More Sports Playing Fields than ever Before.
July 27 2005by More Sports Playing Fields than ever Before.
The listing was posted by The Central Council of Physical Recreation
New figures show that more new sports facilities are being created and, for the first time, the number of playing fields is growing. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and
Sport England released the 2003/04 figures today, which reveal that applications regarding playing fields in England are resulting in more new sports facilities and less non-sports projects.
The statistics show that of the 959 applications that were approved for development, 590 involved projects that would greatly improve the quality of sport on offer at the site. These include new sports centres, tennis courts, athletics tracks and Astroturf pitches, as well as changing rooms and floodlights. They also include 132 cases where like-for-like replacement playing fields were provided.
Of the 959 approved applications, just 52 (4%) were deemed to be detrimental to sporting provision - 31 of which were owned by local authorities and 21 owned privately. This is against a backdrop of some 44,000 playing pitches across 21,000 sites in England, and the creation in 2003-04 of 72 additional new playing fields. 314 applications were approved for development on sites, which were too small to accommodate playing pitches. In only two cases was there a complete loss of a playing field.
Sports Minister Richard Caborn welcomed the statistics, saying:
"I am pleased with these figures. More playing fields are being created or improved than being lost and this shows that we are starting to turn the tide on the playing field issue. Not only are we losing fewer fields to non-sporting development but we are also creating the facilities that people need to play the sport they want.
"New indoor and outdoor facilities are now cropping up every week - from indoor basketball courts and newly laid grass rugby fields to all weather flood lit football pitches. We are ensuring that if a development on a playing field is approved, sport has to be the winner.
"But we are not complacent. There is always more to do and the Government is continuing to work to further improve the protection afforded to playing fields."
Strict regulations are in place that mean Sport England scrutinise every application involving a playing field and, if there is a loss for sport arising from a development, then they will object to the application. And rules agreed between DfES and the NPFA last year ensure that any sale must be an absolute last resort - and that the proceeds must be used to improve outdoor sports facilities wherever possible.
The new figures were also welcomed by the National Playing Fields Association. Don Early, Deputy Director of the NPFA, said:
"The NPFA welcomes this announcement and the overall net increase in playing fields demonstrated in these statistics. This reflects the positive moves taken by Government. The latest statistics however mix improvements to playing fields with threats and losses and I believe there is work to be done to redress the balance of investment back from indoor to outdoor sports facilities.
"Right now over 65% of £207m of planned investment is directed toward indoor facilities, at a time when pitch improvements and ancillary outdoor facilities are badly needed. Specifically, at a time when we are trying to increase the number of youngsters and women involved in more sport, we need to make sure there's also a focus on adequate changing facilities. Part of the solution is for the Government, through the ODPM and DCMS, to require all local authority held playing fields to be granted similar protection to that afforded by the DfES to school playing fields."
The Minister for Sport continued:
"We note the suggestions made by the NPFA and are working with the ODPM and others to continue to build on the positive work we have done already."
ODPM Minister Baroness Andrews said:
"The Government requires local planning authorities to protect the playing fields and other forms of open space that their communities need. Hence we expect them to take full account of the importance of recreational space in their planning decisions and in their new-style local plans."
Roger Draper, Chief Executive of Sport England said:
"Sport England's main objective is to give people more opportunities to get active. A big part of this work is giving people access to the best facilities, whether it be a regenerated playing field or a state of the art astroturf. These figures are particularly pleasing as it shows that our joint work to ensure playing fields are protected and enhanced is paying
off."