The Communities and Local Government Select Committee has placed on record its support for the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s campaign to give sport and recreation facilities more protection under the proposed new National Planning Policy Framework. In its report published today, the committee has endorsed the idea that the framework should offer more protection for facilities by requiring that any recreation space destroyed as part of a development should be replaced by developers.
In a damning report, the Committee criticised several key elements of the Framework regarding its lack of clarity and presumption in favour of development. The Department must now respond to all specific recommendations, including the Alliance’s campaign to protect recreational spaces.
The Committee’s recommendation relating to sports facilities was called for by a broad coalition of sporting bodies headed by the Sport and Recreation Alliance. Alliance members joined forces to criticise the draft Framework accusing it of leaving open spaces, sport and recreational facilities more vulnerable to development and reducing protection for playing fields.
The report also recognised that the decision to place economic development over the health and wellbeing needs of local communities would undermine Sport England’s role as statutory consultee on playing fields. In the past year, 1542 out of 1631 (94.5%) concluded planning applications affecting playing fields resulted in improved or safeguarded sports provision. While Sport England would remain a statutory consultee on all playing field planning applications, the Sport and Recreation Alliance predicts it will only be able to improve or safeguard 80% of applications (a reduction of 15%), as they would be unable to force developers to provide replacement facilities.
The Committee’s recognition that the planning system should be a tool to enable communities to plan for sport and recreation facilities is a boost to supporters of community sport. The Department for Communities and Local Government must now respond to the recommendations of the Committee. This is likely to happen in early-2012 when it also responds to the public consultation.
The National Planning Policy Framework Report
Communities and Local Government Commitee Announcement
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