Sports Facilities Planning

The Sports Facilities and Playing Pitch Strategy Group

The correct design, location and supply of indoor and outdoor sports facilities and pitches is crucial to meet demand, and to maintain and grow participation in sport and physical activity.

The local authority's Sports Facilities and Playing Pitch Strategy Group is the implementation group for a 'Playing Pitch Strategy/Indoor Sports Facility Strategy' and is typically put in place following the completion of the strategies. The group meet twice a year, is led by and chaired by the local authority and has representatives from Sport England, Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership, and the major sports governing bodies. The local authority usually has representatives from leisure, planning, parks/green spaces, community partnerships etc.

The group provides the following benefits:

• Provides a forum for a regular exchange of information between the authority and key sports bodies to support the delivery of the strategies e.g. updates on funding that may be available.

• Supports a coordinated approach to investment into sports projects to make the most of limited funding e.g. section 106 funding can be used as match funding to lever governing body investment.

• Provides a forum to discuss current facility issues and planning applications for major projects e.g. local authority and Sport England can co-ordinate their position on master planning sports provision in new residential developments.

• Supports regular updates to the strategies which helps negate the need for an early full review of them.  

The Partnership has a role to create Sports Facility Planning Groups for each local authority area, input into the discussions and ensure they are well run and supported by local partners.