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Facilities and planning

We give advice and support to help ensure everyone has access to high-quality facilities. We're also a statutory consultee on planning applications affecting playing field land.

Active Design

Our new Active Design guidance sets out how the design of our environments can help people to lead more physically active and healthy lives - it's about helping to create 'active environments'.

Find out more

A man rides a bike along a residential street past a secure bike storage locker on the street.
Two people swim lengths in a swimming pool

Swimming Pool Support Fund

We’re administering the government’s £63.3 million fund for public swimming pools.

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The future of public sector leisure

We've worked with key stakeholders in the sector to publish a report on the current state of public leisure and how it can deal with rising costs, staff retention challenges and the effects of coronavirus and evolve to continue providing vital services that help people get or stay active.

Future of leisure

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An outdoor gym in a park

Active Environments Framework

Creating an active environment provides places and spaces for people to be more active and build healthier active communities.

We've created a framework of specialist consultancy support for the sector which covers four 'lots'.

Active Environments Framework

Strategic outcomes planning and leisure services delivery

Our Strategic Outcomes Planning and Leisure Services Delivery guidance documents help you to make effective investments into facilities and services, as well as capital projects.

Strategic outcomes planning and leisure services delivery

An empty sports hall
A spin class.

Managing the impact of higher energy costs on community leisure provision

A guide for local authorities.

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Planning for sport

The planning system plays a vital role in shaping the built and natural environments that can play such a big part in helping people to get active.

This section includes guidance on planning applications that impact on sporting provision, details our playing fields policy, and delves into the 12 planning for sport principles.

Planning for sport

A girl boxing inside a sports hall.
An overhead shot of a group of people playing football in a sports hall.

Design and cost guidance

There's a lot to consider when you're developing a sports facility, no matter its size or purpose. So we've compiled guidance on everything from artificial lighting and outdoor surfaces, to sports halls and swimming pools.

You can look through design concepts, understand some of the technical issues, and get a grip of the key things you need to consider.

Design and cost guidance

Community Assets and Rights

Community rights offer you the chance to protect and control important community facilities that you may otherwise be at risk of losing.

This section offers advice and support for anyone thinking about a community asset transfer within a sports context.

Community Assets and Rights

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Sustainability

A typical sports club spends around 30% of its running costs on energy, and about £10,000 each year on electricity alone.

We've put together some practical support on how you can embrace sustainability to drive down running costs, along with advice on dealing with droughts and flood guidance.

Sustainability

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