New data from Sport England reveals that 1176 (97 per cent) out of 1,216 concluded planning applications affecting playing fields in 2005-06 resulted in improved or protected sports provision. The statistics show that only 40 applications (three per cent) resulted in a detrimental impact to sport.
None of the 40 cases resulted in a complete loss of a playing field. Sport England, a statutory consultee on all planning applications affecting sports playing fields, lodged a formal objection to the local authority in all 40 cases.
In 480 cases sports provision was improved while in 696 cases sports provision was protected.
Sport England object to all applications to develop on playing fields unless applicants can prove it represents a better deal for sport.
Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe said:
“We have put strong measures in place to protect sport playing fields and sports provision for communities up and down the country. These measures are working and it destroys the myth that playing fields are being lost. As we look to increase sports participation I’d like to see more school sports pitches and facilities opened up to wider community use and local authorities putting sport higher up their agenda. Evidence shows that when you give people the sports facilities they want which they can use all year round participation goes up.”
Sport England Chief Executive Jennie Price said:
“The 2005-06 results show that our safeguards are working well and Sport England is getting a better deal for sport. Access to good facilities, including playing fields, is key to inspiring more young people to take up sport, and to keep playing on a regular basis.”
Examples of new sports provision from the applications include 115 cases where new-for-old replacement playing pitches were built, 14 of which provided increased space for sport. 142 new indoor sports facilities and 404 outdoor facilities were built including 84 all-weather synthetic turf pitches enabling community sport use all year round.
New data on Sport England’s Active Places databases shows that there are over 53,000 playing pitches on more than 20,000 sites in England. 94 per cent of the population live within 20 minutes travel time of a playing field.
The data published today also includes amended figures for 2004 / 05 and 2003 /04.
Notes to Editors
Playing fields data for 2005-06 refers to the 12 months to 31 March 2006.
Data correction from 2004 / 05 and 2003 / 04
- Figures given for 2004 / 05 and 2003 / 04 on playing fields built have been amended.
- The previous figures given – 62 in 2004 / 05 and 72 in 2003 / 04 – refer to the number of new types of sports pitches (eg football, rugby, hockey, cricket) created on playing field sites rather than the actual number of playing fields built.
- Sport England has now revised the way that data is presented to give a more detailed breakdown of new pitches built on playing field sites.
- The revised data shows that in 2004 / 05 there was 107 cases where new playing pitches were built. From this there were 62 cases where new pitches were built on existing sites, 19 cases where pitches were built on new like-for-like replacement sites and 26 cases where pitches were built on new replacement sites with increased space for sport.
- In 2003 / 04 there was 102 cases where new playing pitches were built. From this there were 63 cases where new pitches were built on existing sites, 26 cases where pitches were built on new like-for-like replacement sites and 13 cases where pitches were built on new replacement sites with increased space for sport.
Unamended data from 2004 / 05 and 2003 / 04
- 464 cases out of 1087 concluded planning applications affecting playing fields in 2004 / 05 resulted in improved sports provision. In 576 cases sports provision was protected while 47 cases resulted in a detrimental impact on sport.
- 458 cases out of 1081 concluded planning applications affecting playing fields in 2003 / 04 resulted in improved sports provision. In 571 cases sports provision was protected while 52 cases resulted in a detrimental impact on sport.
Playing Field definitions
- A playing field is defined as the whole of a site that encompasses at least one playing pitch. A pitch is defined as a delineated area, which together with any run off area, is of 0.4 hectares or more and which is used for football, rugby, cricket, hockey, lacrosse, rounders, baseball, softball, Gaelic football, American football, Australian Rule Football, shinty, hurling, polo or cycle polo.
- Sport England is a statutory consultee on all planning applications affecting playing fields. This includes being consulted on applications affecting any land that has been used as a playing field in the last five years and any replacement of a grass pitch with a synthetic surface.
- The number of planning applications does not necessarily represent the overall threat to playing fields. Many of these applications are from clubs / schools / local authorities wanting to improve the quality of their sports facilities.
- The Department for Communities and Local Government has committed to consulting this year on reducing the threshold for playing field development applications at which Sport England must be consulted from 0.4 hectares to 0.2 hectares.
- Detrimental impact on sport included issues such as loss of space around the margins of a field, temporary loss of school playing field space during re-building works, or the creation of a new sporting facility which did not meet all of Sport England’s design standards.
- The figures do not include new playing pitches created outside Sport England’s consultee remit such as those built in conjunction with new housing developments.
Click here to view the tables on Planning Applications Relating to Playing Fields, Approved Applications involving Redevelopment and the Breakdown of Sport England’s objections to planning applications
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