Local Football Facility Plan Allerdale

Allerdale is in the North West Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2018 Mid-Year Estimate) is 97,120. This is expected to fall to 95,811 by 2039.

Allerdale is ranked 24 out of 39 LAs in the region, and 110 out of 317 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

Its ethnic composition is overwhelmingly white (98%). This is significantly higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Allerdale’s population represented by the BAME community is 2%. This is substantially below the national average (14.6%)

Local authority

The Allerdale Borough Council Local Plan (2014-29) vision is that: 'By 2029 its communities will be sustainable, prosperous, safe, healthy and vibrant. The economy will be strong, diversified and well connected, with a growing and highly skilled population, with high employment, capitalising on skills and opportunities in the nuclear, energy and tourism sectors'.

Allerdale does not currently have an up to date playing pitch strategy, although it is its intention to commission a study in the near future.

County football association

Allerdale is covered by the Cumberland FA. It provides governance for, and development support to, all aspects of local football including coaches, referees, volunteers, clubs and leagues; supporting football for all. It employs a designated facilities investment lead officer who works to ensure the right facilities are located in the right locations.

Football Foundation

The Regional Engagement Manager and Regional Technical Project Manager at the Football Foundation work collaboratively with the County FA to provide pre-application support to priority projects for potential investment.

Sport England

Has a network of planning managers who have a statutory role in the planning system to protect playing fields and provide consultation responses to planning applications relating to sporting facilities . They also play a key role in strategic planning for sports facilities, providing advice and support to local authorities to assess need for facilities in their local area.

Professional community club organisations (CCOs)

These offer a variety of programmes and services to support local communities (sporting and non-sporting). There is no active CCO in Allerdale .

Local leisure operator

GLL is the leisure operator in Allerdale . It runs leisure centres in Cockermouth, Keswick, Maryport and Workington (which includes a small sided 3G FTP)

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Allerdale. Fourteen individuals (representing thirteen local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• Impact Housing Association
• Tivoli Group (grounds maintenance contractor)
• A range of affiliated clubs

(See Appendix B for full list of consultees)

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. Allerdale has a total of 227 teams, which is comparable to local areas of a similar size. The FA is investing to support clubs both on and off the pitch which includes an aim to have a qualified FA coach with every youth team by 2020/21. In addition, it will support 1,000 clubs to create full player pathways from youth to adult teams and develop 150 community football hubs with male and female pathways, disability and recreational playing opportunities

Over the last 10-years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Allerdale, eight clubs have more than 10 registered teams. These (based upon 2019-20 affiliation data) are:

• Abbeytown Juniors - 21 teams
• Cockermouth Juniors - 24 teams
• Maryport AFC - 13 teams
• Maryport Athletic - 14 teams
• Seaton Juniors - 21 teams
• Keswick FC – 10 teams
• Workington AFC - 14 teams
• Workington Reds Juniors (including Workington Reds Diamonds) - 35 teams

Ten leagues cater for clubs and teams in Allerdale. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including women and girls, disability, youth and adults. Whilst there is no specific league for disability football within Allerdale, suitable provision is made in neighbouring Carlisle via the Cumberland Ability Counts League. Leagues catering for football in Allerdale (2019-20) include:

• West Cumbria Youth League – 114 teams from Allerdale – home and away/central venue
• Workington & Sunday League – 18 teams from Allerdale – home and away
• Cumberland County League – 8 teams from Allerdale – home and away
• Cumberland FA Women’s League (Inc U16 Girls Division) – 4 teams from Allerdale – home and away
• Cumbria Veterans League – 9 teams from Allerdale – home and away
• Carlisle Glass Longhorn Youth League – 20 teams from Allerdale – home and away
• Penrith & District Youth League – 10 teams from Allerdale – home and away
• The Cumberland Ability Counts League – 1team from Allerdale – Central Venue
• Cumberland FA Flexi League – 3 teams from Allerdale – Central Venue
• Cumberland FA Walking Football League – 3 teams from Allerdale – Central Venue

The County FA reports some cross-boundary migration to/from Copeland, Carlisle & Eden primarily due to teams playing in the West Cumbria Youth League, the Carlisle Class Longhorn Youth League and the Penrith & District Youth League.

There are 9.4million people in England with a long-standing limiting disability, illness or condition which equates to 18% of the population – almost one in five. Football playing opportunities should be flexible, inclusive and accessible for everyone, whatever their level of ability. This could entail inclusion in mainstream activity or teams / sessions specifically for people with a disability.

In Allerdale there is one disability team specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to initiate and grow this provision. For talented players the FA runs regional centres and England national squads.

The FA has big ambitions for the female game and aims to double levels of participation by 2020. To achieve this requires a combined effort across four pathways: education, recreation, competition and talent.

Education environments have a huge impact on the first experience of football for young girls. This pathway can offer many opportunities for females of all ages to develop and grow a lifelong interest in football.

FA Wildcats girls football centres provide the first step on the recreational pathway, the programme provides girls aged 5-11 with regular opportunities to play football in a fun and engaging environment. Allerdale has four FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow this activity.

At 24, Allerdale’s number of female teams is comparable to local areas of a similar size. The County FA’s priority is to support existing clubs to grow and encourage more to develop playing opportunities for females. The local girls’ league is the West Cumbria Youth League in which matches are played on a home and away and central venue basis. It is expected to grow provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Cumberland FA Women’s League. Its matches are played on a home and away basis and it too expects to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Durham Wildcats. Cumberland FA runs a Girls Advanced Coaching Centre based in Carlisle. Higher level talent pathway opportunities are also provided regionally and nationally by the FA, culminating in the England Women’s national squads. The most local Women’s Super League team is Durham Wildcats - it provides player pathway opportunities for gifted and talented female players and a spectator interest for fans.

Many different types of small-sided football are played in England, from teams and leagues to recreational and informal. It is an established and important part of the modern game.

Small-sided teams and leagues are organised and competitive activities; typically, with players registered to clubs and affiliated to leagues and their county FAs. Examples include futsal and local small-sided leagues running at venues such as sports halls, 3G FTPs or small-sided 3G centres. Key local providers include:

• Billy Rafferty – Astro Soccer Sixes – Cockermouth School
• Billy Rafferty – Astro Soccer Sixes – Wigton Rugby Club

Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced, small sided team game that is widely played across the world. Typically, it is played on an indoor surface with hockey-sized goals and a size 4 football with reduced ball bounce. It is the FA’s aim to ensure that futsal is available across the country.

At present 67 affiliated futsal teams in Allerdale play as part of the winter provision within the West Cumbria Youth League plus specific sessions run by Carlisle Futsal Club at key site locations including Lakes College, Workington Leisure Centre and Moorclose Community Centre. It is a County FA priority to further grow futsal for youth & adult players.

Recreational football is played where facilities are typically booked and there might be someone to help organise. Examples include FA Just Play sessions, walking football and casual pitch hire for small-sided match play. There are currently two FA Just Play centres in Allerdale. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisations such as St Joseph’s School. Walking football and Just Play are County FA priorities for further growth. Casual bookings where users who play on a turn up and play basis are available at other sites across the area.

Informal football is played in local parks and green spaces – it is free, open access and often played spontaneously (normal clothing is worn). Common examples include a kick-about at a local park or on a multi-use games area (MUGA). Currently, informal football is played at a range of locations across Allerdale, particularly in rural areas where there is no dedicated football pitch provision.

The key strengths of local football in Allerdale include mini soccer, youth football and adult football. It it is recommended that this is sustained and encouraged to grow further. Provision gaps include disability provision and U18 football. It is, therefore, recommended that the future football development priorities for Allerdale are to:

1. Continue to grow adult female football
2. Retain and grow disability football provision locally
3. Sustain youth and adult male provision
4. Retain and grow youth female football
5. Continue to promote futsal and recreational opportunity.

The facilities required to assist this are now set out in the Assets and opportunities section.

Priority projects that progress to be a funding application via the Football Foundation will produce detailed ‘site development plans’ specifying all football development activity, usage and key partner engagement.

This section reviews existing football facility assets in Allerdale. It identifies current issues and presents opportunities for improvements, including a list of priority projects for potential investment. Local assets and opportunities have been reviewed in line with four investment priorities:

• 3G FTPs
• Improved grass pitches
• Changing room pavilions / clubhouses
• Small sided facilities

To ensure a consistent and high quality approach, local areas are reviewed applying a standard approach, supplemented by input from consultation with local partners and stakeholder organisations.

While investment priorities are reviewed individually, it is understood that they can be inter-reliant; account is, thus, taken of these potential connections.

3G FTPs are a high quality and indispensable part of modern football facilities; their impact cannot be underestimated. In recent years the industry has seen major innovations and improvements to artificial surfaces (and sports lighting). This has created playing surfaces that replicate a good standard natural turf pitch whilst significantly increasing levels of use (x20). All FTPs must have sports lighting to achieve this.

The high quality, consistent playing surface is the ideal environment to play the game and for young people to learn. With regular maintenance programmes, FTPs can be heavily used all year round with no decline in quality. They almost completely negate annoying fixture cancellations during winter months, helping football to be a key part of a regular physical activity habit.

High capacity levels offer a great opportunity to embrace all formats and engage all participants. A full-sized 3G caters for an average of 1,200 participants per week and is suitable for various location types. That means being fully inclusive to all sections of the community, with a particular focus on under-represented groups such as women and girls, people with a disability, BAME communities and people from lower socio-economic groups.

The way 3G FTPs are used is rapidly changing; current line-marking systems allow for match play across all formats of football (5v5, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11). This enables significant levels of match-play to be transferred from grass to 3G.

There are two existing full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTPs in Allerdale located at:

• Lakes College
• Netherhall Community Sports Centre

There is no current PPS and, therefore, demand for full sized 3G FTPs has been calculated using the FA training ratio model 1:38.

On the basis that there are 227 teams in Allerdale, there is a requirement for six full sized 3G FTPs. There are currently two and there is, thus, a shortfall of four.

In addition to the assessed shortfall, the carpets at both current facilities require replacement (Netherhall Community Sports Centre in the short term and Lakes College in the long term).

Both current 3G FTPs are available for community use and are on the FA Register (meaning that they have been quality checked and can be used for football match play). In respect of the pitch at Netherhall Community Sports Centre (which has an existing FF grant agreement in place), stakeholders recognise the importance of the pitch in the Borough. That said, any further grant funding request will be strictly subject to the school confirming their position with regards to the existing sinking fund and further fundraising required to deliver the proposed project.

Both current facilities are situated close to the West Cumbria coast at Maryport and just South of Workington however the remainder of the authority is relatively sparsely populated. Consultation suggests that a new 3G FTP in Workington would meet existing unmet demand from a number of affiliated clubs. This should be tested further via an updated PPS, as should potential locations for the remaining identified 3G shortfall, with the North and East of the authority (Wigton / Keswick) being priority areas in terms of lack of current provision.

Three priority projects for potential investment are identified. These comprise one new 3G FTP in Workington and the refurbishment of both the existing facilities at Netherhall Community Sports Centre and Lakes College.

Playing fields are one of the most important resources for sport in England. All football players should have the opportunity to play on good quality grass pitches. However, FA data shows that 63% of pitches in England are poor / low quality and one in six games is cancelled. As such, poor pitch quality is consistently cited as the number one issue for players.

The priority is, therefore, to sustainably improve grass pitch quality across all main pitch owners (local authorities, education establishments and clubs). However, the level of maintenance required to obtain good quality standards is regularly affected by restricted budgets and limited knowledge/ training. Compaction and grass coverage are two key causes of poor quality pitches. Both are commonly treated via a maintenance driven solution (and do not necessarily require costly drainage schemes).

Playing fields are also a valuable resources for informal play and open-access sites are encouraged but, for many, problems such as dog fouling and vandalism mean that they need to be protected with mitigation measures such as fencing.

The key challenge is to create a sustainable approach to provide good quality football pitches for the long term. Most local authorities (78%) intend to increase pitch hire fees in the future. However, the majority of players (63%) believe facilities are already expensive and some (16%) believe prices are prohibitive. A sustainable solution should, therefore, carefully balance pitch quality and affordability.

While the education sector (37%) and local authorities (32%) are still the principal asset owners of grass pitches, clubs / leagues own or maintain an increasing share (currently 25%). Assets and opportunities have been considered across each sector.

Although large (3+ pitch) strategic sites are important and make up much of the project list within the LFFPs, this does not mean that other club, league and community/voluntary sites are not important or eligible for funding. These sites are key to the Football Foundation's Grass Pitch Programme to deliver 20,000 good quality pitches.

For more information click here.

PitchPower

The PitchPower app is the gateway to any grass pitch improvement funding. It is the tool that will allow clubs and organisations to complete pitch inspections and access funds.

If you haven't signed up and completed a PitchPower pitch inspection, you will need to do this before you can apply for the Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund.

Learn more by clicking here.

There are currently twelve grass pitch sites in Allerdale with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 28 grass pitches.

Local consultation confirms the issues faced in respect of poor pitch quality and it is recommended that these are addressed.

Of the twelve key pitch sites it was determined that seven should be prioritised. This will result in quality improvements to sixteen pitches.

It should be noted that, once Allerdale BC has produced a playing pitch strategy, its findings should be incorporated into the LFFP in order to identify additional grass pitch improvement needs.

Seven priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by local consultation. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting multiple pitch sites which are presently in poor condition,

These can provide a number of different benefits. While the primary function is normally the provision of changing rooms to accommodate match-play and training (for players and officials), there can be equal value in facilities such as community and education rooms, catering facilities and spectator toilets.

Each project will take a progressive approach to pavilions and clubhouses (beyond the provision of changing rooms) and be open to new opportunities to engage the whole community. That means, creating environments that are welcoming to players, spectators, volunteers, officials and all sections of the community.

Such assets should support other investment priorities (e.g. 3G FTPs and grass pitches) and be located at sites that will have the greatest impact on local communities. To ensure this, focus is given to sites with three or more full-size pitch equivalents. However, as pitch quality is the number one priority for players this is prioritised before investment in changing room pavilions /clubhouses.

Clearly, facilities need to be well managed and maintained to keep them in a good state of repair. Consideration will be given to reviewing the best operator solution for key sites and the installation of revenue generating features such as catering facilities and community rooms. To achieve this, business plan support will be given to each priority project as it progresses to an application to the Football Foundation.

Of the twelve key grass pitch sites in Allerdale with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance), five have suitable changing rooms, three require improvement/replacement and four have no facilities and require a new changing pavilion.

Seven priority projects for potential investment are identified:

Good facilities are important to all small sided football players, but it is important to understand the different formats of the small-sided game and the various facility types they relate to.

Research suggests that small-sided players in teams and leagues, and in recreational sessions, prefer a 3G surface type because it replicates a good standard natural turf pitch. These facilities have already been covered in the 3G FTP section of this LFFP.

Indoor environments currently accommodate 20% of football participation and are also popular with players in teams and leagues and recreational sessions . Indoor sports halls are most popular, along with some community halls and indoor 3G centres. Environments need to be engaging, have clear line-marking and the correct size goalposts.

Informal players require facilities that are open and free to access as this enables play opportunities that are often spontaneous. In these circumstances multi-use games areas (MUGAs) can be effective in areas of high urban population and limited green space. Such facilities can be modern, bright, creative and engaging. While this plan will identify suitable locations for such facilities, the design and specifics of the facility type can be agreed at a later stage with Football Foundation staff when projects are ready to progress to pre-application stage.

Parks and open green spaces are also important to informal play and require goalposts and zones that are free from litter and dog fouling.

Consultation did not identify any specific small sided facility developments. However, the following wards, all of which encompass areas of high socio-economic deprivation have been identified (based upon local consultation and insight provided by Active Cumbria) as priorities in respect of addressing current levels of physical inactivity.

• Maryport North (Ellenborough: South 005A)
• Maryport South (Ewanrigg: North 005B)
• Harrington & Salterbeck (Moss Bay: South 009B)
• Moorclose & Moss Bay (Moss Bay: North (009C)
• St Michaels (St Michaels: Central 009E)
• Moorclose & Moss Bay (Moorclose: East 010C)

• Engagement Manager – Football Foundation
• Football Development Officer - Cumberland FA
• Representative - Cockermouth Juniors FC
• Representative - Silloth AFC
• Representative - Maryport Amateurs FC
• Representative - Abbeytown Juniors FC
• Representative - Maryport Athletic
• Representative - Seaton Juniors
• Representative - Workington Reds Diamonds
• Representative - Braithwaite FC
• Policy Manager - Allerdale BC
• Sports Development Officer - Allerdale BC
• Area Manager - Tivoli Group Ltd (grounds maintenance contractor)
• Representative - Impact Housing Association
• Secretary - West Cumbria Youth League
• Development Manager - Cumbria County FA leagues