Chapter 2 - Policy Context

National Government Planning Policy

PPG17 – Planning for open space, sport and recreation

2.1 The Government recognises the importance of providing well-designed, plentiful open areas for sport and recreational activities, as a means of improving the quality of life and general well being of individuals as outlined in Planning Policy Guidance 17, published in July 2002.

2.2 As stated in the guidance, such areas are fundamental to delivering broader Government objectives. These include:

• Supporting an urban renaissance

• Supporting a rural renewal

• Promotion of social inclusion and community cohesion

• Health and well being

• Promoting more sustainable development.

2.3 Local Planning Authorities are required to assess the existing and future needs of their communities for open space, sports and recreational facilities, whilst also considering the needs of workers and visitors from outside the local area. Such assessments should critically evaluate, for example the accessibility and quality of the areas in question, and the current balance between supply and demand, which will aid in the setting of locally derived standards.

2.4 The guidance also states that open spaces, sports and recreational areas should be protected against development if they are of high quality, or of particular value to a local community, unless it can be demonstrated that they are surplus to requirements.

2.5 But the guidance goes further in saying:

Development of open space, sports or recreational facilities may provide an opportunity for local authorities to remedy deficiencies in provision. For example, where a local authority has identified a surplus in one type of open space or sports or recreational facility but a deficit in another type, planning conditions or obligations may be used to secure part of the development site for the type of open space or sports and recreational facility that is in deficit.

2.6 With specific reference to playing fields as used in the guidance (a field is defined as containing one of more pitches), development may be permitted in certain circumstances, for example if it is not detrimental to the current condition of the pitch or the loss of a pitch will result in replacement locations being allocated.

2.7 Where necessary, the quality of existing recreational facilities should be improved through investment and suitable management to encourage greater utilisation of these areas. Initiatives such as improving the accessibility of identified sites may encourage better use of the facilities available to a specific population.

2.8 Further to this, much emphasis in the guidance is on providing good accessibility to open spaces, and sport and recreational areas, particularly when allocating new areas for these functions. Other factors, which are inline with the government’s overarching objectives that should be considered, include encouraging the use of brownfield sites, siting these desirable facilities on town centre peripheries or within commercial and industrial areas, and strictly controlling development of green belt land where necessary.

2.9 PPG17 is supplemented by a companion document, which further expands the guidance for the management of green spaces. In addition, it identifies numerous factors affecting the provision of playing pitches, which should be taken into consideration, such as:

• The age and social structure of the community

• The distribution and density of residents

• Local promotion of sports development and community involvement

• The ownership of sites which will affect the level of community access to facilities

2.10 The provision of new open spaces, sports and recreational facilities should be proportional to the increase of proposed housing developments, or access and the quality of existing facilities should be improved, in order to meet the needs of the increased population as stated in PPG17. As a result of future population projections, however, the District of Rochford has been allocated 3,800 additional dwellings to be provided between 2011 and 2026 which is likely to result in an increase in demand for sport facilities. Policies within the Local Development Framework will be needed to ensure that the requisite open space and sports and recreational facilities accompany new development.

2.11 Guidance on the issue of housing development is outlined in PPS3 (Housing). The majority of Rochford District that has not yet been developed for employment or housing is within the Metropolitan Green Belt, however, bringing about the contentious issue of expanding settlement boundaries or developing greener areas. In light of future housing needs in the District, there will undoubtedly be increased pressure to develop areas of existing open space. Such proposals will need to be critically analysed in accordance with the guidance in PPG17 and PPS3, regional and local policies, and the conclusions drawn from this Playing Pitch Strategy.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport – A Sporting Future for All

2.12 Additional Government policy on sport is predominantly conveyed through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. In the document A Sporting Future for All⁹, as implied by the title, the focus is on initiatives to improve the equality in people’s access to sport, with particular emphasis on improving school sports facilities and encouraging individuals to continue to participate in sport after education.

2.13 Other important elements highlighted include:

• Improved coordination between groups involved in sports provision.

• Developing a proactive approach to tackle issues such as social exclusion of certain groups within sports, where identified.

• The importance of improving access to recreational facilities.

• Guidance providing protection for playing fields and pitches will continue to be revised and strengthened to prevent unnecessary loss and/or degradation.

2.14 The Government has succeeded, for example, in significantly curbing the degradation of playing pitches due to development since this guidance was published in 2000. Recent figures¹⁰ show that only 3% of the “1216 concluded planning applications affecting playing fields in 2005-06” had a detrimental impact.

2.15 Other initiatives have included the establishment of school sports co-ordinators ¹¹ and improving the communication between school and community sports clubs, which have altered the demand and use of playing pitches.

Department of Children, Schools and Families – The Protection of School Playing Fields and Land for Academies

2.16 The protection of school playing fields are discussed in-depth in documents published by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (formerly the Department for Education and Employment). This latest document ¹² replaces Guidance 0580/2001 (which superseded Circular 3/99) on school playing fields.

2.17 The document refers to:

• Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, which ‘protects school playing fields used by maintained schools in the last ten years’; and

• Schedule 35A to the Education Act 1996 (as amended by Schedule 7 to the Education Act 2002), which ‘protects land, including playing fields, used by community or county schools within eight years of the date of disposal where that land is needed for an Academy’.

2.18 The guidance clearly identifies when the Secretary of State needs to be consulted in respect to the ‘disposal, or change of use, of school playing fields’.

Sport England – Planning Policies for Sport: A land use planning policy statement on behalf of sport

2.19 This document outlines the role of Sport England with respect to playing fields.

Fields in Trust – Planning and Design for Outdoor Sport and Play

2.20 The Planning and Design for Outdoor Sport and Play supersedes ‘The Six Acre Standard’ which was published by the National Playing Fields Association and indicates the amount of open sport and play space which should be available for every 1,000 of the population, providing a benchmark for local authorities. The guidance recommends Benchmark Standards to planning authorities to use as a tool for assisting in the development of local standards.

2.21 Taking into account the national standards set out on the above in addition to the findings of the Open Space Study, the local provision standard for outdoor sports facilities is recommended to be 1.8 hectares per 1000.

2.22 The PPM model toolkit provided by Sports England has been used in this document for all the calculations with regard to quantitative standard, and is explained in detail later in this document.

Local Planning Policy

Core Strategy

2.23 Local policy recognises the importance of playing pitches as areas of formal open space which are significant for community well-being. The Core Strategy welcomes playing pitches outside of the Green Belt, as this will often provide facilities in more accessible locations, particularly if pitches are accompanying other visitor-generating activities.

2.24 The creation of playing pitches is recognised as an appropriate form of development within Green Belt land, and the Council seeks to protect and promote the playing pitches by taking a positive approach, as stated in the Core Strategy.

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⁹ ‘A Sporting Future For All’, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (April 2000). ¹⁰ www.sportengland.org/news/press_releases/playing_field_safeguards_secure_a_better_deal_for_sport.htm ¹¹ www.sportdevelopment.org.uk/sscomakingadifference2002.pdf ¹² ‘The Protection of School Playing Fields and Land for Academies’. Department of Children, Schools and Families (November 2004).