BOURNEMOUTH AND POOLE SPORTS FACILITIES STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN 2014-26 ‘NON-TRADITIONAL’ SPORTS FACILITIES ASSESSMENT DECEMBER, 2013 CONTENTS Section Page Introduction 3 Wheel Parks 11 Water Sports 33 Beach Sports 76 Off-road Cycling 93 Parkour 119 Orienteering 124 Outdoor Gyms 127 Outdoor Table Tennis 131 Appendix 1 ETTA Outdoor Table Tennis Pilot Findings 135 1 2 Introduction This ‘Non-traditional’ Sports Facilities Assessment report forms one of a suite of documents which provide evidence for or ‘sit behind’ the Sports Strategy for Bournemouth and Poole. Figure 1: Bournemouth and Poole Sports Strategy Documents Methodology Report Strategic and Facilities and Literature Pitch Audits Review Report Report Consultation Sports and Data Profile Engagement Strategy & Report Report Action Plans Non-traditional Sports Playing Pitch Facilities Assessment Assessment Built Facilities Assessment The report utilises information and data set out or referenced in the ‘sister’ documents to provide an assessment and analysis of existing ‘non-traditional’ facility provision, demand and gaps in provision and the identification of future needs. It therefore provides the link for non-traditional sports facilities between evidence collected through audits, surveys, consultation and data analysis and the Sports Strategy itself which will set out the strategic approach to sports facility and pitch provision in Bournemouth and Poole in the period to 2026. 3 Scope of Assessment The typology for the ‘non-traditional’ sports facilities assessment is as follows: Wheel parks (which incorporate use by skateboards, scooters, freestyle BMX and in-line skating etc); Informal watersports (which include surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, SUP (stand-up paddle surfing), bodyboarding, open water swimming, wake boarding, scuba, parasailing, etc.); Marine / harbour / organised watersports (which include sailing and rowing); Beach sports (which include beach soccer and beach volleyball); Off-road cycling (which include cycle speedway, BMX racing and informal dirt track BMX, track cycling, cyclocross); and, Other outdoor pursuits (including parkour, orienteering, outdoor gym, outdoor park table tennis). The assessment focuses on the facilities used by people playing these sports and have been assessed as far as is possible within the limitations of this strategic study. In some cases, sports could benefit from additional assessment to identify specific actions and deliverables. Some of the above sports facilities have more evidence behind conclusions than others, which is well-documented in the assessment report which follows. Key Stages of Assessment There is no formal methodology or guidance on how to approach an assessment of facilities for the non-traditional list of sports. Therefore, a ‘good practice’ approach has been adopted which broadly follows that used for built facilities. The assessment therefore focuses on following things and seeks to gather data and information for each: 4 Current supply and quantity of existing provision; Quality of existing provision; Accessibility of existing provision (local catchment areas, cost of use, physical access, ownership, management and use constraints); Current demand and capacity of existing provision; Shortfalls / gaps in existing provision; Projecting future demand and needs; and, Identifying future provision requirements and standards. Following assessment, the Sports Strategy will utilise the conclusions, setting out how best to respond to changes implied by analysis in the period to 2026. It is important to recognise that this analysis and assessment does not consider commercial or competitive issues, but takes a fact-based strategic look at provision and existing and future needs and demand. Responsibility for delivering improved and additional pitches and facilities The assessment identifies both shortfalls in existing provision and demands and needs of sports in the period to 2026. While the development of the Strategy has been commissioned by Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole (with support from Active Dorset and Sport England) it is not suggested that any additional pitches or facilities proposed to fill identified shortfalls or future provision should be funded and delivered by the local authorities. The nature of sports facility and pitch provision has changed over the last decade or so with the role of local authorities now moving away from that of a provider and operator of facilities to that of a facilitator. New pitches and facilities are most likely to be provided in partnership by local authorities, sports organisations, national sports governing bodies, the education sector / establishments, clubs, businesses and operators, 5 community groups, or more commonly by a combination of one or more of these. Local authorities will play a key enabling and co-ordination role in planning for and delivering new facilities across their respective Boroughs. The same applies to the improvement of existing facilities, where management and / or ownership of existing facilities is no longer (or never has been) the responsibility of the Council. Sources of Information The main sources of information used for this assessment are as follows. Some of the sources identified below are not available for some of the non- traditional sports or facilities included in the assessment, but where they are relevant they are used. The audit of facilities which takes a ‘snapshot’ of facilities’ condition in terms of quality, quantity and accessibility (see the Audit Report); The Sport England collated data from Active People Survey and illustrated by the Market Segmentation Tool; Stakeholder surveys (sent to clubs, schools / colleges / Academies, leagues and key local individuals where known) for those sports identified in the typology) (see Consultation and Engagement Report); Stakeholder interviews, workshops and meetings (see Consultation and Engagement Report); User and Council resident surveys (where already available); National Sports Governing Bodies (NGB) comments and priorities for their sport in Bournemouth and Poole; Local authority officer and Member (Councillor) views; and, Other sources of information as detailed in the Data Profile Report. National Sports Governing Bodies As stated in the Consultation & Engagement Report which accompanies the Sports Strategy, all relevant National Sports Governing Bodies (NGBs) were approached during preparation of this assessment and strategy and given the 6 opportunity to provide their thoughts on provision in Bournemouth and Poole. Where responses were received from NGBs, their key issues and priorities have been noted and taken into consideration in the assessments. Where an assessment does not have reference to NGB priorities or key issues, no response from the relevant NGB was received. Sub-areas Much of the data on pitches is listed and broken down into sub-areas within Bournemouth and Poole. This has been done to help provide more localised assessment than that provided at a Borough-wide scale if required at a later date. The sub areas comprise aggregations of wards and are as follows: Figure 2: Sub-areas Sub-area Wards reference Bournemouth B1 Talbot & Branksome Woods, Central, Westbourne & West Cliff B2 Boscombe East, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne B3 Kinson North, Kinson South, Redhill & Northbourne B4 Wallisdown & Winton West, Winton East, Queen’s Park B5 Throop & Muscliff, Strouden Park West Southbourne, East Southbourne & Tuckton, Littledown & B6 Iford Poole P1 Hamworthy East, Hamworthy West, Poole Town P2 Parkstone, Penn Hill, Newtown P3 Canford Cliffs, Branksome East, Branksome West, Alderney P4 Oakdale, Canford Heath East, Canford Heath West P5 Creekmoor, Broadstone, Merley & Bearwood 7 Figure 3: Sub-areas mapped 8 However, sub areas are more helpful for Sports Strategy development in less urbanised areas where there are distinct settlements and catchments within a large area of land. These assessments, however, refer to areas of Bournemouth and Poole with which people are familiar more often than the more artificially constructed sub-areas, which it is considered is more helpful to those reading and delivering the strategy and action plan. Accessibility Accessibility is an important issue, both for able-bodied people and those with a disability and local authority and other owners, managers and providers of facilities and pitches should respond positively to their responsibility to ensure that good access is maintained. Sport England’s current strategy sets out its focus for the period to 2017 which is to increase regular participation in sport amongst young people aged 14 - 25 and disabled people. These aims encapsulated by Sport England are also translated to aims and objectives for specific sports through the individual strategies of the National Sports Governing Bodies (NGBs) and also tied to their funding from Sport England by setting targets for increasing participation rates for both able-bodied and disabled people wanting to take part in sport at all skill / ability levels. This assessment and the audits which form the evidence which underpin the strategy have identified the existing facilities and pitches where there is a need to improve accessibility. Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole officers have the records from the detailed audits undertaken by their staff during the assessment process which can be used as a basis for establishing a programme of scheduled improvements. All new facilities