CHESHIRE EAST PLAYING PITCH STRATEGY ASSESSMENT REPORT UPDATED JUNE 2019 QUALITY, INTEGRITY, PROFESSIONALISM Knight, Kavanagh & Page Ltd Company No: 9145032 (England) MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS Registered Office: 1 -2 Frecheville Court, off Knowsley Street, Bury BL9 0UF T: 0161 764 7040 E: [email protected] www.kkp.co.uk CHESHIRE EAST PLAYING PITCH ASSESSMENT CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................. 1 PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ........................................................... 2 PART 2: FOOTBALL ...................................................................................................... 21 PART 3: THIRD GENERATION TURF (3G) ARTIFICIAL GRASS PITCHES (AGPS) ..... 60 PART 4: CRICKET ......................................................................................................... 73 PART 5: RUGBY UNION .............................................................................................. 100 PART 6: HOCKEY ........................................................................................................ 124 PART 7: LACROSSE .................................................................................................... 143 APPENDIX ONE: SPORTING CONTEXT ..................................................................... 147 CHESHIRE EAST PLAYING PITCH ASSESSMENT ABBREVIATIONS 3G Third Generation (artificial grass pitch) AGP Artificial Grass Pitch CC Cricket Club CIL Community Infrastructure Levy CSP County Sports Partnership CASC Community Amateur Sports Club CCB Cheshire Cricket Board Ltd ECB England and Wales Cricket Board EH England Hockey ESAR Everybody Sport and Recreation FIFA Fédération Internationale de Football Association FA Football Association FC Football Club FE Further Education GIS Geographical Information Systems HC Hockey Club HE Higher Education HS2 High Speed Two IOG Institute of Groundmanship IMS International Match Standard JFC Junior Football Club KKP Knight, Kavanagh and Page LDF Local Development Framework LFFP Local Football Facility Plan LMS Last Man Stands NGB National Governing Body NPPF National Planning Policy Framework NTP Non-turf Pitch ONS Office for National Statistics PIP Pitch Improvement Programme PQS Performance Quality Standard PPS Playing Pitch Strategy PF Playing Field RFU Rugby Football Union RUFC Rugby Union Football Club S106 Section 106 Agreement SADPD Site Allocations and Development Policies Document TGR Team Generation Rate U Under June 2019 Assessment Report: Knight Kavanagh & Page 1 CHESHIRE EAST PLAYING PITCH ASSESSMENT PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY This is an update to the Cheshire East Playing Pitch Strategy, Assessment Report (originally completed in January 2017). It was originally prepared and updated by Knight Kavanagh & Page (KKP) and commissioned by the Council. It is important that there is regular monitoring and review against the actions identified in the original PPS. As a guide, if no review and subsequent update has been carried out within three years of the work being signed off, Sport England and National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) will consider it to be out of date. If the PPS is used as a ‘live’ document and kept up to date, its lifespan can be extended. This update therefore extends the lifespan of the PPS to 2022. A combination of desk-based research as well as high level consultation with the Council, Sport England and NGBs was carried out in order to update the supply and demand data whilst validating and adding new context to reflect key changes since the initial data was recorded. Unless stated otherwise, where consultation is referred to in relation to other stakeholders (e.g. clubs and leagues), this applies to the consultation that took place across 2016 and 2017 for the original study. The original project began as an in-house collaborative project involving the Council’s spatial planning, parks and green spaces and leisure development teams. During its preparation, in line with the Council’s move towards establishing alternative delivery vehicles, the parks and green spaces service became part of the company ANSA in 2014, whereas the leisure development team became part of Everybody Sport and Recreation (ESAR). ANSA is a new company established to provide a range of environmental services; ESAR is a charitable trust established to deliver leisure services in partnership with the Council. In July 2014, ESAR was commissioned by Cheshire East Council to draw together the work already completed into an Assessment Report in order to set out the strategic direction and local priorities for facilities used for cricket, football, hockey, lacrosse and rugby. KKP then took over the work, presenting a refresh and update of the supply and demand assessment and completing the proceeding Strategy and Action Plan. Both the original PPS and this update present a supply and demand analysis of playing pitch facilities in accordance with Sport England’s PPS Guidance: An approach to developing and delivering a PPS. The guidance details a stepped approach to developing a PPS, separated into five distinct sections: Stage A: Prepare and tailor the approach Stage B: Gather information and views on the supply of and demand for provision Stage C: Assess the supply and demand information and views Stage D: Develop the strategy Stage E: Deliver the strategy and keep it robust and up to date Stages A to C are covered in this report, with Stage D covered in the strategy document and Stage E ongoing. June 2019 Assessment Report: Knight Kavanagh & Page 2 CHESHIRE EAST PLAYING PITCH ASSESSMENT Stage A: Prepare and tailor the approach Why the PPS is being developed (updated) An up-to-date PPS provides the necessary robustness and direction to inform decisions affecting the provision of outdoor sports facilities and to support sports development objectives. The primary purpose of the PPS is to provide a strategic framework that ensures that the provision of outdoor playing pitches meet the local needs of existing and future residents within the Cheshire East area. The Strategy is produced in accordance with national planning guidance and provides robust and objective justification for future playing pitch provision throughout Cheshire East. The production of the PPS also supports the following areas, as identified as imperative to the project: Corporate and strategic It ensures a strategic approach to playing pitch provision. During times of change for local authorities, a playing pitch strategy will provide direction and set priorities for pitch sports. It provides robust evidence for capital funding. As well as proving the need for developer contributions towards pitches and facilities, a playing pitch strategy can provide evidence of need for a range of capital grants. Current funding examples include the Sport England Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund (for park improvements), the Football Foundation and the Big Lottery. It helps deliver government policies for social inclusion, environmental protection, community involvement, and healthy living. It helps demonstrate the value of leisure services during times of increasing scrutiny of non-statutory services. It helps the Best Value process through: Consultation with pitch-based sports clubs, providers and organised leagues in Cheshire East Consultation with regional officers from national governing bodies to gain a strategic perspective of sport delivery and growth Challenges current systems for sports pitch ownership, management and maintenance Comparison with other local authorities through various benchmarks Competition, for example, for pitch and associated facility management/ maintenance contracts. Planning It provides a basis for establishing new pitch requirements arising from new housing developments or improvements to existing where demand can be satisfied by increasing capacity It is one of the best tools for the protection of pitches threatened by development. It links closely with work being undertaken on open spaces to provide a holistic approach to open space improvement and protection. It provides for an integrated approach towards land use planning and playing pitch provision through the Council’s emerging Local Plan Strategy and through decisions on individual planning applications. June 2019 Assessment Report: Knight Kavanagh & Page 3 CHESHIRE EAST PLAYING PITCH ASSESSMENT June 2019 Assessment Report: Knight Kavanagh & Page 4 CHESHIRE EAST PLAYING PITCH ASSESSMENT Operational It can help improve current asset management, which should result in a more efficient use of resources and reduced overheads. It highlights locations where quality of provision can be enhanced. Sports development It helps identify where community use of school sports pitches is most needed. It provides better information to residents and other users of sports pitches available for use. This includes information about both pitches and sports teams / user groups. It promotes sports development and can help unlock latent demand by identifying where the lack of facilities might be suppressing the formation of teams / community needs. Meeting Sport England PPS Requirements PPS requirements set out by Sport England include: To support the improving health and well-being and increasing participation in sport. Sports development programmes and changes in how the sports are played. The need to provide evidence to help protect and enhance existing provision. The