Draft Regulation 18 Sandwell Local Plan
Sports and playing fields
6.53 Playing pitch strategies for the four Black Country authorities were updated during 2021-22 and this evidence has informed the SLP. The Sandwell strategy will be updated as appropriate during the Plan period and new priorities may therefore emerge over time.
6.54 The Black Country-wide Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy commissioned by the four councils has provided action plans for each of the individual authorities and this in turn has been used to identify the quantitative and qualitative situation for sports pitch and playing field provision in Sandwell.
6.55 Appendix J contains an extract from the current Sandwell Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy action plan identifying the quantitative situation for playing field provision as at October 2022. Where appropriate, developers will need to demonstrate that they have taken account of the findings of the Sandwell PPOSS in their schemes.
Policy SHW5 – Playing Fields and Sports Facilities
- Existing playing fields and built sports facilities must be retained unless:
- an assessment has been undertaken that has clearly shown the playing fields or built sports facilities to be surplus to requirements (for existing or alternative sports provision) at the local and sub-regional level; or
- the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable and accessible location; or
- the development is for alternative sports provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use; or
- The proposed development affects only land incapable of forming part of a playing pitch and would not prejudice the use of any playing pitch or remaining areas of playing field on the site.
- New build sports facilities should be:
- in accordance with local needs identified in the current Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy, to ensure provision of appropriate facilities in a suitable location to meet that need;
- well-designed, including through the provision of high-quality landscaping and public realm enhancements, and well-related to neighbourhood services and amenities; and
- well-linked to public transport infrastructure and footpath and cycleway networks and directed to a centre appropriate in role and scale to the proposed development and its intended catchment area. Proposals located outside centres must be justified in terms of relevant national policy.
- Where assessments demonstrate that a housing development would increase the need for playing pitches or built sports facilities to a level where significant new or improved facilities are required to meet demand, proportionate planning obligations or Community Infrastructure Levy will be used to acquire or create sufficient provision, where it is financially viable and appropriate to do so, and long-term management arrangements can be secured and funded.
- Where land is provided for a new built sports facility as part of a housing development, the financial contribution made by that development towards built sports facilities will be reduced accordingly.
- The wider community use of school playing fields, other school facilities, such as sports halls, and private facilities will be encouraged, especially in areas where public provision is deficient.
Justification
6.56 Publicly accessible urban open space, play and sports facilities all have a vital role to play in helping to promote healthy lifestyles. As sports participation rates in the Black Country are below the national average, needs assessments for sports facilities will consider the need to increase sports participation and improve health as well as meet existing needs. Existing and potential cross-boundary effects will also be considered when developing proposals that would affect sports facility provision. Cross-boundary issues particularly affect facilities with large catchment areas, such as swimming pools.
6.57 An issue in Sandwell is the low quality of playing pitch sites, which would benefit from improved changing facilities and a shift towards more small pitches. Increasing community access to school sports facilities would also help to address shortfalls in some areas.
6.58 This policy recognises that, in some circumstances where there is a significant gap in provision of natural turf playing pitches or built sports facilities such as courts and swimming pools, it may be necessary for housing developments to contribute towards improvements to such facilities over and above general open space and recreation contributions. In such cases, the Sport England Playing Pitch and Sports Facilities Calculator tools will be used to determine an appropriate level of contributions. The high capital and revenue costs of such facilities and the challenges of securing appropriate, long-term management and maintenance for them are recognised. Contributions will be considered alongside requirements for other infrastructure in the context of scheme viability.
6.59 From a quantitative perspective and as set out in the Sandwell Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy Action Plan (Appendix J), the existing position for each sport is either that demand is being met or that there is a shortfall in provision. An estimated future position (based on anticipated future housing provision in Sandwell) shows the development of new shortfalls for some pitch types and in some areas where demand is currently being met, as well as the exacerbation of existing shortfalls. There are current[122] shortfalls of adult, youth 11v11, youth 9v9 and mini 7v7 football pitches as well as 3G pitches, cricket squares and rugby union pitches, all of which will be exacerbated when addressing future demand driven by new housing provision.
6.60 Where demand is currently being met, this does not necessarily mean that there is a surplus of provision; any spare capacity is effectively taken up in overcoming current or future shortfalls. There is a need to protect all existing outdoor sport provision until demand is met, or a requirement to replace provision in accordance with the NPPF and Sport England's Playing Fields Policy.
6.61 The Action Plan and Strategy identified that contributions from housing developments could be pooled together to improve key sites and listed those high-priority locations that would provide the most benefit from additional investment:
- Barnford Park
- Birmingham County FA Headquarters
- Britannia Park
- Cakemore Playing Field
- Charlemont Playing Fields
- Hadley Stadium
- Hydes Road Playing Fields
- Lion Farm Playing Fields
- Sandwell Academy
- Tipton Sports Academy
- Warley Rugby Club
- West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club
- West Smethwick Park
6.62 However, if high priority sites in the local area of the development cannot be identified for investment, contributions should be pooled to fund the creation of new provision, particularly for cricket, in consultation with Sport England and the relevant NGB, to ensure the potential provision would be utilised and sustainable.
6.63 There are other solutions available to help meet existing shortfalls, including by better utilising current provision, such as:
- through improving quality;
- re-configuration;
- installing additional floodlighting;
- improving ancillary facilities; and
- enabling access to existing unused provision, such as at unavailable school sites.
6.64 However, there remains a shortfall of 3G pitches that can only be met through increased provision. With resources to improve the quality of grass pitches being limited, particularly at sites managed by the Council, an increase in 3G provision could also help reduce grass pitch shortfalls through the transfer of play, which in turn can reduce overplay and aid pitch quality improvements.
[122] Sandwell Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy & Action Plan - October 2022