Luton playing pitch strategy 2014 2021 contents

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Objective (d) – Seek to address overplay

Priority in the short term (given limited resources) should be directed to poor quality sites. This standard, based on an achievable target using existing quality scoring to provide a baseline, should be used to identify deficiencies and hence investment should be prioritised to those sites which fail to meet the proposed quality standard (using the site audit database, provided in electronic format). The policy approach to these outdoor recreation facilities achieving these standards should be to enhance quality and therefore the planning system should seek to protect them.

Good quality refers to facilities that have, for example, good grass cover, an even surface, are free from vandalism, litter etc, have access for disabled people and are supported by good quality ancillary facilities including changing accommodation, toilets and car parking. While “adequate” quality refers to facilities that have, for example adequate grass cover, minimal signs of wear and tear, reasonable changing accommodation and the goalposts may be secure but in need of minor repair. Please refer to the Sport England quality assessments.
Improving pitch/surface quality as a priority
In order to improve the overall quality of the playing pitches stock; it is necessary to ensure that pitches are not overplayed beyond recommended weekly carrying capacity. This is determined by assessing pitch quality (via a non technical site assessment) and allocating a weekly match limit to each. Each NGB recommends a number of matches that a good quality pitch should take:

Sport	Pitch type	Matches
Football	Adult pitches	3
	Youth pitches	4
	Mini pitches	6
Rugby	Pipe and Slit Drained and a good level of maintenance	5
Cricket	Grass wickets Synthetic wicket	5 per season 60 per season

Sites played beyond capacity may require remedial action to help reduce this, for example, overplay at four sites is attributed to ‘poor’ pitch quality:

Alder Crescent Recreation Ground
Lothair Road Recreation Ground
Foxdell Recreation Ground
Wigmore Valley Park

Improving pitch quality should not be considered in isolation from maintenance regimes.
Whilst it works both ways in so much as poor pitch condition is a symptom of pitches being over played, potential improvements may make sites more attractive and therefore more popular.
There is also need to balance pitch improvements alongside the transfer of play to alternative pitch sites. Therefore, work with clubs to ensure that sites are not played beyond their capacity and encourage play, where possible, to be transferred to alternative venues which are not operating at capacity.

AIM 3

To maximise access to all outdoor facilities and in particular educational facilities

Objectives:

Establish a more coherent, structured relationship with schools to maximise community use of educational facilities.

Secure tenure and access to sites for high quality, development minded clubs, through a range of solutions and partnership agreements.

Increase opportunities to support informal sporting activities.

Work with NGBs to ensure that there is a link/pathway for those that want to move into formal sport.

Aim 3 should include access to outdoor facilities in the context of widening access to facilities for demographic groups among whom participation rates are low.

Objective (f) – Establish a more coherent, structured relationship with schools and colleges to maximise community use of educational facilities

The ability to access good facilities within the local community is vital to any sports organisation, yet many clubs struggle to find places to play and train. In Luton pricing policies at facilities is a major barrier to access at some of the education sites, Luton Council will need to develop an understanding of the pricing structures by working closely with schools and colleges.

A large number of sporting facilities are located on education sites and making these available to sports clubs can offer significant benefits to both the school/college and the local clubs. Luton Council and other key partners must work with schools and colleges to develop an understanding of the issues that restrict or affect community access. Support should be provided, where appropriate, to address underlying problems. Consideration should be given for an ‘opt in’ approach to a centralised booking system for community use of schools and colleges in order to minimise administration and make access easier for the users.
It is not uncommon for school pitch stock not to be fully maximised for community use. Even on established community use sites, access to outdoor sports facilities to the community is limited. The Assessment Report identified several issues relating to the use of school facilities:

Community use is limited and often based on informal agreements between individual schools and clubs.
There is no strategic guidance as to which clubs are allocated the use of playing pitch facilities (i.e. in accordance with a strategic need).
There are a number of school sites where a community use agreement is in place but it is not clear whether the agreement is being upheld.
There are management issues inherent in developing, implementing and managing community use agreements. Advice and guidance can be obtained from Sport England’s Schools toolkit and Sports organisations toolkit. (www.sportengland.org/facilities-planning)

Where appropriate, it will be important for schools to negotiate and sign formal and long-term agreements that secure community use. This need to be examined against these issues:

The analysis provides a clear indication of the future pitch requirements and provides a basis for partners to negotiate.
Community use should not impact on the needs of schools to deliver curricular and extracurricular activities

Sport England has also produced guidance, online resources and toolkits to help open up and retain school sites for community use and can be found at:

http://www.sportengland.org/facilities-planning/accessing-schools/
It is recommended that a working group, led by a partner from the education sector but supported by a range of other sectors including sport and leisure is established to implement the strategic direction in relation to the increased use of school facilities.

Broadly speaking, its role should be to:

To better understand current community use, practices and issues by ‘auditing’ schools.
Ensure community use agreements are upheld
Identify and pilot one school/club formal community use agreement with a view to rolling out the model across the area.
Ensure that funding to improve the quality of the facilities is identified and secured.
As part of any agreement secure a management arrangement for community access, which does not rely on existing school staff structures.
Ensure that pitch provision at schools is sufficient in quality and quantity to be able to deliver its curriculum. Once this has been achieved provision could contribute to overcoming deficiencies in the area (as identified in the assessment above).

Although there are a number of academies and college sites in Luton, which the Council has no control over the running of (with the exception of Barnfield College New Bedford road site), it is still important to understand the significance of such sites and attempt to work with the schools where there are opportunities for community use. In addition, the relevant NGB has a role to play in supporting the Council to deliver the strategy and communicating with schools where necessary.

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