Core Strategy - Adopted December 2007

Section 9 – Sport, Recreation and Green Space

9.1 National and regional policy seeks to protect existing sport, open space and recreation facilities, and to create new ones. It also requires local planning authorities to plan positively for the provision and enhancement of well-designed recreational and sporting facilities and green spaces that meet identified local needs.

9.2 Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 (PPG17), Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation, sets out the Government's planning objectives and policies which local planning authorities need to take into account in the preparation of local development documents. Open spaces, sport and recreation all underpin people's quality of life. Well designed and implemented planning policies to deliver local networks of high quality, accessible, and well managed and maintained open spaces, sports and recreational facilities are therefore fundamental to delivering broader Government objectives. These include:

1. supporting an urban renaissance;
2. promoting social inclusion and community cohesion;
3. promoting health and well-being; and
4. promoting more sustainable development.

9.3 Local authorities should therefore undertake robust assessments of the existing and future needs of their communities for such facilities, together with audits, both quantitative and qualitative, of existing facilities, their use, accessibility and opportunities. These will allow local authorities to identify specific needs, deficits or surpluses in their area, and form a starting point for an effective strategy and appropriate policies in plans at the local level, including locally derived standards of provision.

9.4 Existing facilities should not be built on unless they have clearly been shown to be surplus to requirements. Facilities of high quality or particular value should be given protection through appropriate policies in plans, including small areas of important local amenity, community resource or biodiversity value. Deficiencies should be remedied through provision of open space, sports and recreation facilities, and through qualitative improvements to existing facilities, where planning permission is granted for new developments (especially housing). Planning Obligations will be sought where new development would create or add to local deficiencies in order to provide the additional facilities necessitated by the new development.

9.5 Similarly, the East of England Plan requires local development documents to provide and safeguard green infrastructure, including connected and substantial networks of green space, and a multiple hierarchy of provision of green infrastructure (Policy ENV1).

9.6 Sport, recreation and green space (as opposed to leisure, tourism and culture) does not, directly, feature highly in the local community's needs and priorities as set out in Southend's Community Plan. Indirectly, however, under the theme of 'Healthy Community', an increase in the uptake of physical activity throughout the community is a key objective within the wider aim of tackling the risk factors for major causes of death. Increased opportunities to access physical activity and increased uptake of existing schemes and facilities are identified measures to achieve this objective, which need to be supported and facilitated through local development documents.

9.7 Achieving quality new development and significant improvement in the public realm which meet the needs of the community is a further related objective under the theme of an 'Environmentally Aware Community', whilst specific schemes to regenerate the historic Southend Cliff Gardens and the town centre swimming facilities are identified under the 'Cultural Community' theme.

9.8 An extensive audit and needs assessment of recreational open spaces and sports facilities in the Borough was undertaken in consultation with local community groups during 2003/04. This comprises two volumes, 'A Study of Playing Pitches in Southend-on-Sea Borough' and 'Open Space and Recreation Assessment in Southend-on-Sea Borough'. It has indicated no clear evidence of any significant quantitative deficiency in indoor or outdoor sports facility provision, or in the provision of parks and open spaces, in relation to the existing population. On the other hand, existing facilities are popular and well used, and should therefore be safeguarded and enhanced. They represent an appropriate minimum 'standard' of provision to serve the existing population in quantitative terms, which at the very least should be maintained pro rata in relation to the additional population arising from new dwelling provision. Southend compares unfavourably with many, if not most, other areas for which information is available, in terms of volume of facilities per resident.

9.9 Moreover, the highly developed nature of the Borough means that such facilities also have an important role in ensuring an attractive and 'balanced' environment within the town, providing an appropriate range, quality and distribution of green spaces and amenity. Their retention and enhancement is therefore crucial to the achievement of regeneration.

9.10 The audit and needs assessment confirms that the level of additional dwelling provision required in Southend between 2001 and 2021 will put significant additional demands on the Borough's sport, recreation and green space facilities, and will create a requirement for a range of additional facilities over this period. These also are set out in the audit and needs assessment reports and provide the basis on which the relevant provisions in Policy CP7 below have been derived. Again, given the already highly developed nature of the Borough, opportunities will be limited and it will be essential to ensure both that new development contributes fully to meeting the demands it generates, and that already identified opportunities are safeguarded.

9.11 In addition, there are very significant qualitative deficiencies throughout the Borough, in terms of both accessibility to and quality of facilities, including the essential ancillary facilities needed to support good quality sport and recreational infrastructure. The audit and needs assessment indicates, therefore, that it may be possible to meet some additional requirements, including those achieved by means of development contributions, through a significant improvement in the quality of existing facilities or their replacement with appropriately located new facilities.

9.12 Policy CP7 seeks to address all the above considerations at a strategic level, based on a delivery approach which focuses new, but possibly limited, facilities within the built-up area, as closely related as possible to the communities they are to serve. It is an approach which has been clearly and widely supported and developed through pre-submission community involvement. This policy will in turn be supported by policies and proposals in a 'Planning Obligations and Vehicle Parking Standards' Development Plan Document and a 'Criteria Based Policies and Site Allocations' DPD, which will set out in more detail the requirements, standards and delivery arrangements for these development contributions.

9.13 There are a number of undeveloped areas within and adjoining the Borough with a diverse and rich environment. These areas, as well as being designated as being of international and national wildlife importance, are also used for informal recreation purposes and include the Hadleigh Castle and Jubilee Country Parks, Belfairs Woods and the Southend foreshore. Whilst regeneration is a priority within Southend, it is vital that these areas continue to be managed jointly with neighbouring authorities and relevant agencies, to protect them from inappropriate development and provide enhanced quality environments for wildlife and the community.

9.14 In addition, it will be important to encourage greater public access through a series of 'greenways' in the town to provide attractive routes for cycling and walking, and to contribute to a 'Green Grid' of open spaces and linkages being developed throughout Essex Thames Gateway as part of the area's regeneration. This would enhance and link parks, open space and the urban fringe and be co-ordinated with the Council's cycle strategy and walking network (see also Policy CP4: 'The Environment and Urban Renaissance' in respect of the Green Grid). As part of the development of the Green Grid, a need has been identified for a new Country Park facility within or close to the north-eastern part of the Borough. To support and guide the achievement of these requirements, a 'Southend-on-Sea Green Space and Green Grid Strategy' Supplementary Planning Document will be produced and adopted.

9.15 Borough Local Plan Policies related to sport, recreation and green space will remain part of the Development Plan for the Borough, pending their review as part of the preparation of a 'Criteria Based Policies and Site Allocations' Development Plan Document, as programmed in the Borough Council's Local Development Scheme, namely

Policy R1 – Outdoor Sports Facilities

Policy R2 – Indoor Sports Facilities

Policy R3 – Swimming Pool Facilities

Policy R4 – Golf Courses

Policy R5 – Parks and Gardens

Policy R6 – Countryside Recreation

Policy R7 – Allotments