Local Football Facility Plan Chelmsford

Demographics for the area can be seen below:

Local authority

Chelmsford City Council’s Health and Wellbeing Plan (2022) seeks for the district to be a place where:

• The physical environment in which people live will improve their health and wellbeing
• Children grow up to reach their full potential and are happy
• Older people feel valued and supported in their local communities
• People have access to good employment and work opportunities
• People stay healthy and enjoy life and have the resilience to cope with life's changes
• People can expect to enjoy good health, whatever their social or economic circumstances
• People are connected to their communities and each other

The Health and Wellbeing Plan complements 'Our Chelmsford Our Plan' which sets out broader plans for Chelmsford over future years, including a:

• Healthy and active Chelmsford, which:
  • Encourages people to live well
  • Promotes health and activity
  • Reduces social isolation,
  • Makes Chelmsford a happier place to live, work and play
• Connected Chelmsford, which:
  • Brings people together
  • Empowers local people
  • Works in partnership to build community capacity, stronger communities and secure investment into the city

The Local Football Facility Plan supports many of the ambitions of these plans by identifying opportunities to invest in improvements to, or new provision, which supports communities across Chelmsford to engage in physical activity and benefit from the social connections which football activities are able to provide. The projects listed, and the programmes of use to be delivered across the identified priority sites, therefore contribute to the vision for Chelmsford.

The local authority has a Playing Pitch Strategy in place; this was adopted in 2016. The key findings and stated overarching priorities are to:

• There is a desperate need for more AGPs both for training and, increasingly, for matchplay to help deal with wet weather, and increased demand leading to wear and tear.
• There are geographical hotspots of demand where access to pitches is extremely problematic.
• The quality of changing facilities at some sites requires attention.

Due to the age of the existing Playing Pitch Strategy, the LFFP reconsiders priority projects based on current affiliated team numbers, and through the capture of current information from stakeholders and club surveys to determine the most appropriate current priorities.

County Football Association

Chelmsford is covered by the Essex 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 Delivery 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. The Regional Facility Planning Manager (FPM) will lead and be responsible for all aspects of strategic planning and will lead on refreshing of LFFPs.

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). Both the West Ham United Foundation and Chelmsford City FC Football in the Community run a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities within the local area.

Local leisure operator

Chelmsford City Council is the key leisure operator in Chelmsford. It currently operates key sites including four sports centres, two 3G FTPs and a significant number of grass pitches, including 26 across its key sites of Melbourne Park, Springfield Hall Park, Chelmer Park and Beaulieu Park.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Chelmsford. The agencies consulted include:

• Chelmsford City Council
• Essex County FA
• Active Essex
• Local football clubs
• National Governing Bodies of sport, including:
  • England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
  • England Hockey
  • The Rugby Football Union (RFU)
  • The Rugby Football League (RFL)

Local consultation took place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in the original LFFP. As part of the refresh process a survey was sent via the County FA to all football clubs in the area. Furthermore, it is a requirement that all projects that move through to application phase undertake detailed community engagement to ensure that facilities fully serve the communities they are being designed for.

Clubs

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. Chelmsford has a total of 511 teams.

Survive. Revive. Thrive is the FA Grassroots Football Strategy 2020-2024. To deliver the goals for male and female football, there must be a vibrant, best-in-class club network around the country. The FA will work to encourage as many clubs as possible to achieve FA-Accredited status, assuring quality in everything they offer, including ever-safer and stronger player pathways. This will be coupled with a commitment to improve the quality of thousands of pitches up and down the country, with a particular focus on grass pitches.

Over the last 10-years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Chelmsford, 12 clubs have more than 10 registered teams. The largest of these (based upon 2022-23 affiliation data) are:

• Springfield FC - 67 teams
• Chelmsford City FC - 42 teams
• Galleywood FC - 39 teams
• Writtle Minors FC - 36 teams
• South Woodham Ferrers United FC - 36 teams
• Broomfield FC - 36 teams
• Woodham Radars FC - 35 teams
• Baddow Spartak FC - 21 teams
• Wilvale Rangers Youth FC - 21 teams
• Runwell Sports FC - 18
• Danbury & Bicknacre Youth FC - 14 teams
• Uplands Rangers FC - 13 teams

Leagues

A large number of leagues have coverage in Chelmsford. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including youth and adults. Note: leagues are provided county wide, and therefore cater to additional teams outside of Chelmsford.

Chelmsford's largest local leagues (2022-23) include:

• Echo Junior Football League - 819 teams - home and away
• Brentwood Community Football Alliance - 759 teams - home and away
• Blackwater & Dengie Youth Football League - 467 teams - home and away
• Eastern Junior Alliance - 271 teams - home and away
• Essex Veterans League - 137 teams - home and away
• Prokit UK Essex Olympian Football League - 67 teams - home and away
• Chelmsford Sunday Football League - 62 teams - home and away
• Mid Essex Football League - 59 teams - home and away
• County Motor Works Vauxhall Mid Essex Football League - 50 teams - home and away

The County FA reports that there is significant cross boundary migration in Chelmsford due to teams migrating outwards to the Brentwood Community Football Alliance.

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 Chelmsford there are eight football teams / sessions specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to grow this provision. For talented players the FA runs regional centres and England national squads.

Women and girls

The FA had big ambitions for women and girls football and managed to double levels of participation between 2017 and 2020. To achieve this required a combined effort across four pathways: education, recreation, competition and talent. Despite achieving this ambitious target more places to play are still required for women and girls. The focus now is to give all girls equal access to football by 2024 and this will be a key objective of any facility investment. The FA’s four-year strategy, titled Inspiring Positive Change, pledges to create a sustainable future for women’s and girls’ football in England. The strategy outlines eight transformational objectives to be achieved by 2024, the following across grassroots football:-

• Early Participation – Every primary school-aged girl to have equal access to football in school and in clubs.
• Development Participation – Every girl to have equal access to participate for fun, for competition and for excellence.
• Club Player Pathway – Collaborate with clubs to develop an effective high-performance, inclusive player-centred pathway.
• Football For All – Recruit and support a motivated, diverse range of local leaders organising football for their communities.
• Coaching – Support the development of exceptional coaches at every level of the game who are representative of our society.
• Refereeing – Ensure that every female referee afforded high-quality bespoke learning and development opportunities from grassroots through to the elite game.

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. Chelmsford has eight FA Wildcats girls football centres, and the priority is to continue to grow this activity.

There are 47 female teams in Chelmsford, and 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 Essex County Girls' League in which matches are played on a home and away basis. The local adult female league is the Essex County Women's Football League in which matches are also played on a home and away basis. It is expected to grow women and girls' provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is the Essex County Regional Talent Centre which is located in Colchester. 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 West Ham United Ladies 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:

• Powerplay – Melbourne 3G, South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre
• Soccer Sixes – Great Baddow High School

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 five FA Just Play centres in Chelmsford. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Chelmsford City FA and Writtle Walking Football. Walking football and Just Play are County FA priorities for further growth and development. Other local recreational football programmes include pro-club community scheme activity / casual bookings which are delivered by a range of organisations including Chelmsford City FC.

The key strengths of local football in Chelmsford include mini soccer, youth male and adult male provision, and significant growth in female football participation. It is recommend that this is sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, further opportunities for development of key areas have been identified through steering group consultation.

It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for Chelmsford are:

1. Establishing stronger disability player pathways, inclusive of regular fixture opportunities.
2. Sustaining Wildcats programmes and growth of female mini-soccer provision.
3. Developing a network of recreational opportunities outside of the affiliated game; for males, females and disabled participants.

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

Each priority 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. 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
• Off pitch and ancillary facilities (e.g. toilets, changing rooms, catering)
• Small sided facilities

To ensure a consistent and high quality approach, each local area has been 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.

Existing full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTPs in Chelmsford include:

• Chelmer Valley High School
• Melbourne Park
• Moulsham High School
• South Woodham Leisure Centre

Additionally, there are currently seven small-sided 3G FTP centres in Chelmsford:

• Beaulieu Park
• Chancellor Park
• Great Baddow High School
• Moulsham High School
• Sandon School (x2)
• Westlands Community Primary (x2)
• Writtle Sports and Social Club

Chelmsford has a PPS undertaken in 2016. Due to the age of the PPS, the subsequent development of several 3G FTPs and the significant growth in the number of affiliated teams, the demand for full sized 3G FTPs has been calculated using the FA training ratio model 1:38.

On the basis that there are 511 teams in Chelmsford, there is a requirement for 13.5 full sized 3G FTPs. There are currently four full sized 3G FTPs in Chelmsford and there is thus a shortfall of 9.5 full sized 3G FTPs.

There are also nine small-sided 3G pitches in Chelmsford, however, as the pitches at Westlands Community Primary are not floodlit (and unlikely able to be floodlit due to their location), these have been discounted as community use facilities. With seven small-sided pitches remaining available, the LFFP Steering Group agreed that the shortfall position with regard to full size 3G FTPs should be reduced to eight.

Five pitches 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 pitches are assessed and placed on the register to enable more match play on 3G.

The geographic spread of existing facilities is even; there is no clear absence of facilities located around the key population areas.

Local consultation reveals no common issues with high pricing, however lack of availability of 3G pitches due to existing facilities being fully booked is a recurring theme identified through club consultation. More than half of the clubs responding to the consultation (representing over 165 teams) identified a need for greater access to 3G pitches for training and expressed that access to facilities is a barrier to growth; the feedback therefore supports the shortfall position identified.

Supplementary to the current shortfall of eight pitches, the proposed North East Chelmsford Garden Community (NECGC) will generate additional future demand for additional sports facilities. It is anticipated this will include two 3G pitches with supporting ancillary facilities. As the facilities will be driven by the future NECGC demand, it is expected they will be delivered via the planning system, and are therefore not an identified priority for the LFFP.

The FA has seen unprecedented growth over the last five years, particularly in the youth and women & girls game. Overall participation is estimated to grow year on year, equating to an additional 180 teams in the local authority by 2030, of which 74 will come from women and girls. This could represent the equivalent of up to five additional 11v11 3G FTPs.

Allowances will be made for in the LFFP for ancillary provision for each pitch if needed, however this is subject to the final agreed location of any additional future provision and an assessment as to whether there are existing suitable facilities available. This is displayed as a future participation growth project below.

Eight priority projects for potential investment are identified. Each was selected based upon a rationale of good access, high population, geographic spread, existing facility quality and needs identified through club consultation.

The Football Foundation is on a mission to transform the quality of grass football pitches across England, because great facilities enhance physical and mental wellbeing, strengthen communities and empower people. The quality of football pitches is a huge issue for community football; 150,000 matches were postponed due to poor pitches during the last full football season. We are therefore on a mission to improve 20,000 grass pitches across England.

The Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund is a £21m fund that provides eligible clubs and leagues with a tapered six-year grant to help them sustain pitches already at a 'good' level and enhance pitches that are either considered 'poor' or 'basic'. In order to be eligible, clubs and leagues must use the PitchPower app to assess their pitches. This provides a detailed assessment report with recommendations on improving the quality of grass pitches. The PitchPower app is available to all pitch owners as a way to assess grass pitch quality and gain access to grass pitch improvement recommendations. See Football Foundation | PitchPower

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.

Through the use of PitchPower we are able to identify the demand for investment into new or additional machinery and equipment and see this as an important step towards sustainability for the voluntary sector. Ensuring clubs and leagues can maintain their own sites, supplemented by contracted out major works (e.g. aeration) is potentially a more cost effective approach in the long term.

While the education sector (23.8%) and local authorities (51.8%) are still the principal asset owners of grass pitches and have the heaviest reliance for affiliated matches, clubs / leagues own or maintain an increasing share and we will continue to prioritise investment into sites that are maintained by clubs or leagues.

PitchPower has allowed all club owned and leased sites to apply for funding to improve grass pitch maintenance. In Chelmsford, Sandon Sports & Social Club (Baddow Spartak) and Writtle Sports & Social Club (Writtle Minors Youth FC) have received this funding and the aim now should be to get the pitches up to the 'good' standard and work to sustain them.

Remaining sites eligible for funding should be prioritised for completion of PitchPower assessments with a view to submissions for Grass Pitch Maintenance Funding. These include:

• The Runwell Hospital Sports & Social Club (Runwell Sports FC)
• Chelmer Park (Galleywood FC)
• Broomfield FC
• Priory Fields (Danbury & Bicknacre FC)

Enhanced quality at these four sites would result in quality improvements to 29 pitches.

The Beaulieu Park School is a key grass pitch site within Chelmsford, which previously hosted Uplands Rangers as their home venue. The pitch conditions have been identified as unsuitable, preventing their use, and action should be taken to reinstate use of these facilities for the benefit of local clubs.

There are five local authority pitch sites which have been assessed by PitchPower and are identified as requiring improvements, and it was determined that all of these should be prioritised. This will result in quality improvements to 41 pitches.

Nine priority projects for potential investment have been identified. The pitch quality rating was evidenced by PitchPower where available, supplemented with inclusion of sites identified as eligible to undertake such assessments with a view to progressing a Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund application.

Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites in the poorest condition which provide multiple pitches and were therefore deemed to provide a significant impact upon a greater number of teams and participants.

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 19 key grass pitch sites in Chelmsford with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance), 13 sites have suitable changing rooms, whilst nine sites require improvement/replacement. These are:

• Chancellor Park
• Clarks Field
• Lodge Road
• Melbourne Park
• Old Chelmsfordians Sports and Social Club
• Runwell Football Club
• Saltcoats Park & Compass Gardens
• Writtle Sports and Social Club
• Writtle University College Sports Ground

Furthermore, should the proposed grass pitch site at Warren Farm progress a future 3G project, suitability of ancillary facilities should be assessed to ensure they are sufficient to cater for increased footfall. A potential refurbishment project is therefore listed to enable consideration if deemed necessary.

The FA has seen unprecedented growth over the last five years, particularly in the youth and women & girls game. Overall participation is estimated to grow year on year, equating to an additional 180 teams in the local authority by 2030, of which 74 will come from women and girls. This could represent the equivalent of up to five additional 11v11 3G FTPs.

Allowances will be made for in the LFFP for ancillary provision for each pitch if needed, however this is subject to the final agreed location of any additional future provision and an assessment as to whether there are existing suitable facilities available. This is displayed as a future participation growth project below.

Ten 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, the audiences and the various facility types they relate to.

Research suggests that small-sided players in teams and leagues, and in organised 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.

Whilst our priorities will always be football led, we believe Small sided facilities provide a good opportunity to collaborate with other sports to deliver high quality spaces for people to play recreational sport. This will be achieved via our PlayZones Programme:

Football Foundation PlayZone Programme

PlayZones are modern, safe, and engaging facilities that are designed for recreational football and at least one other sport. There are a range of facility types to meet the needs of different sports.

Through this programme we want to address stubborn inequalities in activity levels and access to sports facilities within four priority groups:

• Lower socio-economic groups
• Women and girls
• Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions
• Ethnically diverse communities

Our research also shows us that when it comes to small sided facilities one size does not fit all and localised design and ownership will yield the greatest engagement from under represented groups. Activation is also as important as the facility itself for these groups. This section of the LFFP will concentrate on suitable places for PlayZones.

Suitable places will be identified through a combination of mapping, to include identification of our priority groups and crossover with other multi-sport priorities. Further community engagement will be required for design and delivery. Where some engagement has already been carried out projects will appear in the project list.

All projects will then need to be developed by a cross sector consortium where partners who understand and represent the people and the place come together to drive the project forward and create access and opportunities for priority groups.

Our research shows us that community engagement is the key to developing great small sided facilities and that we shouldn't try and identify sites without first identifying two key things:

• Key priority places within the local authority
• Key priority groups within the local authority

Once these two things are identified local community engagement is required to identify potential sites for investment. In Chelmsford, the starting point for priority places, identified through stakeholder engagement around deprivation and inactivity, is:

• St. Andrews Ward
• Westlands
• Chelmsford Central
• South Woodham Ferrers

The key priority groups in Chelmsford are:

• Lower socio-economic groups
• Women and girls
• Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions

This priority group of places and people will be ratified throughout the process and the next step is to now begin community engagement to help identify where the specific sites are that will help to tackle inequalities and provide spaces for activity. Some sites identified through early conversations, and those that need testing through community engagement, are below:

1. Melbourne Park
2. Savernake Park
3. Admiral Park
4. Saltcoats Park and Compass Gardens

A range of local agencies and local football clubs were invited to participate in the LFFP consultation. Those that contributed are listed below:

• Essex County FA
• Chelmsford City Council
• Sport England
• Active Essex
• National Governing Bodies of Sport, including:
  • England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
  • England Hockey
  • The Rugby Football Union (RFU)
  • The Rugby Football League (RFL)
• Baddow Athletic FC
• Boreham FC
• Central Baptist Church FC
• Chelmsford City FC
• Chelmsford City Ladies FC
• Chelmsford City Walking FC
• Galleywood Youth FC
• Great Leighs Youth FC
• Priory Sports (S) FC
• Runwell Sports FC
• Sands United Essex FC
• South Woodham Ferrers United FC
• Sporting Club Woodham FC
• United Chelmsford Churches FC
• Uplands Rangers FC
• Wilvale Rangers FC
• Woodham Radars YFC