Local Football Facility Plan Ashford

Ashford is in the South East Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2018 Mid-Year Estimate) is 129,281. This is expected to rise to 150,045 by 2039.

Ashford is ranked 22 out of 67 LAs in the region, and 172 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

Ashford's ethnic composition is primarily white (93.7%). This is higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Ashford’s population represented by the BAME community is 6.3%. This is below the national average (14.6%).

Local authority

The Ashford Borough Council Corporate Plan (2015-2020) sets out the Authority's direction noting the following priorities - to.

• Promote and deliver economic growth, including investment, jobs and skill levels.
• Deliver on quality housing and planning
• Recognise the value of tourism and the benefits it brings to the Borough as a whole
• Support the Authority's growing senior population to lead full and independent lives
• Provide healthy lifestyle choices and opportunities for all ages

To provide healthy lifestyles choices and opportunity the Authority plans to invest in new provision and refurbish existing facilities to provide a high quality sports, culture and leisure offer, which will include substantial investment in the Stour Centre.

The Authority Playing Pitch Strategy was adopted in 2017. In summary, the priorities are to address the shortfall of 3G FTPs, by providing three additional facilities (based on 1:42 ratio). The Strategy lists the following sites at which to address this shortfall: Homewood School (Tenterden), Discovery Park (Chilmington Green) and Finberry Park. Other priorities are to engage with the FA Pitch Improvement Programme scheme to enhance pitch quality and to improve the standard of non-playing pitch facilities including access, car parking and the quality of changing rooms.

County football association

Ashford is covered by the Kent County 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. The County FA has 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). The Charlton Athletic Community Trust runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities in the local area.

Local leisure operator

Ashford Leisure Trust is the key leisure operator in Ashford. It manages the following sites:

• The Stour Centre
• The Julie Rose Stadium

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Ashford. 25 individuals (representing 22 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• Park Farm Rangers FC
• Wye Juniors FC
• Tenterden Town Council
• The Norton Knatchbull School

(See Appendix B for full list of consultees)

Clubs

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. Ashford has a total of 266 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 ten years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Ashford, seven clubs have more than 10 registered teams. These (based upon 2018-19 affiliation data) are:

• Ashford United - 15 teams
• Bromley Green - 17 teams
• Charing - 10 teams
• Kennington Juniors - 22 teams
• Mersham Sports Club - 14 teams
• Park Farm Rangers - 18 teams
• Wye Juniors - 16 teams

Leagues

Four leagues cater for teams and clubs in Ashford. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including youth and adults. While there is no specific league opportunity for disability and women and girls, suitable provision made in neighbouring areas. The main local leagues (2018-19) include:

• Ashford & District Football League – 16 teams – home and away
• Ashford and District Sunday League – 39 teams – home and away
• Ashford And District Youth League – 167 teams – home and away
• East Kent Youth League – 317 teams – home and away

The County FA also reports significant cross boundary migration to/from Ashford due to teams playing in the:

• Canterbury and District Football League
• East Sussex Football League
• Herne Bay and Whitstable Sunday League
• Isthmian Football League
• Isthmian Youth Football League
• Kent County Football League
• Kent Disability Football League
• Kent Girls/Ladies Football League
• Kent Youth League
• Maidstone Invicta Primary League
• Rother & District Youth Football League
• South East Counties Womens League
• Southern Counties East Football League

Disability football

There are 9.4 million 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 Ashford there are three football teams / sessions specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to sustain this provision. For talented players the FA runs regional centres and England national squads.

Women and girls

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. Ashford has one FA Wildcats girls football centre and the priority is to sustain this activity.

At eight, Ashford’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 clubs to develop playing opportunities for females. The local girls’ league is the Kent Girls/Ladies Football League in which matches are played on a home and away basis. It is expected to grow its provision in future years. The local adult female leagues are the Kent Girls/Ladies Football League and South East Counties Womens League. Matches in both are played on a home and away basis and they both expect to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Gillingham FC located in Swale. 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 Brighton & Hove Albion Women FC which provides player pathway opportunities for gifted and talented female players and a spectator interest for fans.

Small sided football

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

• Elite Leagues Ashford (small sided)
• Elite Leagues Ashford Sunday (small sided)
• Kent FA Youth Futsal League
  

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.

Currently 13 futsal teams in Ashford play in the Kent FA Youth Futsal League at key site locations including the Stour Centre. It is a priority for the County FA to sustain futsal for youth players.

Recreational football

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 no FA Just Play centres in Ashford. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisations such as the Stour Centre. Walking football and Just Play are County FA priorities for further growth and development.

Informal football

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 in Ashford is played across the local authority. Tenterden Recreation Ground is a key site location that is heavily used.

The key strengths of local football in Ashford include youth and mini soccer and youth futsal provision and it is recommended that this is sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist; these include adult male 11v11 teams and informal football sessions. It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for Ashford are:

1. Support the transition of youth teams and players to adult male leagues.
2. Build on and sustain the youth futsal provision.
3. Ensure club structures are in place to grow in line with the housing growth.
4. Develop comprehensive support to volunteers to allow clubs to retain, grow and provide opportunity to all.
5. Increase women and girls provision through informal ladies sessions and FA Wildcats programme.

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

Each project that progresses to a funding application via the Football Foundation will produce a detailed ‘site development plan’ specifying all football development activity, usage and key partner engagement.

This section reviews existing football facility assets in Ashford. 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, each local area is reviewed applying a standard approach, supplemented by input from consultation with local partners and stakeholder organisations.

While each investment priority is 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.

The full-sized (11v11) 3G FTPs in Ashford are located at:

• Towers School
• Pitchside
• Homelands Stadium
• Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre

There is currently no small-sided 3G FTP in Ashford.

As noted Ashford's PPS was adopted in 2017. Although it identified a shortfall of three full size 3G FTPs, one has since been constructed at Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre, reducing the deficit to two.

In addition to the shortfall of full size venues, one 3G FTP (at Pitchside) needs to be replaced. This is a Football Foundation funded facility with no sinking fund in place. It is anticipated that it will be resurfaced in 2020 via developer contributions.

All FTPs are available for community use. Three are on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning they are quality checked and can be used for football match play). It is strongly recommended that the remaining current venue (Pitchside) is, when the surface has been replaced, assessed and placed on the Register.

The geographic spread of existing facilities is even; the majority serve main population centres, however, the growing demand from affiliated football in the Ashford area means that there is a need for further provision in this area.

Local consultation confirms common issues with limited 3G FTP availability and the recommendations made in this document are designed to address this.

Two priority projects are identified. Both are designed to cater for the demands of affiliated football and to cater for demand emanating from the Borough's key settlements.

There are currently 12 grass pitch sites in Ashford with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 41 grass pitches.

There is one potential new key site, Smallhythe Road, which may require pitch improvements if affiliated football is transferred from Tenterden Recreation Ground as part of its redevelopment.

Of the 12 key pitch sites referenced above, seven are prioritised for improvement; this will have an impact on the quality of a total of 21 pitches. In addition, the new site at Smallhythe Road, which has the potential to deliver two full size pitch equivalents, should be prioritised.

Local consultation confirms the limitations of existing poor quality pitches and it is recommended that this is addressed.

Eight priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by the PPS and ratified by local partners. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites in poor condition that are, or offer the potential to be, well utilised and reflect the strategic focus to improve football participation.

Of the 12 key grass pitch sites in Ashford with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance) 11 have suitable changing rooms and one requires a replacement clubhouse.

The potential new site at Smallhythe Road will also require a new build pavilion and should be an investment priority.

In addition, ancillary provision will be required to service the proposed Discovery Park and Finberry Park 3G FTPs.

Four priority projects for 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.

Local consultation does not, at this point, indicate that any indoor facilities require improvement to develop small sided football.

Local consultation does not indicate that, at present, any MUGAs are required to develop small sided football.

Following local consultation, and assisted by the Sport England green spaces mapping tool one location is identified to support small sided informal football. This is a popular local park with suitable space to increase provision for informal football.

A range of local agencies and larger (usually 10 plus team) local football clubs were invited to participate in the LFFP consultation. Those that contributed are listed below:

• Charing FC - Secretary
• Park Farm Rangers FC - Secretary
• Pilgrims FC - Trustee and Secretary
• Wye Juniors FC - Secretary
• Kennington Juniors FC - Vice-chairman
• Tenterden Tigers FC - Chairman
• Biddenden Village Halls and Sports Committee - Chairman
• Ashford Borough Council - Senior Planning & Enforcement Officer
• Ashford Borough Council - Principal Urban Designer
• Ashford Borough Council - Facility Development Manager
• Kent Sport - Funding and Partnerships Manager
• Tenterden Town Council - Town Clerk
• The Norton Knatchbull School - Development and communications Manager
• Relationship Manager - England Hockey
• Ashford FC - Chairman
• Ashford FC - Operations Manager
• Mersham Sports Club - Club Secretary
• Charlton Athletic Community Trust - Director of Education and Sport
• Biddenden Juniors FC - Chairman (via survey)
• South Ashford Football Club - Chairman (via survey)
• Wittersham - Secretary (via survey)
• Stanhope and Beaver Rangers - Chairman / Secretary (via survey)
• Brewmaster High Halden FC - Secretary (via survey)
• Ashford Ladies FC - Secretary (via survey)
• Woodchurch FC - Chairman (via survey)