Report To: EXECUTIVE CABINET Date: 23 March 2016 Executive Member/ Councillor John Taylor, Deputy Executive Leader Reporting Officer: Damien Bourke, Assistant Executive Director – Development, Growth and Investment Subject: TAMESIDE PLAYING PITCH STRATEGY Report Summary: This paper informs of the completion of a Playing Pitch Strategy for Tameside comprising of two reports, an Assessment Report and a Strategy and Action Plan Report. It outlines recommendations, key points raised by the evidence, seeks the noting and adoption of the assessment work undertaken and the strategy and action plan developed. Recommendations: That the Executive Cabinet notes the content of this report and adopts the appended Playing Pitch Strategy, encompassing the Assessment Report and Strategy and Action Plan Report. Links to Community The Tameside Playing Pitch Strategy will act as a key piece of Strategy: planning evidence and support funding bids by both the Council and local sports clubs; it is therefore closely linked to the Community Strategy making Tameside a more attractive and healthier place to live. Policy Implications: An up to date Playing Pitch Strategy is integral to understanding the supply and demand of playing pitches and underpins the Authority’s existing Local Plan the Unitary Development Plan and proposed Local Plan. Financial Implications: The Playing Pitch Strategy will require an investment of staffing (Authorised by the Section time, this must be funded from within existing Council budgets. 151 Officer) The Strategy and Action Plan Report sets out that further maintenance work is required to improve the quality of pitches. There is currently no funding available for this, should these works go ahead consideration must be given to source of funding, including attracting funding from third parties. Legal Implications: The purpose of any Council strategy is to reduce health inequality (Authorised by the Borough and ensure that the Council complies with its positive public Solicitor) equality duty to improve access for all. It will be necessary therefore to keep this under review and for scrutiny to consider whether these aims are being met. Risk Management: The consequence of not adopting the Tameside Playing Pitch Strategy will result in the Council failing to utilise the most recent and up to date evidence available to it. This may result in the Council determining planning applications and formulating policy on out of date information and evidence. Additionally an up to date Playing Pitch Strategy is able to support applications for funding by both the Council and local sports clubs. Access to Information: The background papers relating to this report can be inspected by contacting the report writer: Graham Holland, Strategic Planning Officer Telephone:0161 342 3102 e-mail: [email protected] 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The purpose of this report is to inform Executive Cabinet of the completion of a Playing Pitch Strategy for Tameside comprising of two reports, an Assessment Report and a Strategy and Action Plan Report. It outlines recommendations, key points raised by the evidence, seeks the noting and adoption of the assessment work undertaken and the strategy and action plan developed. 1.2 In 2015 the Council commissioned consultants Knight Kavanagh and Page (KKP) to produce a Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) for Tameside in line with Sport England requirements. The PPS presents a supply and demand assessment of playing pitch facilities in accordance with Sport England playing pitch strategy guidance (An approach to Developing and Delivering a Playing Pitch Strategy) which has been followed to enable a clear picture of the balance between the local supply of and demand for playing pitches. 1.3 Council officers across a range of departments have been working with Sport England and representatives from a number of National Governing Bodies (NGB) for sport to develop the strategy for Tameside. The outcomes form an evidence base to help understand the current position of the existing playing pitch stock, support decision making regarding pitch provision, funding bids from both the Council and local sports clubs and evidence to inform a future Tameside Local Plan. 1.4 The strategy is supported by a detailed assessment report covering the pitch based sports of football, rugby union, cricket and hockey. It sets out the current and projected supply and demand position of pitches in Tameside, taking into account the capacity and use of each pitch based on detailed technical analysis. The technical assessments were carried out in specified mid-season windows in order to truly reflect the condition of each pitch. 1.5 A variety of extensive consultation has occurred to support the development of the PPS with the views of local sports clubs being sought in particular via a range of consultation methods to understand club specific challenges and latent demand across the borough, the response rates of which are shown below. In addition, for the sports covered by the PPS a number of league operators were consulted, which for football included the Tameside Football League, Hyde and District Football League and East Manchester Junior Football League. Furthermore engagement with a range of council officers the relevant National Governing Bodies for the sports and Sport England has informed the development of the PPS. Based on all of the above evidence, a series of general, sport specific and site specific recommendations have then been made. The following consultation response rates were achieved Type of club No. of clubs in Response Methods of consultation Tameside rate% Cricket clubs 15 94% Survey, face to face and telephone Football clubs 93 73% Survey, face to face and telephone Football teams 318 93% Survey, face to face and telephone Rugby union clubs 3 100% Survey, Face to face and telephone Hockey clubs 3 100% Survey, face to face and telephone Secondary schools* 15 80% Survey, face to face and telephone Primary schools 74 76% Survey and telephone 1.6 As the Council is the major provider of playing pitches in Tameside it is proposed that council officers will take the lead on addressing the recommendations in the strategy, working with and supporting partners with each sport as appropriate. 1.7 For absolute clarity there is no expectation of commitment that the Council can or must deliver/fund any of the recommendations contained within the strategy, rather the strategy helps to identify possible priorities for the Council and other bodies to target future resources. 1.8 The strategy is mindful that in the current financial climate there are limited funds with which to maintain existing pitches, bring back in to use or develop new ones and meet the needs of the different sports. Decisions on where priorities lie, both now and during the lifetime of this strategy are likely to evolve and will require stakeholders to work in partnership with the Council to deliver outcomes. 1.9 An assessment of equality impact has been appended for absolute completeness, however it should be noted so that Elected Members are clear that the PPS is an evidence based document, presenting a supply and demand based analysis of playing pitch provision and suggests ambitions as opposed to directly setting out a policy approach, programme or change to service delivery. 2.0 PLANNING POLICY 2.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) recognises that access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and recreation can make an important contribution to the health and well-being of communities. 2.2 The NPPF requires that planning policies are based on robust and up to date assessments of the needs for opens space, sports and recreation facilities. Paragraph 74 of the NPPF sets out that land including playing fields should not be built on unless an assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space, buildings or land to be surplus to requirements and refers local authorities to Sport England guidance on how to assess such need. 3.0 STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN 3.1 The Strategy recommends that the Council and its partners should adopt three broad strategic aims as a way of effectively addressing the key issues emerging from the Assessment Report which reflect Sport England’s aims and objectives for sport. 3.2 Strategic Aims: 1. To protect the existing supply of sports facilities where it is needed for meeting current or future needs. a) Ensure local planning policy is in accordance with Government Guidance to protect sports facilities where there is a need to do so b) Assist in securing tenure and access to sites for high quality, development minded clubs, through a range of solutions and partnership agreements. c) Maximise community use of outdoor sports facilities where there is a need to do so. 2. To enhance outdoor sports facilities through working in partnership with others to improve the quality and management of sites. d) Maintain the quality of sites and improve where appropriate. e) Adopt a tiered approach (hierarchy or provision to the management and improvement of sites. f) Work in partnership with stakeholders to secure funding. g) Secure developer contributions 3. To enable and support the provision of new outdoor sports facilities where there is current or future demand to do so. h) Seek to address the quantitative shortfalls in the current pitch stock i) Identify opportunities to add to the overall stock to accommodate both current and future demand. 3.3 A detailed action plan is included within the Playing Pitch Strategy which demonstrates how through a range of interventions and supportive measures Tameside can best deliver in conjunction with its partners on the recommendations. 4.0 KEY FINDINGS 4.1 The table below shows the headline findings from the Assessment Report: Sport Current demand shortfall1 Future demand shortfall (2025)2 Football No adult pitch shortfall 4.5 adult match sessions (grass No youth pitch shortfall 29 youth match sessions pitches) No mini soccer pitch shortfall 18.5 mini 5v5 match sessions Football 2 full size AGPs exist, with 1 on the 2 full size 3G pitches if all competitive mini Artificial FA register.