% Grendon
North - e.g. The Harrowdens, 10% Isham, Orlingbury
East - e.g. Finedon area 9%
0 10 20 30 40 50
131. Figure 24 shows the type of facilities used by the residents of the town and the other sub areas of the borough. The picture is fairly consistent across all areas with village halls, not surprisingly, being used by more people in rural areas.
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Figure 24: Leisure facilities by sub area of Wellingborough
Leisure facilities by sub area of Wellingborough
Wellingborough Town
No sporting or leisure facilities us West - e.g. Mears Ashby, Earls Barton, Wilby, Gt Sports Halls (at leisure centre or s Doddington, Ecton Swimming Pool Gym / fitness facilities Grass pitches Synthetic / all weather pitches
Outdoor hard courts (e.g. for tenni
South - e.g. Irchester, Multi-use games area / outdoor ba Wollaston, Grendon Village Halls/Community Centres Skate parks Golf course / range Outdoor bowls Cycling routes (traffic free) North - e.g. The Walking/running routes (traffic free Harrowdens, Isham, Other facilities frequently used not Orlingbury
East - e.g. Finedon area
0 20 40 60 Percentage
132. Figure 25 show levels of satisfaction with facilities by those people who live in Wellingborough Town. Swimming pools and health and fitness facilities were the most well regarded, with walking and cycling routes and outdoor hard court areas having the lowest levels of satisfaction.
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Figure 25: Wellingborough Town area – satisfaction with facilities
Wellingborough Town area - Satisfaction with facilities
Very satisfied Neither satisfied nor dis-satisfied Very dis-satisfied Fairly satisfied Fairly dis-satisfied Don't know - no view
Sports Halls
Swimming Pools
Gym / fitness facilities
Grass pitches
Synthetic / all weather pitches
Outside hard courts
Multi-use games area / outdoor courts
Village Halls/Community Centres for sport and active recreation
Skate parks
Golf courses / ranges
Outdoor bowls
Cycling routes (traffic free)
Walking/running routes (traffic free)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Percentage
133. There is a consistent message across all areas of the borough in terms of levels of satisfaction with walking and cycling routes, consistently having the lowest levels of satisfaction.
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134. Not surprisingly when asked to identify those facilities which require investment or increased levels of provision, walking and cycling routes were the highest priority for the residents of Wellingborough Town. (Figure 26)
135. This pattern is mirrored across all areas of the borough with the exception of village halls/community centres which are considered more important by a higher percentage of people in the rural areas.
Figure 26: New facilities & priority for improvement Wellingborough Town area
New facilities & priority for improvement - Wellingborough Town area
Sports Halls
Swimming Pools
Gym / fitness facilities
Grass pitches
Synthetic / all weather pitches
Outside hard courts
Multi-use games area / outdoor ball courts
Village Halls / Community Centres for sport and active recreation
Skate parks
Golf courses / ranges
Outdoor bowls
Cycling routes (traffic free)
Walking/running routes (traffic free)
0% 50% 100% No reply New, Extra Facilities Priority f or Improv ement
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136. When asked what would encourage them to be more active the majority of respondents stated that cheaper facilities was the highest priority. Accessibility does not appear to be an issue, see Figure 27. Crudely put there are sufficient facilities but cost prevents greater levels of use. This view can perhaps be explained when looking at the levels of household income given as part of the questionnaire responses, as shown in Figure 28.
137. Interestingly only 20.4% of those questioned were aware of the concessionary schemes at Waendel and Redwell Leisure Centres.
Figure 27: What would encourage respondents to take more exercise?
What would encourage you to take more exercise?
No reply 1.3
If it cost less to take part 28 Nothing, I do enough already 24.1 If there were more facilities in the area 23.5 If I had fewer work commitments 19.5 If I had fewer family commitments 18.6
If the facilities were closer to where I live 18.1
If there were the appropriate clubs locally 18 If there were more local fitness classes (e.g. pilates) 15.9 More information about what was available 14.7 If I had better health 11.8 If I felt safer 11.1
If the sessions were at a different time 9.9
Longer opening hours 9.4 Better public transport 8.8 If there were more instructors / coaches locally 8.7 If I could get childcare 7.5 Nothing, I don't want to exercise 7
Better programming of activities 7
Better parking 6.9 If there were cleaner / more pleasant changing facilities 6.4 Better booking arrangements 4.8 Other 4.5 Better site management 3.4
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Percentage
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Figure 28: Levels of household income
Household income
No reply 0.9
Less than £15,000 per year 26.7 £15,001 to £26,000 per year 17.4 £26,001 to £36,000 per year 13.6
£36,001 to £46,000 per year 8.5
£46,001 to £50,000 per year 3.6 More than £50,000 per year 6.9 Don't know / prefer not to respond 22.3
0 10 20 30 Percentage
138. In order to try and establish whether or not there is a significant degree of outward migration respondents were asked to identify which facilities outside the borough they use, illustrated by Figure 29.
Figure 29: Facilities used in Wellingborough and outside as a % of those who use each facility
Facilities used in Wellingborough and outside Wellingborough, as a % of those who use each facility
Walking/running routes Cycling routes Outdoor bowls Golf course
Facility Skate parks In Wellingborough Village / community halls Outside Wellingborough MUGA Outdoor hard courts Synthetic / all weather
Grass pitches
Gym / fitness Swimming pools Sports Halls
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
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139. Of those who play golf approx 50% travel outside the borough to participate. The number of swimmers who go outside the borough is just under 20% which is high given the fact that the pool at Waendel Leisure Centre is very new. Of that 20% just over half go to Northampton to swim.
140. For all activities Northampton is the most popular location for those who participate outside of Wellingborough.
Parish Councils consultation
141. In order to obtain an up to date list of the facilities which exist in rural areas and to establish a picture of their condition a questionnaire was devised which was sent to all Parish Clerks. The questionnaire was divided up according to facility type and the Clerks were asked to forward the relevant sections to the appropriate individuals within the community for completion. Responses were received from the following parishes:
Bozeat Easton Mandit (Village Hall part only) Ecton Finedon Grendon Irchester Isham Mears Ashby Orlingbury Strixton Wilby Sywell Earls Barton
142. Ten of the villages who responded had sports pitches of some kind, all of which were judged to be in good or very good condition.
143. The ownership arrangements for the pitches were mixed with only one Parish owning land. In other cases pitches are owned by the Playing Field Associations, or are in private ownership.
144. Nine of the villages who responded also had village/community halls although these vary in size and quality. A wide range of activities is listed as taking place in these buildings including bowls, badminton, pilates and youth clubs.
145. Of those with halls, four stated that car parking at their village hall was either inadequate or non existent
146. Three of the village halls are described as being one badminton court size or above although in some cases no dimensions were given.
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147. Two villages reported that they had MUGA type facilities.
148. Two villages have skate ramps.
149. In addition to the quantitative data collected from the questionnaire, qualitative information was sought as part of a wider Parish Councils consultation session hosted by the Borough Council. The main themes emerging from the evening were as follows:
• As villages have expanded/populations have increased some facilities are no longer in the right place – often cut off from the village by roads.
• A number of communities have facilities which are either leased or rented and therefore have limited security of tenure. This makes applying for external funding very difficult.
• The acquisition of land for the provision of facilities is almost impossible as most landowners are reluctant to sell land which may have “hope value”.
• As there is no up to date PPG 17 assessment it is increasingly difficult to protect open space from development.
• There is now no capital grant aid scheme for village hall as the C21 village halls fund closed in April 2008.
• Cycle ways and rights of way are not adequately maintained.
Focus groups
150. The household survey was supplemented by focus group meetings to reach those groups anticipated to be under represented. These included a group of people aged 60+, and a group of people with disabilities.
151. Key issues identified by the “Active Ageing” group are as follows:
• For the older population, the lack of a partners or someone to participate with is a major issue. Those who have lost a spouse or whose partner is incapacitated are prevented from taking part. Activities geared to single people are therefore important. There was a request for line dancing, and other dancing at venues where it is not necessary to take a partner.
• A lack of information was seen as a significant barrier to participation for all of those attending the focus group. More information in either the free local paper or in the “what’s on” column in the Evening Telegraph would
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be helpful. It was also suggested that an “information centre” in the centre of town would be a good idea.
• All those who took part in the focus group said that they would not walk in Wellingborough after dark. Although none had been attacked, they feel threatened by anti-social behaviour, and find large groups of young people threatening. Many do not drive or have access to a car and public transport is very limited, so accessing services after dark is difficult.
• A number of older people expressed a dislike of communal changing facilities in swimming pools and stated that they do not like swimming with children in the pool as they like to swim at their own pace. A number also stated that they would like ladies only or 50+ sessions.
• There was a general view that the new Waendel pool has been built in an inaccessible part of town. It is difficult to reach on foot and there is traffic congestion at peak times
152. Key issues identified by the “PHAB” (Physically Handicapped and Able Bodied) group are as follows
• A lack of information was seen as a significant barrier to participation for all of those attending the focus group. Generally there is very little awareness of what is provided by the Borough Council for those with a disability.
• Many people felt that they needed support or motivation to attend facilities or to access services.
• Safety is an issue, and people reported that generally they do not feel safe, particularly after dark.
• Safety is also an issue on pavements and cycle paths, where there is a perceived danger, either from other pedestrians or vehicles. There is a view that the cycle paths at the side of the road are inadequate, they are felt to be very unsafe for scooters, and glass on paths is a major concern.
Clubs survey
153. An on-line survey of sports clubs across Wellingborough was supplemented by telephone interviews in order to gain an understanding of the key issues facing clubs at this time, together with their aspirations.
154. 23 clubs responded giving an overall response rate of 25.4% which is disappointing.
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155. Those clubs who responded were from the following sports:
Football 7 Cricket 5 Archery 1 Athletics/Running 1 Basketball 1 Bowls (outdoor) 1
Canoeing 1
Hockey 1
Martial arts 1
Netball 1 Rugby 1 Table tennis 1
156. The findings from the Club Survey in relation to sports development issues have been provided separately to the Council.
National Governing Bodies of Sport
157. Almost major all sports have development plans, but not all contain facility information and many are only available for the regional level and above. The following comments therefore reflect discussions with the relevant national governing body offices, in addition to identifying any existing relevant plans.
Athletics
158. No facilities strategy in place for the East Midlands.
Badminton
159. There is currently no badminton facilities strategy in place. No response was received from the Regional Development Manager regarding any detailed proposals for Wellingborough.
Basketball
160. There is currently no facilities strategy in place. There are no planned developments for Wellingborough, and in view of the large investment that has been put into basketball in Northampton, it is unlikely that the governing body would invest significant amounts of funding in Wellingborough.
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Cricket
161. No facilities strategy exists at a local level at this time but a draft will be available in late January. There will then be an audit undertaken and consultation carried out with clubs, before the strategy is adopted.
162. Officers are not aware of any large scale developments planned for Wellingborough. Cricket is a thriving sport in Wellingborough and girls and women’s cricket is very strong. There are particularly strong clubs at:
Earls Barton Finedon Isham Wellingborough Town Wollaston
163. Priorities for investment are likely to be:
Earls Barton – the club are unable to be promoted to the premier league because of the quality of the playing surface, which is shared with football.
Redwell Leisure Centre – pitch dangerous during dry weather, and therefore not used.
Cycling
164. There is a dated facilities strategy which is now being reviewed. There are no planned developments for Wellingborough, but the priority for the governing body would to be to tie any investment into successful local clubs.
Football
165. The previous playing pitch strategy has now come to an end and the County Football Association (FA) are looking into producing a new strategy taking them up to 2012.
166. The previous strategy highlighted the following projects which have now been delivered;
• Finedon Volta - £172k for new pavilion with changing rooms. • Wilby - £140k for new pavilion with changing rooms. • Woolaston - £152k for new pavilion with changing rooms. • Great Doddington - £26k for changing facilities. • Grendon - £274k granted although the club are still seeking additional £15k before building new pavilion with changing rooms.
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167. The main priority for the county is Earls Barton. This Community Club has 18 teams ranging from mini soccer, girls and youth football, to adult male and female teams and a veterans team. The club is currently reviewing its situation and assessing how to progress forward with more appropriate facilities.
168. The FA had a target to assist at least 75% of Community Clubs by 2012 and Earls Barton is the only Community Club in the district.
169. Wellingborough Vicarage Farm is another club which the County FA would like to see develop. With 12 teams from mini soccer right through to U16s it is seen as desirable to develop the club into adult football to create a sustainable link and try to alleviate the drop off rates between junior and senior football.
170. The other potential project for Wellingborough relates to Wellingborough Town and Wellingborough Whitworths. If these two clubs were prepared to work together and share their current facilities then a project could develop there.
171. The FA and Football Foundation see club development as the main priority for the coming years and are eager to support Charter Standard clubs, especially those at the higher level of the charter standard award. In supporting these clubs by providing good quality changing facilities and pitch provision, it is recognised that adequate training facilities to accommodate the growing number of teams is also important.
172. The current policy on 3G pitches is to locate them on school sites. It will be important that there is joint working under the extended schools agenda to ensure that all available facilities can be accessed at evenings, weekends and throughout the school holidays.
Gymnastics
173. At this stage there is only a national facility strategy although it would appear that some facility mapping for the area has been undertaken.
174. There is a top Rhythmic Gymnastics club in Wellingborough (which has produced international gymnasts), and the club aspires to have their own facility in the area.
Hockey
175. No national facilities strategy is in place and there are no current plans for Wellingborough.
Netball
176. Netball has no relevant national or regional strategy but there are two main clubs and a Sunday league. The clubs play at Wellingborough School (sports hall and outdoor courts) and at Weavers Leisure Centre. The Sunday league also operates out of Wellingborough School. In total there are 7 outdoor courts, Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 69 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
one of which is at Redwell Leisure Centre. Four of the courts at Weavers are floodlit.
177. There is no significant pressure for new facilities, but rather an issue about being able to afford an increased number of bookings. It is proposed to provide for netball indoors through the proposed new sports village/leisure centre with a 6 court hall, and a 4 court hall located at the school site. In relation to outdoor courts, netball can share with tennis, and therefore should be jointly provided for on the future school site.
Rugby
178. A broad regional facilities strategy does exist, but each county is currently developing its own local plans. The county development plan will analyse in greater detail the local requirements of clubs, schools and other providers in the area.
179. The strategy will:
• Identify current facilities and facility requirements. • Identify priorities for facility developments in the county. • Identify venues already capable of delivery or potential to deliver a county programme. • Establish an assessment process for prioritising and approving facility plans of all affiliated clubs. • Establish a local standard or rating system for facilities at affiliated clubs. • Provide support and information to assist clubs to deliver facilities. Swimming
180. The ASA strategy has general priorities for new pool provision in the growth area but no specific comments in relation to Wellingborough.
Any new facility, especially linked to the growth agenda, needs to ensure that it is linked to a good development plan. This should include access across the whole sports development spectrum, from learn to swim, recreational swimming, club, and aquatic disciplines. By taking an early view of the use by, and progression of, swimmers it is much easier to build a realistic budget.
There is a need to work with all facility providers (Local Authority, school, private, Trust etc) to ensure a more comprehensive coverage of pool space for the different users. In the first instance, support should be given to those providers that are planning, refurbishing and building facilities within the strategy time period.
It must be recognised that facility providers will continue to have a reduction in funding from traditional sources and that the number of pools
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may also reduce. However, there are also a number of opportunities in the East Midlands:
o Milton Keynes & South Midlands Growth Area (includes the whole of Northamptonshire) – there are already examples of good practice of ensuring Section 106 funding is achieved through the planning process.
o Old/Dated Facilities – many providers have to consider their way forward because of the age and condition of the current stock.
o Obesity/Poor Health – there will have to be a change in the way the ‘Health Service’ is delivered and this must be reflected in the design/delivery and funding of facilities.
o Multiculturalism/Social Inclusion – the ability to reach an increasingly segmented market will require support from a range of providers and facility/location/accessibility will be key.
Table Tennis
181. There is no national facilities strategy in place. It is unlikely that the governing body would invest any further funding into the area in the short-medium term, after the large amount of capital put into Weavers School. The club based there has a development plan to fulfil, with key areas such as increasing membership.
Tennis
182. There is no national facilities strategy but this is an area that will be looked at in the next few months by the LTA. The document ‘A Blueprint for British Tennis’ is the new vision for British tennis development. It identifies the fact that the LTA has made significant capital investment in improving facilities such as floodlights and indoor courts. Further capital investment has been committed over the next five years, with the pursuit of a large amount of matched funding from other sources under way. It has been suggested by LTA officers that there may be a focus around the ‘Building Schools for the Future programme’ trying to improve the quality of school courts and increasing community access to these facilities at evenings and weekends.
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Education
183. Research has been carried out by the Partnership Development Manager with Key Stage 4 girls on what they would like to see in relation to sport and physical activity.
184. The schools in Wellingborough reflect the national trend of a large drop off of girls participating at Key Stage 4. The research highlighted that pupils would like to participate in activities such as skateboarding, kick boxing, trampolining and indoor rowing. Trampolining, dodge ball, basketball and cricket have proved to be very popular and the partnership is currently rolling out indoor rowing. The indoor rowing will give opportunities for informal and family competition. Cricket is extremely popular with girls in Wellingborough. Alternative activities such as Yoga have not been popular.
Adjoining local authorities, and 2012
185. In planning new facilities, it is important to identify proposals within adjoining authorities. The following points have emerged from discussions with key officers within each authority. Where 2012 pre-games training camps have been accepted by the London 2012 Organising Committee these are also identified here. It is likely that some of these facilities may be enhanced to support the pre-games training.
South Northants Council
186. Currently have a playing pitch strategy, an open space/green space strategy and play strategy which are all in draft form and not formally adopted by the Council. There are no planned developments.
Corby Borough Council
187. A facilities strategy exists, but is very dated and is currently being reviewed. No large developments are planned but a new 50m swimming pool is currently being built.
2012 venues as follows:
Swimming 50 m pool Athletics Rockingham Triangle Stadium
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Kettering Borough Council
188. A new facilities strategy will be developed soon. The council has just completed an open space and PPG17 strategy. Desborough leisure centre is being replaced and will open in 2010. There are no other large planned developments.
2012 venues as follows:
Fencing, Kettering Leisure Village Taekwondo, Indoor Volleyball
Northampton Borough Council
189. There are no major developments planned that would impact on Wellingborough.
2012 venues as follows:
Basketball Northants Basketball Centre
Daventry District Council
190. Dated strategy in place, but a review is planned. No facilities currently planned.
2012 venues as follows:
Equestrian, Moulton College Fencing
East Northamptonshire Council
191. No strategy currently in place. A new pool is proposed for Rushden although the location and facility mix have yet to be decided.
2012 venues as follows:
Archery Rushden & Diamonds Sports Complex Fencing Football Judo Table Tennis Wrestling
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Milton Keynes
192. Currently reviewing the leisure facilities and playing pitch strategies, with final reports due late in 2008. New facilities will be linked to the growth agenda, but they are unlikely to have a significant impact on Wellingborough. There may be replacement of the swimming pool at Newport Pagnell, and a 50 m pool developed at Radcliffe School.
2012 venues as follows:
Archery, Milton Keynes Sports Club Hockey Road Cycling, MK Centre of Cycling Excellence BMX Basketball, Radcliffe Leisure Complex (Radcliffe Fencing, School) Indoor Volleyball Basketball, Stadium MK Football Athletics Stantonbury Campus Athletics Stadium Hockey Tattenhoe Pavilion Hockey Woughton on the Green
User surveys
193. Wellingborough currently has no formal user surveys of its publicly funded leisure facilities, which means that there is no standardised assessment of who uses them, nor the levels of satisfaction. This is an issue which has been highlighted in a parallel project recently completed by Nortoft for Wellingborough, which considered the management and reporting arrangements for the facilities.
194. In response, the Council is now introducing a system linked to the national benchmarking scheme of Sport England. This will enable monitoring over time, and comparisons with similar authorities.
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SPORTS FACILITY PROPOSALS
Introduction
195. This section considers each type of built sports facility, and proposes both standards for the future and short-medium term priorities for future investment. The assessment for each facility is based on:
• The existing facilities and their location. • Determination of the current standards of provision per 1000 population. • The location of the existing facilities. • Location of facilities on the boundaries, and future proposals. • Benchmarking against ONS comparator authorities in relation to provision per 1000 population. • Results of consultation – in relation to quantity, quality and accessibility. • Trends in the relevant sports. • Sports specific proposals and issues. • Implications in relation to planned growth of the borough. • Implications of likely demographic trends.
196. These are then brought together into:
• A simple set of standards for quantity, quality and accessibility. • Proposals for the location and phasing of new facilities.
197. Each facility proposal is then costed, based on Sport England latest figures.
198. In relation to benchmarking, the ONS comparator group has been used for the purpose of setting the standards, as this is a more select group of authorities than the IPF group used for the Active People assessment, and two of them adjoin Wellingborough:
Redditch Rugby Kettering Northampton
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Active Places Power – the tools
199. Sport England has developed a number of strategic planning tools for sports facility assessment, which have been used in this Strategy as a starting point for the reviews below. The assessment results are reviewed alongside other local information, including consultation findings (the views of local residents and clubs), strategies of the national governing bodies of sport, and sports development priorities.
200. A brief summary of the analysis tools is provided below. However, a general point to note is that the population figures for Active Places Power are based on the 2001 census.
Provision per 1000 population
201. This tool is available for most built sports facilities, and is an estimate of the number or area of facilities against the number of residents within an administrative area. This is expressed as a unit of a facility, e.g. pools are expressed as square metres of water space per 1000 population, and athletics tracks by the number of lanes. It is a simple tool which is a useful starting point for assessing the provision of facilities within an authority.
202. The disadvantage is that the tool treats each authority as an island. No account is taken of facilities just over the border of the authority, nor of any movement of people in and out of the authority. It also takes no account of commuter or tourist demand.
Local Supply and Demand Balance
203. This tool is available from Sport England for swimming pools, sports halls and indoor bowls. It is a calculation of the capacity available against the expected demand from the residents.
204. As with the above assessment of provision per 1000, this tool also treats the authority as an island and takes no account of commuter or tourist demand, nor cross border movements.
205. This figure compares total demand against total supply and expresses it as a percentage of supply. In order to calculate this figure, the capacity of the facilities is assessed as the number of visits per week in the peak period. The capacity takes account of the size and opening hours of each of the facilities, and the results can be provided by different facility ownership and management regimes. For the purposes of this strategy, we have only included those facilities with community use.
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Personal share of facilities
206. This tool is available from Sport England for swimming pools, sports halls and indoor bowls.
207. This figure shows the relative availability of the facilities for the residents of each Super Output area. It takes into account the amount of facility space at peak time, the characteristics of the authority’s population, and the distance to facilities. This is a more sophisticated tool than the local supply and demand balance, and is particularly useful for mapping.
208. This assessment does not treat the authority as an island – it takes account of facilities over the border, and demand coming into the authority from surrounding areas. However, it is still unable to take account of commuter or tourist demand.
Nortoft Calculator
209. For those facilities other than swimming pools and halls Nortoft has developed a Calculator which forecasts future need for each facility type based upon both changes in the population and the anticipated growth in participation. A copy of the detailed calculations is provided in Appendix 9.
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Pools
Current provision
210. The borough currently has one public swimming pool, the new Waendel Swimming Pool close to the town centre (Figure 30). It is 25m and has 6 lanes with a learner pool and 200 seat spectator space. It opened in June 2007 and is used as a county level gala pool in addition to providing space for community swimming and club training.
Figure 30: The Waendel Leisure Centre
211. Other pools in the borough include the small dual-use pool at Oakway School, and private pools at Club Diana, Scott Bader, Bannatynes, and Finedon Muslo School.
212. There are two pools on the very close to the boundary of Wellingborough. The most significant of these is the Rushden Splash Pool, which has a 25m 6 lane main pool, plus two small leisure pools and a teaching pool. Although the pool was only built in 1990 and there is a definite proposal to relocate the pool to a
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more southern location within the town. Detailed provision at the new site is still to be determined, but for the purposes of this report it is assumed that a similar amount of water space will be provided in the future as at present.
213. The second pool is small private pool at Overstone Park over the Northampton boundary, which is only available to registered members.
Figure 31: Swimming pools in Wellingborough
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Current standards of provision
214. Wellingborough has (based on fully updated facility information):
• Pools with community use (pay and play, and registered members) = 14 sq m per 1000 • Pools with 'pay and play' only = 7.3 sq m per 1000
215. The latter figure of 7.3 sq m takes the Waendel pool only into account as this facility is the only one which is fully available to the community, and the only one to meet modern design standards. The other pool space is either private or dual use on school sites.
216. The average provision for England is 13.1 sq m per 1000 population water space. This figure has been provided by Sport England. Wellingborough therefore has a slightly higher provision of water space than the national average when taking all pool space into consideration.
217. Wellingborough is close to the England average for the ratio of demand and supply for pools available for community use. Available capacity is approx 174% of the actual demand - an 'acceptable' and fairly normal ratio. Kettering has less than this, but Northampton more. Redditch has less, at 102%, and Rugby has more at 209%.
218. Most of Wellingborough has higher levels of 'personal share' of pools available for community use than the national or regional averages. Queensway Ward is least well served by the current facilities. Those people living in the south of the borough have more access to pools than the rest. The other rural areas have least access to pools, except where they border onto Northampton or Finedon.
Adopted standards of ONS comparators
219. Only Northampton has adopted a standard for pools. This is 10.51 sq m per 1000 population and a 15 minute drive time catchment.
Trends in the sport
220. Swimming is the third most popular activity amongst all adults, and there is a high number of young people swimming – for fun, during school hours, in the learn-to-swim programmes and via the clubs. However, the lack of swimming pool space has meant that the learn-to-swim programme at the new Waendel pool filled almost immediately, and there is no spare space in the aquatic programme. Many residents therefore travel outside the authority to swim.
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221. Swimming attracts all ages and is likely to continue to grow in popularity over time. The new 50 m pools at Corby and Milton Keynes may provide a focus for the highest performance levels of the sport, but will not impact significantly upon the general community demand from Wellingborough. Any new pool at Newport Pagnell is likely to be of a similar size to the existing one there, and this will not have a significant impact, however the new pool proposed at Rushden will have an impact, as it will be a new facility and highly attractive to users, particularly from the east and south of the borough.
222. The current total provision of 14 sq m per thousand available to the community needs to be retained as a minimum standard as the town grows. This is particularly important because of the young age structure of the borough up to 2021 and beyond, which will mean that a higher level of provision is needed than the national average.
223. However, the reliance on private facilities and school pools is a concern, and needs to be addressed by the provision of more public pool space in the medium to longer term.
Proposals
Proposed standard
224. Provision at a rate of 14 sq m per 1000 population, including a mix of both public and private facilities.
225. One new public pool to be developed and to be treated at a Strategic facility, attracting developers’ contributions from the whole of the borough. The remainder of the water area provided through a mix of private facilities and other sites.
226. Design standards to meet Sport England specifications.
Justification
227. By 2021 (assuming population rise to 97,000).
• Increase in population = 21,000. • Provision at 14 sq m per 1000 required for whole population = 1064 sq m • Current water space with ‘pay and play’ community use = 555 sq m. • Additional water space needed to provide for increase in population alone = 21,000 x 14 sq m per 1000 = 294 sq m.
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228. By 2026 - (additional provision required, assuming population rises to 103,000)
• Increase in population =6,900. • Provision at 14 sq m per 1000 =96.6 sq m
229. Total additional water space needed to provide for the population alone up to 2026 is therefore 391 sq m. This equates to one 6 lane 25 m pool with some teaching space. Some further water space is required to help reduce the current reliance on private facilities.
230. It is proposed that the swimming pool complex should be developed by 2021 to ease the demand for public swimming, and to meet the timeframe of the main development period for the town.
231. No travel time standard has been set due to the nature of the borough. Most rural areas of the borough could reach a town pool within 20 minutes drive time. It is not possible to reach all those without access to a car, but the walking catchment would be around 1.6 km.
232. Additional public water space has not been proposed because of the options for new development at Rushden, and the likelihood of new private pools being developed over the next few years.
Recommendations:
Seek new pool consisting of:
6 lane x 25 m pool Plus teaching pool
To be completed by 2021 at latest.
To be located on the edge of the town, with good car access in addition to walking and cycling routes linking back to the town. To be geographically located on the north side of the town and developed as part of a new sports village.
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Halls
Current provision
233. Wellingborough currently has 6 sites with sports halls of 3+ badminton court size. These together provide 24 badminton courts. Of the six sites, only one is owned by the borough of Wellingborough, one is a community school, two are foundation schools, one is an independent school, and one is a community association. All except the Wollaston School site are within the boundaries of the town, as illustrated by Figure 33. There is one site in Rushden which has a 1.6 km catchment crossing the border. The 1.6 km catchments illustrated on the map are based on a walking time of 20 minutes. This is based on research undertaken by Sport England, which identified the average maximum distance which users will walk to a facility.
Figure 32: Redwell Leisure Centre
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Number of Site Name Badminton Courts
Redwell Leisure Centre 5 Sir Christopher Hatton School 3 Weavers Leisure Centre 5 Wellingborough School 4 Wollaston School 3 Wellingborough Dist. Hindu Assn (Highfields) 4
234. The two five court halls are unique in being able to provide for basketball, and Weavers Leisure Centre is well used by the sport.
235. The Hindu Association hall (otherwise known as Highfields) is a full size 4-court hall with changing, but it in practice it has very little use for sport. It has therefore been discounted from the following assessment.
236. In terms of the quality of the halls, the following is a summary of the current provision:
Redwell Leisure Centre – basic 4 court sports hall with good quality changing rooms. No major problems.
Sir Christopher Hatton School sports hall – modern 4 court hall with good quality changing rooms and good lighting. No major problems.
Weavers Leisure Centre - 4 court hall with good quality changing rooms and good lighting. No major problems.
Wellingborough School – 4 court sports hall. Approx 20 years old, has not been refurbished.
Wollaston School. – 3 badminton court space – old school gym, in need of refurbishment.
Wellingborough District Hindu Association (Highfields) – designed as a 4 court sports hall but the facility is poorly maintained and functions mainly as a community centre.
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Figure 33: Sports halls of 3+ badminton courts
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Possible future provision
237. Wrenn School does not currently have a sports hall meeting the minimum size above (3 badminton court size). The school is located opposite Wellingborough School, and any potential new sports hall provision would lie within the overlapping catchments of the existing facilities.
238. Should the school submit a planning application for a sports hall, this can be supported by the Borough Council as it will enhance the total amount and quality of provision in the town. If such a facility is to be developed it should be made available for community use, and designed appropriately.
239. It would be appropriate for the management of the new facility to remain under school control, rather than being managed intensively by the borough.
240. The development of any facility on the Wrenn site will not negate the need for additional provision elsewhere in the town, as these other facilities are proposed to be located within the growth areas, to meet future local demand from the new housing.
Current standards
241. Wellingborough currently has 24 badminton courts available for community use, giving a rate of provision of 0.31 courts per 1000 population. This is slightly above the national average of 0.28 courts per 1000. However as the Hindu Association facility has very limited availability, the actual provision falls slightly below the national average.
242. The location of the sports halls means that everyone with access to a car can reach a 4 plus court sports hall within a maximum of 14 minutes (source Active Places Power). In the town, most people without access to a car can still reach a 3+ court sports halls within a 20 minutes walk (see Figure 33) with the exception of the western most part of the town. A 20 minute walk is taken to be 1.6 km.
Adopted standards of ONS comparators
243. Northampton has adopted a standard for 4+ court sports halls of 49.52 sq m per 1000. The quality standard refers to:
A clean and welcoming indoor sports facility and changing rooms that is well- maintained and provides a wide range of indoor sports facilities and activities. Indoor sports facilities should provide adequate secure car-parking facilities, ease of booking and welcoming staff and should be easily accessible to the local community.
244. The other authorities have no adopted standards of provision.
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Trends in the sports
245. Sports halls of 3+size are multi-purpose spaces and are likely to retain their ‘market share’ of sporting activity.
246. Other than for netball, the governing bodies have not identified any specific sports facility proposals which impact upon the sports halls. In relation to netball, there is some demand for additional indoor court space, but this is insufficient to justify a new facility on its own. A review of the programming of the facilities should be considered which might release some additional time for netball.
247. The success of basketball is something which the borough would like to encourage, and is likely to be attractive to the growing numbers of young people.
Proposals
Proposed standard
248. It is proposed to adopt a rate of provision of 0.28 badminton courts per 1000 population for halls which are 3+ court size.
249. New courts will be based on 2 new sites, with design standards to meet Sport England specifications.
• One 6 court hall to be treated as a Strategic Level facility and attracting developers’ contributions from all new development. This should be designed to accommodate basketball and indoor netball to at least Club level.
• One 4 court hall as a Satellite level facility, attracting developers’ contributions from Stanton Cross (WEAST).
Justification
250. There is a need to increase the amount of sports hall space in the borough to meet the additional demand from the growth of the town. This will need to be located close to the growth areas.
251. There is also a need to respond to the sports specific demands arising from the strong basketball and netball clubs in the town. These sports require a 6-court hall for competitions, so this requirement has also been built into the provision per 1000 calculation.
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252. The current provision is 24 badminton courts, but only 20 are in regular use, which equates to 0.26 courts per 1000, and the national average rate of provision is 0.28 courts per 1000. It is therefore proposed to adopt the 0.28 courts per 1000 standard.
253. By 2021 • Increase in population = 21,000. • Provision at 0.28 badminton courts per 1000 population. • New provision required for community use = 6 courts (rounded up)
254. By 2026 – additional provision required • Increase in population =6,900. • Provision at 0.28 badminton courts per 1000 population. • New provision required for community use = 2 courts
255. The provision on the school site is proposed to be a 4-court hall, much of the cost of which would be expected to be met as part of the overall school budget.
Recommendations:
1 x 6 court hall linked with the proposed new pool provision. This should be located on the edge of the town, with good car access in addition to walking and cycling routes linking back to the town, and developed as part of a new sports village. To meet at least club level basketball and netball.
1x 4 court hall on the secondary school site, with guaranteed long-term community use which must be ensured through a legally-binding agreement.
The site should be designed to facilitate community use and standards should meet Sport England specifications.
Investment priorities
256. Further work is required to confirm the investment priorities for the existing sports halls. However, the highest priority appears to be in relation to Wollaston School as its 3 court hall potentially provides an important community facility, but may not be fulfilling its potential. There may be opportunities linked to school building programmes, including Building Schools for the Future, and these should be grasped to improve community access and opportunities on the site.
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Synthetic Turf Pitches
Current provision
257. There are currently two full-size sand-based synthetic turf pitches in Wellingborough; one at Wellingborough School and one at Wrenn School. There is also a small size pitch at Wollaston School. (See Figure 34).
Current standards
258. Wellingborough currently has a similar level of provision of STPs per 1000 population as the national average, 0.03 pitches per 1000. The regional level of provision is slightly higher at 0.04 pitches per 1000. The area of an STP is approximately 1 ha.
259. The location of the pitches means that everyone with access to a car can reach a synthetic pitch within a maximum of 14 minutes (source Active Places Power). Those people without access to a car are however more limited, even in the town, as the two sites are adjacent and their 1.6 km walking catchments overlap.
Adopted standards of ONS comparators
260. None of the authorities have adopted standards of provision for STPs.
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Figure 34: Synthetic turf pitches
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Trends in the sports
261. The prime use of STPs, both full and small-size, is for small-sided football and for football training. The key characteristics of the small-sided game are:
• Most players are adult, affluent men. • Many people play directly after work. • Many of those taking part are only playing small-sided football. • Centres can be over-subscribed at peak times. • There is limited demand for the pitches during the daytime. • Players are attracted to sites with bars and social areas. • Leagues are often established, usually based around the individual centres therefore there is no comprehensive list of teams. • There is an increasing trend for players to stop playing the 11-a-side game on grass, in preference to the small-sided game on synthetic surfaces, particularly within urban areas. • The Football Association is trying to formalise the sport through their Futsal discipline, but there are large numbers of unaffiliated teams and leagues. • The Football Association estimates that the prime catchment area for a full-size 3G pitch in urban areas is a radius of around 5 miles.
262. The Football Association’s recommended dimensions for small-sided football pitches vary for 5, 6 and 7 a-side pitches. However small-sided football is also provided for on full-size STPs by sub-dividing the pitch, usually into three.
263. The demand for small-sided football on synthetic surfaces, particularly 3G surfaces is growing strongly.
264. There is likely to be an increasing number of 11-a-side (senior) football matches being played on full-size 3G pitches, although this can only be at local league level. The higher league levels require a type of 3G STP that is not suited to community use, but the use of specialist 3G match pitches is expected to become increasingly common in the future.
265. There is no specific information about hockey trends, but anecdotal information from elsewhere in the country seems to suggest that this sport is relatively stable, with only steady growth expected.
266. Rugby is the other sport using STPs, particularly the 3G pitch type. This type of surface is used for training purposes, and many of the larger clubs aspire to such a pitch.
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Proposals
Proposed standard
267. It is proposed to adopt a rate of 0.05 pitch per 1000, which will provide for both the anticipated increase in population, and growth in demand at 1% per annum.
268. Three new pitches should be developed (the design standards should meet Sport England and national governing body specifications).
• One full size floodlit 3G pitch, to be treated as a Strategic Level facility and attracting developers’ contributions from all new development. This to be located at the sports village.
• One full size floodlit sand based pitch, to be treated as a Hub level facility, and based at the proposed school site.
• One other full size floodlit pitch or 3 small-sided pitches to be developed as a Satellite level facility at a single location, either on a school or club site, or alternatively as part of a commercial development.
Justification
• If Wellingborough was to increase its provision to the regional rate of 0.04 pitch per 1000 people, one full-size pitch is already justified in 2008.
• By 2021 By 2021 additional capacity is needed to meet both the increased demand from the population and trends in the sport. It is proposed that the rate of 0.05 pitches per 1000 is used in planning provision up to this date.
• By 2026 There is planned growth in the population and expected demand, but the standard of 0.05 will be adequate to meet this.
Recommendations:
Three new pitches should be developed:
• One full size 3G pitch, to be treated as a Strategic Level facility and attracting developers’ contributions from all new development. This to be located at the sports village.
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• One full size floodlit sand based pitch, to be treated as a Hub level facility, and based at the proposed school site.
• One other full size floodlit pitch or 3 small-sided floodlit pitches to be developed as a Satellite level facility at a single location, either on a school or club site, or alternatively as part of a commercial development. If developed as small-sided pitches, the surface should either be 3G, or a mixture of both.
• It will be important to locate pitches geographically away from each other to limit their catchment overlap.
• The school site should be designed to facilitate community use and pitch standards (including the ancillary facilities such as changing) should meet Sport England specifications.
• The school site pitch should be secured for community use through a legally binding agreement.
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GRASS PLAYING PITCHES
Introduction
269. This section of the report updates the 2002 Playing Pitch Strategy. It uses the Sport England standardised methodology in relation to demand, and provides standards of provision for the future. This section is divided into provision for each sport; football, rugby, and cricket. There are no other major sports in the borough for whom provision is required, and hockey is now wholly played on synthetic turf pitches. Team generation rates which determine how much playing field space will be needed have also been calculated and can be found in Appendix 8.
Football
Current provision
270. The assessment is based on the size of the pitches required for the different age groups. This approach has been standardised by Sport England to enable comparisons between different areas across the country. The ‘minis’ age- group is under 10 years, although recognising that there are slightly different pitch sizes for each age group below this. The Juniors are the under 11- under 16 age groups, and seniors are 16+ years. These age groups do not fully correspond to the leagues playing in Wellingborough, but the pitch sizes are relevant.
271. The list of grass football pitches is given below in Figure 35 and these are mapped in Figure 36. The total number of pitches in secure community use is: 4 separately marked mini pitches, 17 junior pitches, and 37 senior pitches. There are a number of other pitches in private use, or school pitches with less secure or no community use (Figure 37). The definition of ‘secure’ community use is defined as pitches which are either owned (and usually managed) by the local authority or the parish councils, or are club sites. School pitches are only be considered as being in “secure” community use if there is a long term legal agreement ensuring public access. Such agreements are rare in relation to grass pitches.
272. Of the sites with ‘secure’ community use, there are 9 sites with at least 3 junior or senior pitches, and a further 4 with at least 2 pitches. However, of the total number of senior pitch sites, 7 are single pitch sites, mainly in village locations.
273. The larger multi-pitch venues are the most important resource for the sport as they provide scope for all ages and abilities, are easiest (and most cost
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effective) to manage, justify changing provision, and provide the greatest flexibility for future changes in the sport. This type of facility also meets the needs of the FA and the expectations of Charter Standard clubs.
274. Conversely the single pitch sites often have a relatively higher level of importance for informal recreation, whilst providing a training and match venue for local teams. However they tend to be the most expensive to manage, and often lack changing accommodation, or have poor quality changing.
Figure 35: Football pitch sites
Site Pitches Pitches available for community use Mini Junior Senior Bozeat Playing Field 1 Castle Fields 1 1 Croyland Park 2 4 Eastfield Park 1 2 Finedon Recreation Ground 1 1 Great Doddington Recreation Ground 2 1 Grendon Playing Field 3 2 Irchester Recreation Ground 1 Irchester Sports Association 1 1 Isham Cricket Club 1 Mears Ashby Playing Field 1 Pioneer Sports Ground 1 2 Queensway Park 1 4 Redwell Leisure Centre 2 Sywell Playing Field 1 The Grange 1 Tower Sports Ground 1 2 Weavers Leisure Centre 1 2 Wellingborough Old Grammarians Memorial Sports Field 4 3 Wellingborough Town FC 1 Whitworths Sports Field 1 1 Wilby Playing Field 1 Wollaston Playing Field 1 1 TOTALS 4 17 37 Other private pitches Sir Christopher Hatton School 3 2 Friars School 1 Grendon Hall 2 Wellingborough School 5 6 Wollaston School 1 3 Wrenn School 1 3
275. Changes since the 2002 Strategy include the improvements at the Old Grammarians ground, and the removal of pitches at Nest Lane and Bassetts Close.
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276. The Pioneer site is included in the above list, but this is known to be under threat. WBC and Earls Barton Football Club have been actively considering the options to replace this site.
Figure 36: Football pitches with community use
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Figure 37: Football pitches with private use
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Current demand
277. A thorough check has been made on the number of football teams in Wellingborough, using a variety of sources including the Football Association, web based research, and telephone surveys of a selection of the clubs. These were in addition to the club on-line survey carried out for all of the sports clubs in Wellingborough.
278. The results show that there were 52 mini teams, 40 junior teams (boys) and 4 junior girls teams, 50 adult men’s teams, and 2 women’s teams. (See Appendix 4) . A comparison was been made with the 2002 county-wide information (teams in 2001). The following differences emerge (see Figure 38 below).
• There appears to be a fall in the ‘team generation rate’ for boys playing football within Wellingborough.
• There appears to be a fall in the ‘team generation rate’ for men playing football within Wellingborough.
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Figure 38: Comparison of football teams in Wellingborough 2001/2007
Notes: Mini soccer team numbers were not collected for the 2002 county wide playing pitch strategy. In 2002 no breakdown was given between male and female teams, and have therefore been estimated based on the overall national trend in the sport (growth in the girls game, but steady state for the women’s adult game).
2001 Number of Pop in age Pop Age group Teams Teams group within as a % of within generated needed to Age age total active age per 1000 generate 1 Groups group pop group pop team Mini-soccer (U7-U10s) - mixed 6-9yrs 3920 0.08 0 0 Youth football - boys 10-15yrs 2940 0.06 49 16.7 60 Youth football - girls 10-15yrs 2940 0.06 3 1.0 980 Men’s football 16-45yrs 14590 0.30 66 4.5 221 Women’s football 16-45yrs 14590 0.30 2 0.1 7295 Totals for football 38980 120 3.1 325
2007 Pop in Age Number age group as of group Pop a % of Teams Teams needed within total within generated to Age age active age per 1000 generate Groups group pop group pop 1 team Mini-soccer (U7-U10s) - mixed 6-9yrs 3680 0.07 52 14.1 71 Youth football - boys 10-15yrs 2890 0.06 40 13.8 72 Youth football - girls 10-15yrs 2890 0.06 4 1.4 723 Men’s football 16-45yrs 15180 0.30 50 3.3 304 Women’s football 16-45yrs 15180 0.30 2 0.1 7590 Totals for football 39820 148 3.7 269
Youth or junior football
279. It is difficult to tell from these figures alone what is happening, however it is unusual to see a fall in the number of boys per 1000 playing football, especially where there is a strong mini soccer game. This suggests that the TGR rate being generated for 2007/08 may be inaccurate, and what is actually happening is an outflow of boys to clubs outside Wellingborough due to a lack of pitches within the borough.
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280. This proposition is backed by evidence including:
• The demand-supply assessment for the number of pitches shows that they are being used 100% at peak time, and many will be running close to capacity across the week. • Sports development work at clubs such as Earls Barton has shown a strong interest in the game, but a serious lack of pitch supply. • The results of the household survey, which show that some people are travelling outside Wellingborough to play.
Senior football
280. There appears to be a major fall of about 27% in the team generation rate for adult men (aged 16+). If the team numbers for 2002 are correct (no list is available), then this raises some significant questions about future provision for the game. There is clearly no lack of pitch space, in fact there are about 25 ‘spare’ pitches every weekend, although many of these are village single-pitch sites.
281. The change in the number of teams from 2002 to 2007/08 may in part reflect the national trend in adult football. This is away from grass and on to the synthetic turf pitches, usually as a small-sided (5, 6 or 7-a-side) game. Both the Wellingborough School STP and the Wrenn School STP are available for hire, and there are also a large number of new synthetic turf pitches which have been developed in Northampton, particularly on the school sites. Sites such as Weston Favell (new 3G pitch) will draw players within a 20 minute driving catchment, which effectively covers much of the borough.
282. Another factor may be the loss of one of the senior leagues playing in Wellingborough. Some teams may have transferred across to Northampton.
Current standards
283. The current total pitch area for football in the borough is 54 ha and with an estimate of 150% of the pitch area equating to total area of playing fields used for football, this gives a total of 81 ha. If the single pitch sites are excluded, this brings down the area to 69 ha.
284. With a current population of 76,900, this gives a standard of 1.05 ha per 1000 population for football alone, and if single pitch sites are excluded, this brings it to 0.90 ha per 1000.
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Adopted standards of ONS comparators
285. None of the authorities have a specific standard for football pitches, but a more generic standard for all outdoor sports. The accessibility standard adopted by Northampton is 15 minutes walking time.
Consultation results
286. The household survey does not show a large outflow of football players into surrounding authorities, but there is some.
287. Feasibility work by local clubs, such as Earls Barton FC, has demonstrated that the pitches available for junior are used to capacity.
288. The minis use central venues but there are only 4 permanent mini pitches in the borough. The over-marking of pitches to provide for the mini game is discouraged by the FA, who prefers dedicated venues.
289. The FA is fully supportive of clubs such as Earls Barton in securing more pitch space to deliver the expectations associated with Charter Club Standard.
Trends in the sport
290. Football at mini and junior levels continues to gain popularity, and there has been a growth in the game in most places across the East and West Midlands. However, lack of information about the mini game from the 2002 strategy means that no comparisons can be made for this age group in Wellingborough.
291. Football at the junior level (u11-u16) has fallen slightly from 2002 to 2008 in Wellingborough. As this is an unusual situation, it probably reflects the lack of pitch space, and the limited number of multi-pitch sites.
292. Football at the senior level is switching more to the small-sided game on synthetic surfaces. The fall in participation rates seems faster than perhaps elsewhere, but some people are travelling outside the borough to play.
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Proposals
Proposed standard
293. A standard is proposed of 0.9 ha per 1000 for football playing fields for new development.
294. Provision should be within 1.2 km (equates to 15 minutes walk).
295. Single pitch sites in village locations should be retained as pitches.
296. Single pitch sites in the town should be reviewed, either converting to mini pitches, or to informal open space if this option is not viable.
297. These statements are supplemented by general guidance for future provision, given at the end of the Grass Playing Pitches section of this report.
Justification
298. The 0.9 ha per 1000 for football playing fields would enable growth in the mini and junior game and ensure that the current deficits are addressed. It also allows for some growth in the senior game.
299. The Sport England methodology for Team Generation suggests the following number of teams for 2016, 2021 and 2026. The numbers in 2007/08 are given for comparison.
Year No teams Senior Junior (10-15 Mini (16+ years) years) (6-9 years) 2007/08 52 44 52 2016** 61 53 73 2021** 68 63 81 2026** 74 70 89
300. An accessibility standard is required for new developments to ensure that there is sufficiently local provision. A 1.2 km radius is proposed to encourage mini and junior use, and reflects a walking time of 15 minutes. This reflects the household survey information which showed a relatively high percentage of users walk to the grass pitches, and that the greatest percentage only travel for 5-10 minutes to reach their site. The 20 minutes travel time was an absolute maximum.
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301. Detailed methodology is provided in Appendix 5 (A), (B) & (C). This follows Sport England’s standard methodology for team generation but has been developed to enable an assessment of the impact of increased participation over the period up to 2026.
Recommendations:
With the growth in the borough, the following is proposed for the period up to 2021 to provide for community football:
To meet new growth:
• Wellingborough Town (linked with the northern growth): 8 ha of playing fields for football as a single site (equates to approx 4.4 senior pitches), with changing provision, car parking etc.
• East: 10 ha of playing fields for football on either one or two sites, providing for around 5.5 senior pitches or their equivalent. If on two sites minimum equivalent of 2.5 senior pitches per site. Both with changing provision, car parking etc.
To meet existing and future needs of the sport:
• Consider changing some senior pitch provision to junior and mini pitches.
• Development two multi-pitch sites which will enable a mix of pitch sizes to be provided, close to Earls Barton, and to Irchester.
• Retain single pitch sites in village locations.
Investment priorities
302. Further confirmation is required on the improvement works necessary for the existing playing field sites. However two large proposals require urgent attention; at Earls Barton, and potentially at Irchester.
303. The other investment priorities were highlighted in the 2002 county playing field strategy, but no works have been done on the sites, so they are still on the action list.
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Earls Barton
304. The need for a large multi-pitch site at Earls Barton has been the subject of detailed discussion with WBC over a number of months. The football club currently has a single senior pitch at The Grange, shared with cricket. The club also has use of three pitches at the Pioneer Ground, but these will be lost in time to gravel extraction. The club has achieved Charter Standard status and has aspirations for developing further. If their aspirations are to be achieved, they will require: 2 mini pitches, 4 junior pitches, and 2 senior pitches. These cannot be provided on their current site at The Grange, and there is no site nearby with sufficient available pitches available to enable the club to transfer to a new facility.
Figure 39: Earls Barton Football Club
305. A high priority for future investment is therefore to develop a new site to enable the development of Earls Barton United FC.
306. In addition to the problems faced by Earls Barton F.C. are problems experienced by Earls Barton Cricket Club. This Club has been unable to fulfil its potential because of the problems associated with sharing grounds with football.
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Irchester
307. Irchester football club is similarly seeking a new site sufficient to provide for a number of different-sized pitches. However, the club are at a relatively early stage of their thinking, and have yet to develop any detailed proposals or plans. Further investigation is required to determine need, and the options available.
Other sites
308. Other priorities for potential investment have been highlighted by Borough Council officers. These again require further detailed consideration and costing.
• Pitch improvements at Croyland Park, Eastfield, Queensway and Castlefields.
• Pavilion improvements at: Croyland, Eastfield and Castlefields.
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Cricket
Current provision
309. There are currently 12 cricket sites across the borough, both within the town and villages, see Figure 40. These vary in quality, from the almost unplayable surface at Redwell, to fairly high quality at Finedon Dolben.
Current demand
310. The team numbers for the 2008 season are as follows, but see Appendix 6 - Cricket Clubs & Teams for the detailed list.
Team Age group Number of teams Junior cricket - boys 11-17yrs 17 Junior cricket - girls 11-17yrs 2 Men’s cricket 18-55yrs 39 Women’s cricket 18-55yrs 1 Total 59
311. The level of demand on facilities varies significantly across the borough. For instance Wellingborough Town has 6 senior teams, plus 9 junior teams. This contrasts with Little Harrowden and the Old Wellingburians both with only 1 senior team each. Most of the village clubs have three or more senior teams plus junior teams.
Current standards
312. There are 39 senior men’s teams playing on the 12 sites, giving a ratio of 3.25 senior men’s teams per site, plus ladies (one team) and junior (19 teams).
313. In terms of provision per 1000, this equates to 0.16 pitches per 1000 population.
Adopted standards of ONS comparators
314. None of the authorities have a specific standard for cricket pitches, but a more generic standard for all outdoor sports.
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Figure 40: Cricket pitches with community use
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Trends in the sport
315. Based on the current team generation rate but then adding a 1% growth in the game per annum, the following team numbers are forecast for 2016, 2021 and 2026 using the latest population estimates.
2008 2016 2021 2026 Junior cricket - boys 11-17yrs 17 20 23 26 Junior cricket - girls 11-17yrs 2 2 3 3 Men’s cricket 18-55yrs 39 48 53 57 Women’s cricket 18-55yrs 1 1 1 1 Total 59 72 80 87
316. This means that there will be a substantial growth in both the boys’ cricket and men’s, whilst the low number of female teams will remain. The number of boys teams are expected to rise slightly faster than the men’s game, at more than 150% by 2026. The men’s game rises by 140%.
Proposals
Proposed standard
317. A standard of 0.51 ha of cricket playing fields per 1000 is proposed.
318. New sites should be solely for cricket, and should have ancillary facilities including clubhouse and car parking.
319. New sites should be provided within 20 minutes walking catchment in the town.
320. These statements are supplemented by general guidance for future provision, given at the end of the Grass Playing Pitches section of this report.
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Justification
321. At provision per 1000 with a straight line increase at 0.16 pitches per 1000 population would give the following forecast need:
Pop Baseline: Pop in Number Pop in Number Pop Number in 2008 2016 of pitches 2021 of pitches in of pitches 2007 No req’d @ req’d @ 2026 req’d @ pitches 0.16/1000 0.16/1000 0.16/1000 76.2 12 88,900 2 96.9 3 103.8 4.4
322. A better approach however is to forecast needs based on the number of pitches which will be required, calculated from the Team Generation Rate methodology promoted by Sport England.
323. It is assumed that the current pitches are, on average, being used by 3.25 men’s teams, plus 1.5 junior teams. This would mean that each pitch, on average, is being used for at least 2 home games per week. In the town, this will be more.
Number Number Number of of of Teams Teams Teams Teams pitches pitches pitches in 2007 in 2016 in 2021 in 2026 req’d @ req’d @ req’d @ 3.25 3.25 3.25 39 48 3 53 4 57 6
324. If this is translated back in to provision per 1000, this is 0.17 pitches per 1000 population.
325. The size of a senior cricket pitch with 12 pitches (wickets) and some space for winter cricket training is 2 ha. With additional space for car parking and clubhouse, this gives a site area for each new provision of 3 ha. If 4 new pitches are required for 2021, this equates to 12 ha of space in total.
326. At 0.17 pitches per 1000 population, this therefore equates to 0.51 ha per 1000 population.
327. An accessibility standard is required for new developments to ensure that there is sufficiently local provision.
328. The priorities for investment in the current facilities have arisen through the clubs and national governing body consultation process, and address identified needs.
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Recommendations:
With the growth in the borough, the following is proposed for the period up to 2021 to provide for community cricket:
• Wellingborough Town (linked with the northern growth):
o On-site: 1 community cricket field of 3 ha with changing provision, car parking etc. o Off-site: contributions to improve the quality of existing sites in the town.
• East: On-site provision of 2 community cricket sites, both with changing provision, car parking etc.
• New sites to be provided within 20 minutes walk (1.6 km) of the centre of the new residential developments, but the ones to be provided in the East to be geographically located away from each other e.g. one in north and one in the south of Stanton Cross.
• New sites to be solely for the use of cricket, and not to be used as general open space.
• Elsewhere – contributions towards improving existing provision.
• Retain pitch sites in village locations.
Investment priorities
329. A detailed investigation into pitch quality is required to provide a costed list of improvements.
330. The highest priorities for investment are:
• Earls Barton – to secure a separate pitch from football with adequate ancillary facilities to enable promotion to the premier division.
• Redwell Leisure Centre – to improve pitch and bring back into use.
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Rugby
Current provision
331. There are currently two club sites in Wellingborough, Wellingborough RUFC with 4 senior pitches, and Old Grammarians with 2 senior pitches. (See Figures 41 and 42).
Figure 41: Old Grammarians
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Current demand
332. The team numbers for the 2007/2008 season are:
Age Number of teams Mini-rugby - mixed 8-12yrs 8 Junior rugby - boys 13-17yrs 6 Junior rugby - girls 13-17yrs 0 Men’s rugby 18-45yrs 7 Women’s rugby 18-45yrs 1 Total 22
333. There are also a number of major clubs close to Wellingborough, including in Olney and Northampton. These clubs are likely to draw some players from Wellingborough, particularly those living near the boundary. (See Appendix 6 - Rugby Clubs and Teams)
Current standards
334. There are currently 8 senior teams playing on the 2 sites, giving a ratio of 4 teams per site, or 1.3 senior teams per pitch, plus junior use at 1 team per pitch and mini rugby at 1.3 teams per pitch. Assuming that the same pitch space is being used for each of these, this means that there is at least one senior or junior match per pitch on average each week, pus the mini game.
335. The level of provision probably reflects the new Old Grammarians development, where the club is building up numbers following the development of the new site. At present this club has relatively low numbers of mini and junior teams (3 teams) compared to 13 teams at Wellingborough RUFC.
336. In terms of provision per 1000, this equates in 2007 (76,000 population) to 0.08 pitches per 1000 population.
337. A rugby pitch area is 1.2 ha. To allow for ancillary facilities and car parking 150% of the pitch area should be allowed i.e. 1.8 ha.
338. Therefore the current standard is 1.8 ha x 6 pitches = 10.8 ha in total for rugby, the equivalent of 0.14 ha per 1000 for this sport.
Adopted standards of ONS comparators
339. None of the authorities have a specific standard for rugby pitches, but a more generic standard for all outdoor sports.
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Figure 42: Wellingborough rugby pitches
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Trends in the sport
340. Based on the current team generation rate but then adding a 1% growth in the game per annum, the following team numbers are forecast for 2016, 2021 and 2026 using the latest population estimates. (See Appendix 6 - Rugby Clubs and Teams)
2007 2016 2021 2026 Mini-rugby - mixed 8-12yrs 8 10 12 13 Junior rugby - boys 13-17yrs 6 7 8 9 Junior rugby - girls 13-17yrs 0 0 0 0 Men’s rugby 18-45yrs 7 8 9 10 Women’s rugby 18-45yrs 1 1 1 1 Total 22 26 29 32
341. This suggests that there will be around 150% growth in the junior game up to 2021, and 130% growth in the senior men’s game. This trend is expected to continue up to 2026.
Proposals
Proposed standard
342. A standard 0.14 ha of rugby playing fields per 1000 is proposed.
343. One new rugby club sites with a minimum of 3 pitches plus grass training area should be developed solely for community rugby, and should have ancillary facilities including clubhouse and car parking.
344. This should begin to come into use from around 2026, but not all pitches would be expected to be developed initially. These will come into use as the population and demand grows further.
345. The new site should be provided on the edge of the town, ideally in the East in order to provide a geographical spread of facilities. It should be treated as a Strategic level facility.
346. These statements are supplemented by general guidance for future provision, given at the end of the Grass Playing Pitches section of this report.
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Justification
347. At provision per 1000 with a straight line increase at 0.08 pitches per 1000 population would give the following forecast of need:
Pop in Baseline: Pop in Number Pop in Number Pop in Number 2007 2008 2016 of pitches 2021 of pitches 2026 of pitches (1000s) No (1000s) req’d @ (1000s) req’d @ (1000s) req’d @ pitches 0.08/1000 0.08/1000 0.08/1000 76.2 6 88.9 1 96.9 2 103.8 2
348. However, the forecast number of teams calculated from the Team Generation Rate methodology promoted by Sport England is given below:
Teams Teams Teams Teams in 2007 in 2016 in 2021 in 2026 14 16 17 19
349. The results of the two approaches are similar, which in summary are a need for 1-2 rugby pitches by 2021 and 2 pitches definitely by 2026. The rate of demand will in part depend upon the success of the Old Grammarians and the demand on the new pitches at that site. At this time it is difficult to predict how the demand will grow, or the long term needs of the sport, however it is known that the most successful rugby clubs usually have 3 pitches plus a training area. For this reason, it is suggested that the site should ideally be identified early in order for it to be sited appropriately, but that developers’ contributions are collected during the later phases of Wellingborough’s growth, particularly post 2021.
350. An accessibility standard for a new rugby club pitch site is not appropriate as it will draw its members from a large area of the borough.
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Recommendations:
A standard 0.14 ha per 1000 ha of rugby playing fields per 1000 is proposed.
One new rugby club site with a minimum of 3 pitches plus grass training area should be developed solely for community rugby, and should have ancillary facilities including clubhouse and car parking.
This should come into use from around 2026, but not all pitches would be expected to be developed initially. These will come into use as the population and demand grows.
The new site should be provided on the edge of the town, ideally in the East in order to provide a geographical spread of facilities. It should be treated as a Strategic level facility.
The site for the new rugby club should be identified, but the timing of its development will need to reflect the demand for the sport, and the growth in membership of the Old Grammarians.
Developers’ contributions should be directed towards this development from 2021 onwards, although the site should be identified early, as part of the master planning process.
Investment priorities
351. The highest priority for investment is pitch and pavilion improvements at Wellingborough Rugby Club. The club only has floodlights suitable for training on one pitch and on the training area. The floodlights will require replacement, and they should be upgraded to match standard if possible.
Summary of grass playing pitches
352. This summary brings together the proposals in relation to future grass playing pitch provision.
353. A summary of the current and forecast numbers of teams up to 2026 is provided in Appendix 7.
354. The total area of playing fields required per 1000 population is 1.55 ha per 1000 population, which is derived from:
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Sport Proposed provision per 1000 Football 0.9 ha Cricket 0.51 ha Rugby 0.14 ha TOTAL 1.55 ha
Guidelines for grass playing field provision
355. Sports should be provided for on separate sites, as they have over-lapping seasons and different needs.
356. New pitches should be provided in appropriate locations, which will include accessibility, secure access, appropriate site levels, orientation, surrounding land uses, subsoil, etc.
357. The ‘community use’ sites should not be considered “multi-purpose” i.e: • should not be considered as also being informal recreation sites, i.e. should not be part of a park. • should not generally be shared with school use.
358. The sites should be designed to discourage significant informal use, including any desire lines/paths crossing the sites and pitches in particular. This will often include a need for fencing.
359. All sites should be provided with changing accommodation or clubhouses suitable for the sport and the number of pitches on site, in order to meet Sport England or national governing body guidance.
360. Clubhouse/changing pavilions should be designed and developed according to Sport England guidance, or that of the national governing body.
361. Pitches should not be located within a floodplain which is estimated to have a flood risk of 1% or greater (1 in 100 years), as identified on the Environment Agency flood maps.
362. If senior and junior pitches are proposed to be dual-use with education, the following principles should be applied:
• The number of pitches which should be provided on site should be significantly greater than the number of pitches required for the educational use alone (so as to avoid overuse). • If provided for winter sports (rugby union, football) there should be no or very limited use of the grass area during the summer months. • The pitches should be developed to meet the technical guidance of Sport England or the national governing body for the sport. • The pitches should be supported by appropriate fully accessible changing facilities. Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 117 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
• The site should have appropriate security arrangements and layouts to enable community use. • The pitches to be used by the community should be subject to a legally binding community use agreement of not less than 20 years which sets out a minimum level of use per week during the season. • The pitches should be maintained with an intensive regime to ensure maintenance of standards of play, and the intention to do so should be included within the community use agreement.
363. The land requirement for each activity and the total required for each area of the borough is given below in Figure 43.
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Figure 43: Summary of grass playing field requirements
Rugby playing Cricket fields Football playing playing fields needed by TOTAL NEW fields needed by needed by 2021 @ PLAYING 2021 @ 0.9 ha 2021 @ 0.51 0.14 ha per FIELD AREA Population per 1000 ha per 1000 1000 NEEDED Year growth (hectares) (hectares) (hectares) (HECTARES) 2006 2021 Wellingborough Town 48994 57662 8668 8 4 1 13 West 9086 9624 538 0 0 0 1 South 10810 11456 646 1 0 0 1 North 2252 2384 132 0 0 0 0 East 4358 15491 11133 10 6 2 17 75500 96617 21117 19 11 3 33
Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 119 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008 OTHER FACILITIES
Outdoor Bowls
364. The same age groups play outdoor bowls as indoor bowls, so the same criteria apply in relation to the demand forecast. The current provision is 8 greens, giving a rate of provision of 0.10 per 1000 population.
365. The existing sites are listed in Figure 44, which also gives a summary of the ancillary provision associated with each green, and its quality. The quality information has been provided by Northamptonshire Bowling Association. The locations of the sites are identified in Figure 46.
366. Allowing for both the change in population and an increase of 1% per year in participation, this brings a requirement of 4 extra greens by 2021, and a further 2 by 2026. The standard of provision should be 0.10 up to 2021, and 0.11 from 2021 to 2026. The size of one green with its surrounds and small clubhouse is approximately 2 ha, therefore giving a requirement of 0.19 ha per 1000.
Recommendations:
Develop 4 new greens with ancillary facilities in the period up to 2021, with one in each of the following locations:
Queensway / Brickhill WEAST West Wollaston
A further 2 greens with ancillary facilities in the period up to 2026, ideally located in the areas with further housing growth.
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Figure 44: Outdoor bowls greens and their quality
Number of Number Flood- Changing Disabled Name Greens of Rinks lights Facilities Car Parking Playing Surface Fencing Access Ownership Earls Barton Bowling & Tennis Club 1 6 No Yes- male & female No - on road A Grade Yes Partial Private Finedon Bowls Club 1 6 Partial Yes Yes - shared C Grade Yes Yes Public Irchester Bowls Yes - male & Club 1 6 Yes female Yes A Grade Yes Yes Private Wellingborough 12 (+6 One Yes - male & Bowling Club 2 indoor) Green female Yes A Grade Yes Yes Private Wellingborough Swanspool Yes - shared with Yes - under Bowls Club 2 12 No tennis review A Grade & B Grade Yes Yes Public No Redwell Leisure (planning Centre 1 6 issue) Yes Yes A Grade Yes Yes Public 8 48
NOTE: The grading system for playing surfaces is unique to Northamptonshire and is based on Bowls England criteria. Greens are subject to regular (in the case of B & C grade = annual) inspections and assessments by the Greens Inspectorate. The initiative is designed to encourage and support all clubs to achieve A grade status.
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Figure 45: Swanspool Bowls & Tennis Club
367. Based largely on the grounds assessment above, the priority for investment on the existing sites would appear to be at Finedon and at Swanspool (Figure 45), in order to improve the quality of the existing greens.
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Indoor Bowls
368. The population aged 60-79 years which plays this sport will increase by almost 186% in the period up to 2026, and the percentage of this age group will rise from around 16% to 21% of the population. There is one existing indoor centre, the Wellingborough Indoor Bowls Club (see Figure 47). The current provision is at rate of 0.08 rinks per 1000, which is slightly higher than the regional average of 0.06 per 1000.
369. The increase in the percentage of the relevant population and increase in participation rate should both be taken into account if the figure of 0.06 rinks per 1000 was to be adopted as a starting point, the provision required by 2026 for Wellingborough would still be 0.08 rinks per 1000. It therefore makes sense to make the standard of 0.08 rinks per 1000 from now up to 2026.
370. This means that a 4 rink centre will be required by 2026, but consideration should be given to planning a 6 rink centre around this time as this size of facility is more flexible and ‘valuable’ to the sport.
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Figure 46: Outdoor bowls, indoor bowls and tennis courts
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Indoor Tennis
371. No indoor tennis provision is currently provided in Wellingborough, and the new indoor provision being developed on the north side of Northampton is likely to negate any need for an indoor site in the short term. However, a small indoor centre of 3-4 courts seems likely to be sustainable in Wellingborough by 2021- 2026.
372. Tennis is the 6th most played sport nationally, and attracts men and women equally. The main players are from socio-economic groups ABC1 and the highest participation rates are amongst those aged 16-24 years, although there are players well into middle age. Assuming this, and taking population forecasts ages from 15-50 years, the percentage of these age groups falls slightly from 47% to 41% of the population between 2007 and 2026.
373. Indoor tennis provision is frequently led by the commercial sector, and it is seems appropriate for this to be the case in Wellingborough. This provision could be part of a larger commercial facility linked to outdoor tennis courts, small-sided STPs, and/or a fitness gym.
Outdoor Tennis
374. Players for outdoor tennis are similar to those for the indoor courts, and it is therefore appropriate to use a similar assessment for this facility.
375. There are currently 15 outdoor courts in Wellingborough giving a standard of 0.2 courts per 1000. These are identified in Figure 46. With allowance for both increases in the population and participation rates at 1% per annum, 7 outdoor courts are required up to 2021,with a further 4 in the period up to 2026.
376. The space required for four courts together is approximately 2.5 ha, and 3 courts take up around 2 ha.
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Figure 47: Tennis courts at Redwell Leisure Centre
377. The maintenance of outdoor tennis courts is a major issue, as illustrated by the courts at Redwell Leisure Centre (Figure 47) and in an urban situation are best located where there is on-site management. Some of the courts therefore need to be located either in association with the indoor tennis (which may be commercial) but a minimum of 3 of the new courts should be located on public sites. One option would be to seek dual-use of the new school site in the East. The public courts should be designed to be dual-purpose, to cater for netball in addition to tennis and be floodlit.
378. The list of current facilities and their quality at Figure 48.
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Figure 48: Tennis courts and their quality
Number of Changing Playing Name courts Surface Floodlights Facilities Car parking surface Fencing Disabled Access Earls Barton Bowling 3 All weather No No No Average No Yes & Tennis Club Finedon Tennis Club 2 All weather No Yes No High Quality Average Yes Old Grammarians 1 double & 1 Acrylic coating No Yes Yes Acrylic coating Yes Clubhouse single on tarmac 14 years old - /Changing facilities needs (2003) DDA recoating compliant Redwell Leisure 3 (but only 2 Multi-use. Only No Yes Yes Average - can Yes Yes Centre currently suitable for use only be used available due to when dry when dry grounds maintenance issues) Swanspool 2 All weather No Yes -shared Yes - under Average - Yes Yes (Swanspool Tennis with Bowls review. New showing signs Club) CP to be built of wear & tear e.g service line Wollaston Tennis 8 All weather - Yes (all Yes Club synthetic grass courts) 15
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379. There are a number of quality issues which Figure 48 raises. In principle all the sites should be improved to ensure that they are playable in all conditions, have adequate fencing, club house/pavilion facilities and quality ancillary facilities. Further work is required to confirm what the priorities should be and the costs of the necessary improvements.
Recommendations:
To develop 7 new outdoor courts in the period up to 2021, and a further 4 in the period up to 2026. These courts to be ideally located on school sites with secure community use.
A minimum of 3 courts should be provided on the proposed school site at Stanton Cross (WEAST), and community use should be secured.
Existing sites should be maintained to a high standard, enabling full community and club use.
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Outdoor Netball
380. Netball can use outdoor tennis courts so long as they are appropriately designed and ideally floodlit.
381. Consultation with the netball clubs in Wellingborough suggests that there is currently insufficient demand for additional outdoor netball courts to justify specialist provision for this sport in Wellingborough.
Athletics tracks
382. The demand for athletics tracks is almost wholly from young people (aged under 25). It is forecast that Wellingborough will have around a 30% growth in the number of people aged 5 – 24 years (compared to 36 % growth overall). However the dip in population aged between 15 and 29 years is forecast to continue to be a notable feature, with only an 18% growth in population aged 15-24 years.
383. The national governing body recommends the following provision:
• For each CSP area (i.e. for Northamptonshire) one 8 lane track with covered spectator provision.
• For each 250,000 people or 20 minutes drive (45 in rural areas) – one 6 lane track.
• Elsewhere - training facilities e.g. 6 lane x 100 m straight, 4 lane x 200m J track or 2 lane x 400 m track, or 3 lane x 300 m track.
384. As Wellingborough does not have any athletics track provision in 2008, an outdoor training facility to meet the national governing body’s specification is justified. With the slow growth in the number of young people, the provision of a 6 lane synthetic athletics track should be a longer term aspiration, coming into use after 2021.
Recommendations:
Develop as soon as possible an outdoor training facility for athletics, meeting the criteria set down by the national governing body. This should ideally be located on a school site which also has formalised community use.
Identify the land needed to provide for a 6-lane synthetic track in the period from 2021 at an early stage of the mater-planning. This should ideally be co- located with other sports facilities, ideally at the proposed sports village site.
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Health and Fitness
385. Health and fitness gyms attract all socio-economic groups, both males and females, and a wide spread of ages. However, there are more women, and most people are aged under 45 years. The locations of the existing fitness facilities are illustrated by Figure 50.
Figure 49: Club Diana, Finedon Road, Wellingborough
386. Policies should be in place to enable the development of new fitness facilities, with a mixture of providers and locations, to respond to the needs of the community. Some new fitness facilities could be provided as part of a new leisure centre complex/sports village, whilst others could be provided as part of a commercial facility, as at Club Diana (Figure 49).
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Golf driving ranges and golf courses
387. Wellingborough currently has only a small number of golf courses (see Figure 50).
388. These facilities will be subject to market forces and will be privately provided. They should not be allocated formal standards of provision, but planning policy should enable their development in appropriate locations. Based on the current low level of golf course provision, up to 3 standard 18 hole courses may be required to meet demand.
389. Golf driving ranges appear to be under-supplied at the moment, although as these are market-driven this probably reflects the actual demand in the area. Compared to the regional average, it could be expected that a facility(s) of around 18 bays in total would already be available in Wellingborough. As the population and demand grows, a facility(s) with 26 bays would be expected to be needed by 2021, and 30 bays by 2026.
390. Planning policies should enable the development of a golf driving range(s) in an appropriate location(s) to meet market demand.
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Figure 50: Golf and gym and fitness
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COMMUNITY CENTRES AND VILLAGE HALLS
Introduction
391. The simplest facilities used for sport and recreation are village halls, community halls and local green spaces. Their importance to individuals and the community as a whole is illustrated by the clear findings from the household survey. This section provides an overview of their provision across the borough, and raises some issues about their quality. As these facilities are multi-purpose, it is not appropriate here to develop detailed standards of provision, but rather to provide criteria and examples of good practice which can be further developed.
Current provision
392. There are 13 community and village halls in the borough, of which two are in the town and the rest are within the villages:
Glamis Hall Pravasi Mandal Ecton Village Hall Easton Maudit Village Hall Finedon Community Centre Great Doddington Memorial Hall Grendon Village Hall Irchester Village Hall Isham Village Hall Mears Ashby Village Hall Orlingbury Village Hall Sywell Village Hall Wollaston Village Hall
The location of these is illustrated in Figure 51.
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Figure 51: Community and village halls
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Current standards of provision
393. Conditions affecting the provision of new community halls are set out in Policy L2 of the Local Plan which is a ‘saved’ policy. Furthermore, paragraph 6.6 states that:
New development areas of more than 350 dwellings, for example, should normally incorporate small scale multi-purpose meeting/sports halls for local requirements. These halls would cater for a variety of local community needs, including neighbourhood group meetings, educational meetings and limited facilities for physical recreation such as badminton and table tennis.
394. The existing facilities vary in size and quality, but there has been no detailed survey of their condition. It is clear that some of the village halls are in much better condition than others, but it is inappropriate to develop an investment strategy based on the level of information collected for this PPG17 study.
395. In relation to the town’s community halls, the following notes provide an overview of their use in relation to sport and recreation.
• Glamis Hall – 2 court hall. Built as an extension to an existing old people’s day centre. It is used for circuits, pilates, yoga etc.
• Pravasi Mandel – the building is the main hall has a capacity of 100 people. The centre provides services for elderly members of the Asian community. There are a few pieces of fitness equipment provided, but use for physical activity is limited.
Consultation results
396. Full details of the household survey are provided in Appendix 3(A) & 3(B). However some of the key findings in relation to these facility types are as follows:
• Around 20% of people taking part in activity did so using the village halls, although the use of community centres in the town was much lower. • Most people used them once or twice a week. • About 50% of users walk. • About 83% of people are within 10 minutes travel time, and 40% are within 5 minutes. • There are high levels of satisfaction, with only about 15% being dissatisfied.
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• Village halls and community centres were considered the most important type of built facility for future investment – both more and better quality (only walking and cycling routes were felt to be more important). • Most people feel safe using village halls and community centres during daylight, but slightly less so at night. • The most common reasons for not taking part in any activity are listed below, in order of importance:
o Cost of taking part. o Facilities too far away / not enough facilities in the area. o Lack of time due to family and work commitments. o Lack of information about what is available. .
397. In summary, village halls in the rural areas provide an invaluable tier in the sport and active recreation hierarchy. They provide for high levels of activity which are attractive to their local residents, at often lower cost than a visit to a formal sports facility. The facilities are well liked, and given the highest priority for future investment by the community.
Best practice for new provision
398. There are a number of ‘models’ for community centres and village halls developed and promoted by Sport England (Guidance note; ‘Village and Community Halls’) and by local authorities such as Milton Keynes. From a sport and active recreation point of view, a minimum of a 1 court hall (10 x 18 m) with clearance for badminton should be provided where new facilities are to be developed.
399. With the importance of short travel times and access on foot to these facilities, accessibility is a key criteria and in the larger developments, the facilities need to be provided on-site.
Proposals
400. Standards of provision for community halls (including village halls) have been addressed in the borough’s Planning Contributions Guide of September 2008. The standards have taken account of the findings from this Strategy, and are:
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• 0.75ha per 1,000 population [0.075 sq m per person] in new housing.
401. This is based on a benchmarking exercise relating to standards in local authorities in the vicinity of Wellingborough, experience of the use of existing centres in the borough, and evidence from recent planning obligation agreements, such as that concluded for Stanton Cross.
Investment priorities
402. Further research is required into the detailed needs of each of the village halls and community centres to enable a costed and prioritised investment programme to be devised.
Sub-Regional Facilities
403. At the time of writing this strategy, the need for, and the policies supporting, the regional facilities in Wellingborough, to support the local community and the wider North Northamptonshire and County populations in the Growth Areas, were being considered.
404. The regional level facilities would include both planned facilities (such as the Corby 50m pool) and also emerging facilities such as the Regional Outdoor Adventure Centre in Wellingborough. The exact location has not been fixed but sites adjacent to the River Nene are being considered for a facility that might include: off-the-road cycling tracks, BMX, cross-country, open water swimming, triathlon, open water canoeing and sailing, climbing towers/ropes course and other similar facilities with ancillary facilities.
405. Other sub-regional facilities would include major cycling and walking routes along the River Nene and Ise valleys, connecting growth towns and other population centres (e.g. Wellingborough to Kettering, Burton Latimer, Rushden).
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SUMMARY, IMPLEMENTATION AND COSTS
Introduction
406. The costs of the new facilities proposed in the Strategy to meet the needs of Wellingborough’s growing population and aspirations in relation to participation have been estimated, together with consideration as to how they may be provided and where.
Summary of facility standards
407. The preceding sections of this Strategy have provided the justification for the proposed standards of provision up to 2021 and beyond. In summary, these are:
Facility Unit of provision Provision per 1000 Swimming pools water space 14 sq m Sports Halls (3+ badminton court size) badminton courts 0.28 courts Synthetic Turf Pitches full size pitches 0.05 pitches Grass playing pitches hectares playing field 1.55 ha Indoor bowls rink 0.08 rinks Outdoor bowls green 0.10 greens Indoor tennis courts 0.04 courts Outdoor tennis courts 0.20 courts
408. Each of the standards is supplemented by quality and accessibility criteria, and also by an indication as to whether the facility should be treated as a strategic facility thereby attracting developers’ contributions from across the borough, or a hub facility, or a more local facility.
Summary of options
409. The earlier sections also provided justification for the location and co-location of new facilities, and the following table summarises the preferred options.
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Facility What Where Hierarchy of facility Swimming pool 6 lane x 25 m pool plus Sports village Strategic teaching pool Sports hall 6 court hall Sports village Strategic 4 court hall School site (east) Hub STP 3G full size pitch Sports village Strategic sand based full size pitch School site (east) Hub 3 small sided/1 full size School site, or Satellite commercial site, or club Football 4.5 grass pitches Town (north) Satellite 2.5 senior grass pitches East Satellite 2.5 senior grass pitches East Satellite Cricket 1 pitch Town (north) Satellite 2 pitches East Satellite Rugby 3 pitches + training East Strategic Outdoor bowls 4 greens Queensway / Brickhill Satellite WEAST Satellite West Satellite Wollaston Satellite Outdoor tennis 4 courts School site (east) Hub 3 courts Commercial site Satellite Athletics Outdoor training site Existing secondary Hub outdoor training school/dual-use location Cycling and Off-road and traffic free Borough-wide All levels walking routes strategic routes Regional Outdoor Adventure tbc tbc Facilities Centre
410. Of the above facilities, the swimming pool and rugby provision will cater for demand up to 2026.
411. The following facilities are proposed for the period 2021-2026:
Athletics track Synthetic track, 6 lane floodlit Indoor bowls 6 rink indoor centre Indoor tennis 3 courts Outdoor bowls 2 greens Outdoor tennis 3 courts
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412. The potential locations for these have not been determined, but they should be located to provide a geographical spread of facilities, and to meet the demands of the new population. New urban extensions (e.g. NW Wellingborough and East of WEAST) should be planned from the outset to integrate these facilities and make them accessible to the wider Wellingborough population. Should the need for an athletics track be confirmed later in the plan period, then the track should be co-located with the NW Wellingborough proposed Leisure Village. The other facilities should be co-located with other formal sports facilities (e.g. at a secondary school site with a community dual use agreement) so as to benefit from integrated sports development, management and cost efficiencies. Existing masterplans (e.g. N.W. Wellingborough/Upper Redhill and East of WEAST) should be planned in such as way as to accommodate this.
413. A map summarising the future proposed network of the strategic and hub level sports facilities is provided below as Figure 52.
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Figure 52: Existing & proposed strategic & hub facilities
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Cost and implementation New provision
414. The overall cost of providing the facilities to meet the new demands from Wellingborough’s population is anticipated to be in the region of £22.5 m up to 2021, and a further £5.2 m from 2021 to 2026. These estimates are based on the cost of new facilities as at 2nd quarter 2008 prices. Of the cost up to 2021, a large proportion is made up of the components of the proposed sports village. This needs to be located on flat, highly accessible land and it should have the following facilities amongst others; 25m x 6-lane swimming pool with learner pool, 6-court sports hall, dance/multi-purpose space/small hall, fitness gym (about 50 to 100 stations with suitable public access), and 3G flood-lit synthetic turf pitch. The sports village will also need a cafe and crèche as well as ancillary facilities such as car parking, fencing, servicing. The site might also be planned to provide for future athletics track’s needs and indoor bowls, and may also have some of the grass pitches. The final cost of the facility and necessary land allocation will be determined by the mix of provision, the design and specifications.
415. Another major element is the proposed dual-use facilities at the new school site in Stanton Cross/WEAST. Opportunities should be taken to require effective dual-use arrangements for a range of facility types including: 4 court hall, sand- based full size STP with floodlights, 4 tennis courts/netball courts (flood-lit), fitness gym, and multi-purpose space. The school facilities will be funded, at least in part, by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and additional budgets need to be found (e.g. from developers contributions, grants, Council budget etc) to make them suitable for community use, including design and operation, e.g. sprung floor in hall and any additional facilities and for the community over-and-above the school needs e.g. separate entrance, security and reception, changing and lockers.
416. The commercial sector is also anticipated to continue to provide an element of the facility mix. For example there may be opportunities for an indoor tennis centre with some outdoor tennis courts, small-sided pitches for football, and a fitness gym. Other commercial opportunities may relate to golf and golf driving ranges as well as cafe, bar, crèche and potentially overall management of the sports facilities (for community use). The planning policies of the borough need to enable such provision, both generic planning policies and if appropriate, provision of suitable land within a masterplan. It is not proposed to seek developers’ contributions for any purely commercial elements.
417. The club/voluntary (Third Sector) is likely to be directly involved in the grass pitch developments and in relation to indoor and outdoor bowls. For these facilities it will be necessary to provide suitable and serviced land, develop the pitches/greens/facilities, and the ancillary facilities such as parking, fencing and lighting, and an initial commuted sum for maintenance and club and membership establishment as clubs do not have the financial capital available Nortoft Partnerships Borough Council of Wellingborough Page 142 of 144 The provision of built facilities for sport & recreation in the Borough September 2008
to fund such major developments. However, the long term management of the facilities could be by clubs, and this is already an established practice in the borough and elsewhere.
418. The relatively high costs of providing the grass playing field sites is determined by:
• a need to separate the sports (not share pitches) because the playing seasons’ overlap substantially, and; • to discourage their use as general open space (e.g. they cannot therefore be located in parks).
419. In the most rural areas the pitches and pavilions can be multi-purpose if the level of demand and level of play is relatively low. However, separate sites are needed for the active/larger clubs if they are to reach the higher competitive levels, and this is already illustrated by some of the existing sites such as Earls Barton.
Improving existing provision
420. Further detailed feasibility work is required by the Council to determine the costs of the short to medium term priorities for investment, such as a new site(s) for football and for cricket in Earls Barton, improvements at Redwell and the other existing sports and leisure centres. These costs have not been estimated as they do not directly influence the standards relating to future development, but should be expected to benefit from contributions. Future work will be needed to assess these costs to support wider s106/CIL strategies.
421. A further in-depth audit of playing pitches needs to include a more detailed quality assessment of both the pitches and pavilions on the most important sites, as this information is not currently available.
Land budget assessment
422. The land budget assessment is provided in Appendix 10 together with the overall costs of the facility provision. In relation to the land in the east (Stanton Cross/WEAST and including East of WEAST), the main requirements, over and above the anticipated dual use facilities on the school site, are for new playing fields for football, cricket and rugby, and new bowling greens and their associated ancillary facilities (pavilions etc).
423. It is anticipated that the sports village will be developed in the north of the borough (as part of the NW Wellingborough Sustainable Urban Extension currently known as Upper Redhill), and the land budget of that masterplan needs to take into account all of the facilities proposed as none will be dual-use with education.
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Review and monitoring
424. The Council and its partners may wish to take opportunities which arise to provide for sport and recreation facilities outside of the overall timetable and identified facility list. The findings and standards from this Strategy should therefore be updated:
• Immediately following on from the CSS review (starting in 2008/09) and; • Within 5 years, and completed and adopted prior to 2016, in order to influence planning policies, the linked DPD and policies for Developers’ Contributions.
It should take into account:
• Future GAF/tariff/CIL funding agreements and policies • Take into account additional facilities of a sub-regional nature identified to support the “step change” needed for North Northamptonshire.
425. The facility costs in this strategy (and relevant costs in the Developers’ Contribution guide) should also be updated annually to take account of inflation and any other relevant changes. These costs should be based on Sport England facility cost guidelines or local experience whichever is the greater.
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