Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule

Sport England is the Government agency responsible for delivering the Government's sporting objectives. Maximising the investment into sport and recreation through the land use planning system is one of our priorities. You will also be aware that Sport England is a statutory consultee on planning applications affecting playing fields.

The New Sport England Strategy 2012-17 sets a challenge to:
* See more people taking on and keeping a sporting habit for life
* Create more opportunities for young people
* Nurture and develop talent
* Provide the right facilities in the right places
* Support local authorities and unlock local funding
* Ensure real opportunities for communities

Sport England considers Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule in the light of Sport England's 'Planning for Sport & Active Recreation: Objectives & Opportunities' (Interim Statement 2005).

The overall thrust of the statement is that a planned approach to the provision of facilities and opportunities for sport is necessary in order to ensure the sport and recreational needs of local communities are met.


1. COMMENT - Local Plan & CIL Evidence Base

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires each local planning authority to produce a Local Plan for its area. Local Plans should address the spatial implications of economic, social and environmental change. Local Plans should be based on an adequate, up-to-date and relevant evidence base. In addition, para 73 of the NPPF requires that:

"Planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the needs for open space, sports and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision. The assessment should identify specific needs and quantitative deficits or surpluses of open space, sports and recreational facilities in the local area."

This includes a wide range of sport and recreation facilities including playing pitches, courts, swimming pools, sports halls, etc. It stresses that to ensure effective planning for open space, sport & recreation it is essential that the needs of local communities are known. Local authorities should undertake robust assessments of the existing and future needs of their communities for open space, sport and recreation. Assessments will normally be undertaken at district level, although assessments of strategic facilities should be undertaken at regional or sub-regional levels.

Sport England advocates that new developments should contribute to the sporting and recreational needs of the locality made necessary by their development.


2. SUPPORT - Planning Obligations/Community Infrastructure Levy to Sport

Sport England supports use of planning obligations/community infrastructure levy as a way of securing the provision of new or enhanced places for sport and a contribution towards their future maintenance, to meet the needs arising from new development. This does need to be based on a robust NPPF sport and recreation evidence base. This includes indoor sports facilities (swimming pools, sports halls, etc) as well as playing fields and multi use games courts.

All new dwellings in Warwick DC in the local plan period should provide for new or enhance existing sport and recreation facilities to help create opportunities for physical activity whilst having a major positive impact on health and mental wellbeing.

Planning, leisure and sports officers should:

* Assess existing information on the need and demand for sport and recreation provision in terms of how it will assist in creating a CIL charging schedule
* Look at the potential for adapting any existing standard charge approaches to sport, currently used for section 106 agreements, into CIL charges
* Ensure liaison between sport and planning officers results in built sports facilities, as well as outdoor facilities such as playing fields, being included in CIL charging schedules
* Consider how lists of appropriate projects, in areas affected by development, can be established and prioritised for implementation

For information regarding planning obligations for sport:

http://www.sportengland.org/facilities__planning/planning_tools_and_guidance/planning_contributions.aspx

For more information re: sport and CIL:

http://www.sportengland.org/facilities__planning/planning_tools_and_guidance/planning_contributions_-_what/community_infrastructure_levy.aspx

Two comments we would make on the draft is that CIL contributions should be sought from Offices and industrial. Birmingham City Council have been operating this way in the Longbridge area since the establishment of the APP.

We do not agree that affordable housing should be excempt given the residents will have the opportunity to access the same facilities as commercial housing residents. In some cases more so.