Object
Allocations Submission Document
Representation ID: 28489
Received: 17/01/2013
Respondent: Sport England
Legally compliant? Yes
Sound? No
Duty to co-operate? Not specified
Objection is made to the lack of provision within the policy for meeting the additional outdoor sports needs generated by the residential development.
Objection is made to the lack of provision within the policy for providing additional outdoor sports facilities to meet the additional needs generated by the development. The Council's Playing Pitch Strategy has assessed playing pitch needs and has identified deficiencies across the district especially for mini and junior football pitches. Such deficiencies would be aggrevated by the additional population associated with the new development unless provision was made for meeting these additional needs. While the concept statement makes provision for youth facilities, play space and community facilities to be provided no explicit provision is made for playing pitches which is surprising in the context of the core strategy policies and the evidence base provided by the playing pitch strategy. The proposed allocation provides a rare opportunity for new playing pitch provision to be provided. In its current form the policy is not considered to meet the soundness tests relating to being justified and consistent with national policy as the proposals do not respond to needs justified by the Council's evidence base and core strategy policies or accord with NPPF policy e.g. paragraph 73 which advises assessments of need for sports facilities to be used for determining what sports provision is required.