Support

Representation ID: 886

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

Sport England welcomes the vision to provide outstanding leisure opportunities, high quality green spaces and exciting cultural opportunities. It also welcomes the objective to improve quality of life and enhance provision of community facilities.

Support

Representation ID: 887

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

Sport England supports Strategic Objectives which seek to ensure development growth is supported by appropriate infrastructure to deliver sustainable communities and that leisure/recreational assets are protected and nurtured.

Object

Representation ID: 888

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

The role of town centres in culture and leisure provision is accepted in the Plan (which will include leisure centres, swimming pools/sports halls, gyms etc.) and yet there is no assessment of need for built sports facilities in accordance with Par 73 of NPPF (also not referred to) to inform policy development (only commercial leisure). This does not meet NPPF par 70 as there has been no 'positive planning for sports venues.

Object

Representation ID: 889

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

Par 3.78 confirms the policy applies to both indoor and outdoor sports facilities. If so what new/improved facilities are required and where? To justify investment a need for additional facilities must be demonstrated, there does not appear to be any assessment of need for built sports facilities or up to date assessment of outdoor sports facilities (NPPF Par. 73). What additional demand will 3,500 homes generate? Do existing swimming pools, sports halls and gyms etc. have sufficient capacity to absorb additional demand? If not, how much new provision is needed, where should it go and how will it be delivered?

Object

Representation ID: 890

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

Appears to be no assessment in place for built facilities. Outdoor sport is addressed within the Brentwood Open Space Study (OSSRFA) (2007), which is now out of date and therefore does not meet requirements of NPPF Par 73. Sports need assessments have a life of between 3 and 5 years - 3 if it has not been kept up to date with an annual action/monitoring plan and up to 5 if it has. The OSSRFA is now 6 years old (base data likely to be 7 years old) and falls outside both yardsticks.

Object

Representation ID: 891

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

Principal of policy is welcomed but reassurance is sought that all outdoor sports facilities (public and private, school and all playing fields etc.) have been allocated/captured. If based on 2007 audits there is a danger the site surveys are not up to date, some sites may have been missed or since been lost. The wording of the 3 exceptions does not accord with NPPF par. 74 - in theory a proposal could cause the loss of a sports pitch but as long as the remaining open space was enhanced (not necessarily for sport) the policy could be met.

Object

Representation ID: 892

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

Par 4.138 implies there is adequate provision in all areas for all outdoor sports. This is a very all encompassing statement and I have not come across with any other local authority areas. Given this is based on an out of date assessment this is challenged.

Object

Representation ID: 893

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

Alternative approach would be to have a more locally specific policy that seeks to protect, improve and provide sports facilities based on an up to date assessment with more detail around outdoor sport typologies. If local and sports specific deficits and surpluses and quality issues were identified by an up-to-date assessment then the policy could be clear on what should be protected, what needs to be provided and requests for new provision under CP17 could be underpinned and identified in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan providing clarity and certainty.

Object

Representation ID: 894

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

It would be better if the outdoor sport standard of 3.15ha per 1,000 was broken down into different and more specific sports typologies so it reflects the actual needs on the ground.

Object

Representation ID: 895

Received: 27/09/2013

Respondent: Sport England

Residents of the new 3,500 homes will increase demand for community infrastructure, including sports facilities. Does existing infrastructure have sufficient unused capacity to absorb demand? How much more demand will this generate? Sport England has some tools to help answer these questions. Firstly, preparing a sports strategy based on a local needs assessment will inform whether existing capacity can absorb new demand. Brentwood BC do not appear to have undertaken this work but our National Facility Audit can give an indication of current demand and supply based on our Facilities Planning Model and Active Places Database (see attached for details).