Ealing Playing Pitch Strategy 2017 - 2031 London Borough of Ealing Playing Pitch Strategy 2017 to 2031 P a g e | 1 Ealing Playing Pitch Strategy 2017 - 2031 CONTENTS Overview 3 1: Introduction - Brief, Scope, Vision and Aims 5 2: Summary of Key Findings and Issues 13 3: Scenario Testing 28 4: Recommendations 34 5: Action Plan 41 6: Summary 52 Appendices: Assessment of Need Reports & Club Survey Findings Appendix A Cricket Appendix B Football Appendix C Hockey Appendix D Rugby Appendix E Bowling Greens Appendix F Tennis Courts Appendix G Other Sports Appendix H Club Survey Findings P a g e | 2 Ealing Playing Pitch Strategy 2017 - 2031 Overview Five years have passed since the Ealing Sports Facility Strategy 2012 - 21 was launched and in line with Sport England’s good practise recommendations, the outdoor sports facility element has been refreshed and incorporates this Playing Pitch Strategy and Action Plan. The agreed key objectives of the Ealing Sports Facility Strategy 2012 – 2021, which have been extended to include this updated review of the outdoor sports facility elements are: 1. To provide the Council and its partners with a robust document with an evidence base that can be reliably used to support spatial planning decisions and inform capital investment plans and external funding bids for new and/or enhanced playing pitch sports facilities. 2. To improve public health by encouraging more people in Ealing to be more active by ensuring facilities for playing pitch sports are of the appropriate quality are both available and accessible. 3. To ensure future sustainability of sport and leisure in Ealing through sports and physical activity networks, involving sports clubs and other delivery organisations The Playing Pitch Strategy supports the Council’s overarching principles shaping the future of Ealing and most importantly outcomes relating to improved health and increased physical activity levels of Ealing residents. The relevant principles are as follows: Enable and promote a network of accessible sports facilities across the borough maintaining and enhancing the borough's green infrastructure Develop a hierarchy of appropriate quality facilities provided by a range of organisations Work with commercial and community partners and national governing bodies to enable the development of, long term management and financial viability of outdoor sport facilities Seek to maximise opportunities which may arise to develop sports facilities as part of wider regeneration, education or place based projects Provide a robust evidence base to inform Planning policy decisions regarding the protection, enhancement and provision of outdoor sports facilities Seek to secure developer contributions and enabling development to provide funding to enable the development of sports facilities to benefit residents Identify and bid for external funding to support the development and delivery of new sports facilities across Ealing Use the benefits of sport to bring communities together to make them stronger reducing inequality and celebrating diversity Promote outdoor sports as a key enabler to healthy and active lifestyles By delivering facility developments in line with the overarching principles, the following outcomes will be realised for Ealing residents: More opportunities for people to be more active reducing the number of inactive people Greater participation in outdoor sports and physical activity Better, more accessible sports facilities of appropriate quality available across the borough Reduced public subsidy and better long term sustainability of outdoor sports facilities More community organisations taking managing and developing local facilities for residents More opportunities for people to be a sports volunteer for the benefit of others New regeneration or education projects will factor in future community use sports facilities enhancing local places and spaces for the enjoyment of residents. Stronger and healthier communities, reducing health inequalities Planning policy which supports and encourages people to be more active P a g e | 3 Ealing Playing Pitch Strategy 2017 - 2031 This review identifies the changes in both demand and supply of outdoor sports facilities in light of the new facilities opened as a direct consequence of the action planning associated with the Ealing Sports Facility Strategy 2012 – 21. These new facilities include new pavilions and floodlit 3G pitches in Spikes Bridge Park, Lord Halsbury Playing Fields and William Perkin High School Community Sports Hub and new pavilions at Scotch Common and Perivale Park. These projects were delivered through partnership working and successful external funding bids. The funding bids were based on the demand and supply analysis detailed in the Ealing Sports Facility Strategy. Other projects nearing completion include new pavilions and playing surfaces at Durdans Park Sports Ground and Popefield Playing Fields. The two biggest outdoor sports facility developments will be under construction before the start of summer 2017; the new facilities at Gunnersbury Park and Rectory Park are excellent examples of projects developed with multiple funding partners based on the data gathered through the review of outdoor sports facilities which has resulted in the new Playing Pitch Strategy. The Council engaged Continuum Sport and Leisure Limited to lead the development and production of the Playing Pitch Strategy document following the Sport England process which has been agreed by all the main outdoor pitch sports governing bodies of sport and each authority in the country is encouraged to develop one to inform future decisions regarding the demand and supply of existing and new outdoor sports facilities in a given area. The strategy document informs an action plan which details potential facility developments based on the demand and supply analysis. The supply side information is generated through standard facility audits used for all levels of facility from park to elite sport and carried out by experienced people; their findings are then corroborated by the relevant national governing body of that sport. The demand side information is generated from surveys of current and potential users including local sports clubs as well as team generation data provided by the relevant governing bodies of sport. The Council provides the context for the evaluation and also provides a local perspective on the overarching principles and outcomes of the strategy. The action plan is a guide to how facilities might be developed, where and whom they might be developed by in order to meet identified demand, exploit opportunities that may arise and provide sustainable management and operational models through either engaging with voluntary or commercial partners. Each potential project has to be evaluated in light of the current situation as the strategy and action plan give a snapshot of the position at the time of writing; so factors on both the demand and supply side may have changed as well as the cost and viability of the project at the point when an individual project is being considered. When applying for funding to develop new facilities, Sport England, National Governing Bodies of Sport and most other funding organisations, require evidence of the current demand and supply of facilities in an area to justify the proposed project. The Playing Pitch Strategy developed and agreed in partnership with these same organisations is the document which provides this essential information and is vital to the success of any funding bid. Through the implementation of this strategy, the Council has a major role to play in providing access to sporting opportunities at a cost that is acceptable to the wider community. The Council has a role to play as a direct provider of entry level playing facilities such as free to use casual football pitches and tennis courts in parks as well as pay and play summer and winter sports pitches with appropriate changing and toilet facilities to allow clubs to play against each other. The Council also plays an enabling role in developing better quality facilities by engaging and enabling community organisations through the asset transfer process to independently manage and operate facilities funded through partnerships with Sport England and National Governing Bodies of Sport as well as other funding organisations. At the very top level, professional sports clubs based in the borough provide facilities catering for elite sport. P a g e | 4 Ealing Playing Pitch Strategy 2017 - 2031 1 Introduction 1.1 Why has the strategy been developed? The strategy was initiated by Ealing Council in response to the following specific drivers. These were agreed with members of the Ealing Playing Pitch Strategy Steering Group in August 2015 and with Council Planning Officers at a meeting in September 2015: o Several current large scale projects and proposals for new and enhanced playing pitches and ancillary facilities o Public health need to sustain access to and grow the use of facilities for outdoor sport and active recreation o The need to inform the development and implementation of planning policy and to inform the assessment of planning applications o Potential changes to playing pitch supply and demand as a consequence of planned housing growth, particularly in the three Local Plan Opportunity areas of Park Royal, Southall, Northolt to Perivale, and the Council's programme for School expansions o Prioritisation of any funding for sport and recreation from external