CHICHESTER DISTRICT COUNCIL OPEN SPACE STUDY Part 2: Local Needs Assessment January 2013 Chichester Open Space Study Part 2 – Needs Assessment Part 2: Local Needs Assessment Contents 1. Introduction 2. General Community Consultation 2.1 Household Survey 2.2 Place Survey 2.3 Survey of local Community Organisations 2.4 Stakeholder Interviews 2.5 Community and Village Halls 2.6 Key Findings 3. Town and Parish Councils 3.1 General Overview 3.2 Parish Specific Issues 3.3 Key Findings 4. Sports and Leisure 4.1 Stakeholder Interviews - General 4.2 Pitch Sports and Tennis 4.3 Other sports 4.4 Community Organisation Survey 4.5 Sports and Leisure - Indoor facilities 4.6 Key Findings 5. Parks, green spaces and rights of way 5.1 Stakeholder Interviews 5.2 Community Organisations Survey – Parks and green spaces 5.3 Key Findings 6. Children, Young People, and Schools 6.1 Chichester Play Strategy 6.2 Stakeholder Interviews 6.3 Young People Focus Group 6.4 Community Organisations Survey 6.5 Schools and extended services 6.6 Access for disabled children 6.7 Key Findings 7. Concluding remarks 8. Appendices 2 Chichester Open Space Study Part 2 – Needs Assessment 1. INTRODUCTION This report examines identified local need for various types of open space, sports and recreation opportunity. It has drawn upon a range of survey and analytical techniques. The report details the community consultation and research process that has been undertaken as part of the study as well as the main findings. The extent of the research reflects the breadth and diversity of the study and a consequent need to engage with as wide a cross section of the community and stakeholders as possible. Seven original questionnaire surveys were undertaken: • A general household survey • A survey of town and parish Councils • Local groups and organisations’ questionnaire (including play and youth) • Relevant sports’ national governing bodies • Sports league secretaries • Local Sports Clubs’ Questionnaires (pitch sports) • Local Sports Clubs’ Questionnaires (other sports) In addition to the above an extensive programme of stakeholder interviews and workshop/focus groups was undertaken. The consultation process commenced with a workshop for all key stakeholders both internal to the District Council and through invitation to its external partners. External groups/organisations invited included: • English Nature • West Sussex NHS • The Solent Forum • Voluntary and Community Action • Sport England Chichester District • The Manhood Peninsula Partnership • University of Chichester • South Downs National Park • Chichester College • West Sussex County Council • Portfolio holder for Leisure & • Neighbouring District Councils Wellbeing • Chichester City Council • Community Sports Network • The Bournes Community Forum • Friends of the Parks Groups • The Lavant Forum • LSP representative • Peninsular Community Forum • West Sussex Council for Voluntary • The North East Valley Forum Youth services The main aims of the session were to give key stakeholders the opportunity to meet together (in addition to their individual consultations) and collectively consider: • The overall "vision" and scope of the study • Identifying key local issues and opportunities; strengths and weaknesses of current provision • Thinking about priorities, linkages and cross-cutting issues • Helping to identify sources of information and gaps in knowledge • Identifying groups who would have an interest in the study to add to the list of stakeholders 3 Chichester Open Space Study Part 2 – Needs Assessment The notes from this meeting are available in Appendix 1. A consultation programme was also undertaken in relation to indoor sports facility needs. A summary of the consultation completed for this is also included. The result of this consultation and other analyses will help amongst other things to inform the content of the recommended local standards. Crucially it has also helped the study to understand local people’s appreciation of open space and recreation facilities, and the values attached by the community to the various forms of open spaces and facilities. This appreciation will have clear implications for the way in which open spaces and sports facilities are treated and designated in the revised development plan. At the end of each section there is a short summary of the key findings. 4 Chichester Open Space Study Part 2 – Needs Assessment 2. GENERAL COMMUNITY CONSULTATION 2.1 Household Survey A questionnaire was sent out to a random selection of households across the study area. A total of 3,000 surveys were distributed (proportionately across all parishes within the study area - in relation to the number of households in the parish). 635 completed surveys were received (21%) 1. We received responses from across the study area as illustrated in the table below: Sub Area Number of responses Response rate (as a % of surveys to the sub area) Chichester City 160 18% The Bournes 153 22% East of Chichester 33 23% Manhood Peninsular 205 18% North/East Hammer and Camelsdale 84 19% The total number of people represented through the household survey was 1,503 and the average household size of the households was 2.4, similar to the national average and that of Chichester District as whole. The age profile of the individual respondents completing the survey on behalf of their households tended to be older than the profile for Chichester District as a whole (40% being over 60 compared to 32% overall) with proportionally fewer respondents being younger adults. The proportion of respondents in the middle age bracket of 41-50 was similar (16% compared to 17% for the District as a whole). Nearly 30% of households had children (representing household views on behalf of 331 children and young people) and the number and ages of the children were comparable to the profile of the District as a whole as illustrated in the table below: 1 Broadly speaking this provides statistically significant findings at a 95% confidence level with a confidence interval of ± 3.5% 5 Chichester Open Space Study Part 2 – Needs Assessment The full questionnaire is included in Appendix 1 and the following provides some of the key findings. Frequency of use – All residents Respondents were asked to state how often they visited or used each of the following types of open space, sport and recreation facilities within study area, and the results are shown on the chart below: Open Space and Outdoor Facilities As can be seen, it is the areas’ footpaths, bridleways, cyclepaths etc that are most commonly used by most households (over 80% at least monthly of which over 30% use them almost every day). The seaside, coast and beaches as well as country parks/countryside and woodlands are also accessed at least monthly by over 70% of households. These spaces are also among those used by the largest numbers of households every day (over 10%). Other spaces used on an almost daily basis by over 10% over households are local parks/recreation grounds and “other open spaces” e.g. grassed areas for dog-walking, informal games, picnics etc. In addition over 60% of respondents use local recreation grounds or parks at 6 Chichester Open Space Study Part 2 – Needs Assessment least once a month. It is therefore the informal recreation opportunities that figure most prominently in respondents’ replies. Playing fields, play areas, areas for water recreation and wildlife areas/nature reserves are also fairly frequently used but with fewer households (in the region of 30%) using them on a regular basis (at least monthly). This is not surprising given the more specific purposes of these facilities. Indoor Swimming Pools, Sports and Recreation Facilities 2 The areas’ village/community halls are used regularly by significant numbers with 48% of households using them at least monthly. Indoor swimming pools are also used frequently by many residents as are the sports/leisure centres (40%). In very broad terms it can be seen that informal open space use is very much more common and frequent than the use of formal sport or leisure facilities. Frequency, regularity and times of use – Users 2 The table simplifies the Categories to enable clear presentation. e.g. Other indoor facilities is short hand for specialist sports facilities such as indoor bowls and tennis centres. This is clear in the survey itself (see appendix 1). 7 Chichester Open Space Study Part 2 – Needs Assessment It is interesting to look at the frequency with which users of facilities visit them as this is not immediately obvious from looking at the overall figures. This shows, for example, that over 40% of allotment users visit at least weekly (of which over 20% visit almost every day). Over 30% of users of grass playing fields and astro-turf pitches use them at least weekly (about 5% almost every day). Over 35% of users of golf courses play at least once a fortnight (of which 20% play weekly and 6% nearly every day). In terms of indoor facilities the most frequently visited by users (at least weekly) are the leisure/sports centres (39% - of which 8% visit almost every day); and swimming pools (30% - of which 5% visit nearly every day). Quantity of open space, sport and recreation facilities Residents were asked if they needed more, the same or fewer of different types of open space and recreational facilities. Findings are illustrated in the chart below and will influence the “quantity” component of local standards. The majority of residents who expressed an opinion think there is a need for more outdoor facilities for teenagers (58%). 49% thought that there were not enough footpaths, bridleways, cyclepaths etc. Following this, the other aspects where there was a significant view of there 8 Chichester Open Space Study Part 2 – Needs Assessment being a shortfall were access to the beach/coast, wildlife/nature reserves, allotments, country parks/access to the countryside, and swimming pools (35% or over indicating a need for more of such facilities).