Object
Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft
Representation ID: 302
Received: 14/11/2016
Respondent: Sport England - East Region
Legally compliant? Yes
Sound? No
Duty to co-operate? Yes
Object to SP14: The policy should be amended to require appropriate community sports (indoor and outdoor) facility provision to be made on-site
Concern is raised in relation to the site allocation policy not providing any policy guidance in relation to how community sports facility infrastructure should be provided for by this development. The Council has completed up-to-date assessment and strategies relating to bot indoor and outdoor sports facilities which have identified a range of needs together with priorities about how the identified needs should be addressed. This development will generate significant additional demand for community sports facilities which the existing facilities in the Baldock area will not be suitable for accommodating. This strategic allocation also represents one of the few opportunities where it would be appropriate to secure new sports facility provision on-site as part of the development in view of the scale of the development and the opportunities that exist to co-locate facilities in a potential new secondary school. For example, the evidence base identified a need for an additional sports hall and artificial grass pitches and specifically refers to the need for the local plan strategic housing allocations to be reviewed to consider how sports facility provision should be made.