What are SASPs?
SASP stands for 'significant areas for sport' and recognises the most important sites for individual sports.  These sites have been identified by the individual national governing bodies of sport in partnership with Sport England.  SASPs identify and describe why the site is important to that sport and what specific features make the site special.  SASPs are intended not to be an at risk register but rather a recognition of the most important sporting sites in England.

SASPs recognise the top sites for a sport within the country and two levels of SASP have been identified:

• National SASP - sites which are of national importance to the sport
  
• Regional SASP - sites which are of regional importance to the sport

The list of SASPs is intended to be a living list, which will be reviewed periodically to ensure the most important sporting sites are included, and those that decline in importance are taken off.  

Additional sports will be added as they are identified by the individual NGBs.

Why have SASPs?
Sport England has been concerned that there is a lack of awareness of the most important sporting sites in England, and the significance these sites have to the individual sports.  

There is a perception that there is poor recognition of our most important sporting sites in strategic planning documents, such as Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks.

It is essential that outside the sporting world, decisions are not taken without the knowledge of how important a particular sporting site is to that sport. The aim of SASPs is to help ensure that our most important sporting sites are fully recognised for the part they play in the delivery of individual sports.

What criteria are used to identify SASPs?
Criteria have been developed to provide a consistent approach to identifying nationally and regionally important SASPs.  

To be recognized as a SASP, sites must be nationally or regionally important to the sport in terms of venue major events, elite training, heritage, scarcity, uniqueness, importance for mass participation or non-competitive use.

To find out more about the criteria used, click here.

How will they be used?
By listing our most important national and regional sporting sites are, and why they are important, it will ensure that discussions which could effect these sites are not taken without the knowledge and understanding of their importance and significance to sport.  Whilst SASP is not an ‘at risk’ register of sites, SASP recognition will give additional weight to the sites protection, if the site becomes under threat.

Sport England will promote the awareness of SASPs amongst partners and agencies that are producing strategic plans. These will include regional spatial strategies, land use development frameworks, managements plans, Whole Sport Plans, One Stop Plans  and other sports development plans.

What is their status?
Whilst SASPs do not carry a statutory status, they do carry the weight of being identified by the NGBs as the most important sites for their sports and also being acknowledged and supported by Sport England, the Government's sports development agency.

What sports are covered?
Currently SASPs have been identified for canoeing, gliding and water-skiing. The designation of SASPs can be applied to all sports; however, it is recognized as being more appropriate for sports that rely on natural environment locations, due to their uniqueness and scarcity.

Who decides if a site is a SASP?
The sports National Governing Body identifies sites that meet the designation criteria for national and regional important SASP’s.  Sport England in partnership with the NGB, verifies that the sites meet the criteria.  Once agreed, the site is then added to SASP register held on these web pages.

Where can I find a list of SASPs?
A register of all SASPs is held by Sport England and published on these web pages. SASPs are listed by sport and include those sites which have completed details, together with a number of 'identified' sites. The NGB's will provide more details of these 'identified' sites over time.   As additional sites are identified and agreed, these will be added to this register.  

To view the list of SASPs by sport, click here. - SASP register.