Sport, open space and recreation needs assessment

In 2022, we carried out detailed assessments of the borough’s sport, open space and recreational facilities, including playing pitches and play space provision. This work resulted in the Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy which was adopted by the Environment Committee in November 2023.

An updated Indoor Facility assessment is also due to be published later.

What we have done

A comprehensive audit and assessment of existing provision of all types of open spaces, sport and recreational facilities, including the quality of supply and their condition, was carried out in 2022. The expected future demand for facilities, specific needs and opportunities up to 2033 was also assessed.

The Playing Pitch assessment and strategy were last published in March 2018 to comply with recommendations by Sport England, but have both been subjected to regular monitoring. An update to these documents has been published in 2023 following adoption by the Environment Committee. This work was carried out to update supply and demand data, while also validating and adding new context to reflect key changes since the initial research was conducted. The key priorities and issues have been updated in the strategy accordingly, and this is now subject to regular monitoring.

Current monitoring of the Playing Pitch Strategy

Monitoring and updating the Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy forms an important part of the planning process. Guidance from Sport England recommends that the actions identified within the strategy are reviewed on at least an annual basis. In light of this, we participate in regular monitoring meetings with Sport England and representatives from the national governing bodies, and have updated the action plan accordingly. 

• Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy – Action Plan Update (February 2024) (pdf, 698 KB)

Current assessments 

View the current studies related to sport, open space and recreation needs:

• Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Assessment 2023 - a detailed assessment and analysis of all playing fields and outdoor sports spaces including football pitches, cricket pitches, rugby union pitches, artificial grass pitches, tennis courts and bowling greens
• Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy 2023 - building on the Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport assessment, this strategy provides the strategic framework and recommendations for the borough’s playing fields and sports pitches
• Indoor Sports Facility Needs Assessment 2015 (pdf, 2499KB) - a detailed assessment, including a supply and demand analysis, of indoor sports facilities including swimming pools, sports halls, health and fitness facilities and squash
• Open Space Assessment 2023 (pdf, 2.0 MB) - a detailed assessment of the borough’s open space provision including its condition, distribution and overall quality, covering parks and gardens, natural and semi-natural green spaces, amenity green spaces, play provision, allotments, cemeteries and civic spaces

Previous assessments 

View the previous studies related to sport, open space and recreation needs:

• Open Space Assessment 2015 (pdf, 806KB)
• Playing Pitch Assessment 2018 (pdf, 1806KB)
• Playing Pitch Strategy 2018 (pdf, 1403KB)

Previous monitoring of the Playing Pitch Strategy

View the previous strategies related to sport, open space and recreation needs:

• Playing Pitch Strategy - Action Plan Update (January 2022) (pdf, 525 KB)
• Playing Pitch Strategy - Action Plan Update (September 2021) (pdf, 666 KB)
• Playing Pitch Strategy – Action Plan Update (March 2021) (pdf, 616 KB)
• Playing Pitch Strategy - Action Plan Update (March 2019) (pdf, 402 KB)
• Playing Pitch Strategy - Action Plan Update (September 2019) (pdf, 499 KB)