Local Football Facility Plan Cherwell

Cherwell is in the South Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 149,161. This is expected to rise to 157,575 by 2039.

Cherwell is ranked 32 out of 67 LAs in the region, and 256 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

Its ethnic composition is primarily white (92%). This is higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Cherwell’s population represented by the BAME community is 8%. This is below the national average (14.6%)

Local authority

Cherwell Council has an adopted local plan for the period 2011-31 which sets out a vision focusing housing growth around its main settlements of Banbury (c.7,000 new houses) and Bicester (c.10,000 new houses).

The Authority Playing Pitch Strategy was published in 2018. This found that over 50% of football training takes place on artificial grass. However, due to the current lack of full sized 3G FTPs within the Authority this primarily takes place on sand based/dressed pitches. A priority was stated to provide additional 3G FTP space in each of Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington, with the priority being the Banbury Town area.

County football association

Cherwell is covered by the Oxfordshire 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 Oxford Utd Community Trust runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities within the local area.

Local leisure operator

Legacy Leisure is the leisure operator in Cherwell. It currently runs sports centres in Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in (Cherwell). 14 individuals (representing 11 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• Cherwell District Council
• Banbury Town Council
• Kidlington Parish Council
• A range of local affiliated football clubs.

(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. Cherwell has a total of 291 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 Cherwell, 11 clubs have more than ten registered teams. The largest of these (based upon 2019-20 affiliation data) are:

• Easington Sports - 25 teams
• Kidlington Youth - 25 teams
• Banbury United - 24 teams
• Bure Park Juniors - 18 teams
• Bloxham - 15 teams
• Chesterton - 14 teams
• Banbury Irish Association - 13 teams
• Heyford Park - 13 teams
• Launton - 11 teams
• Bicester Town Colts - 10 teams
• Hook Norton Juniors - 10 teams

Leagues

18 leagues cater for clubs and teams in Cherwell. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including women and girls, disability, youth and adults. The most locally signficant of these leagues (2019-20) are:

• Oxfordshire Youth League – 87 Cherwell teams, 572 in total – home and away and central venue events at multiple sites
• Witney & District Youth League – 84 Cherwell teams, 231 in total – home and away and central venue events at multiple sites
• Oxfordshire Girls League – 26 Cherwell teams, 112 in total – home and away and central venue events at multiple sites
• Banbury District & Lord Jersey FA – 26 Cherwell teams, 37 in total – home and away
• Oxfordshire Senior Football League – 14 Cherwell teams, 35 in total – home and away

Disability football

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 Cherwell there are four football teams plus one session 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 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. Cherwell has four FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow this activity.

At 30, Cherwell’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 Oxford Mail Girls League in which matches are played on a home and away and central venue basis. It is expected to grow its provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Thames Valley Counties Women’s League, Its matches are played on a home and away basis and it too is expected to grow its provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Oxford United Women. 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 Reading Women 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

• Leisure Leagues – Blessed George Napier School
• Leisure Leagues – North Oxfordshire Academy
• Leisure Leagues – Whitelands Farm Sports Ground
• Soccer Sixes – Kidlington Leisure Centre
• Powerplay – Bicester Leisure Centre
• Powerplay – Kidlington Leisure Centre

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 three futsal teams in Cherwell play in the Wycombe Futsal League at key site locations including Heyford Park Free School. A youth futsal league was established in March 2020 to provide competitive playing opportunities for U7-U15 at a number of sites across the county.

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 three FA Just Play centres in Cherwell. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Banbury United Football Club and Bure Park Juniors. 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 and casual bookings delivered by a range of organisations including Oxford United in the Community and Banbury United in the Community.

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 Cherwell is played throughout the local authority. Whitelands Farm Sports Ground is a key, well-used site location.

The key strengths of Cherwell are club football, women and girls and small-sided provision. It is recommended that these are sustained and encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist, these include women and girls football in Banbury and rural areas, adult male flexible and recreational football and disability recreational. It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for Cherwell are to:

1. Grow girls football via Wildcats and club football
2. Grow mid-week flexible and recreational adult male football
3. Develop disability recreational and club football across the area
4. Grow mid-week female opportunities through recreational and small sided provision

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

Additionally, 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 in Cherwell. 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.

There is one full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTP in Cherwell at Whitelands Farm, Bicester. It is 135m x 78m and is a venue which is shared with rugby. The site is available for community use and is on the FA Register for 3G FTPs.

The Cherwell (2018) PPS, based on 2016/17 FA data indicated that new 3G FTPs should be developed in Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington , with the priority being the Banbury Town area.

There are, at present provision gaps in/around the main settlements of Banbury (demand for two additional full size FTPs), Bicester (demand for one additional full size FTP) and Kidlington (demand for one additional full size FTP). With the prospect of significant housing growth alongside a number of teams confirming the limitations to train and stage matches on 3G, it is recommended that this is addressed.

Also , it should be noted that Oxfordshire FA would welcome the opportunity to relocate its office facilities to a 3G hub location in order to maximise potential football development outcomes at such a site.

There are opportunities to address the shortfall across the three priority settlements via existing or potential CIL / section 106 contributions as follows.

Banbury -

• 'Banbury 12' local plan allocated site for new secondary school and joint use full-sized 3G FTP which could be linked to the relocation of Banbury Utd FC.
• Easington Sports FC via development of existing facilities or sale and re-provision.
• North Oxfordshire Academy via planning obligation to deliver full-sized 3G FTP. This will involve a link to Banbury Irish FC.
• Hanwell Fields - Banbury Town Council owned site with potential for linked investment to indoor tennis centre.

Bicester

• No specific sites identified.

Kidlington -

• Site adjacent to Stratfield Brake (potential multi-sport 3G hub site prioritised in PPS)

Four priority 3G projects for potential investment are identified; in each of the three priority areas of Banbury (2 x 3G FTP requirement), Bicester and Kidlington resulting in a total of four additional full size 3G FTPs . Given the range of existing potential site options, a further process of prioritisation and feasibility will be required to determine which sites should be progressed for consideration in respect of the potential receipt of Football Foundation funding.

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 ten grass pitch sites in Cherwell with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance. These contain 32 grass pitches.

Local consultation confirms the common issues of poor pitch quality and it is recommended that this is addressed.

Three sites are prioritised. This will result in quality improvements to 10 pitches.

Three priority projects are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by PPS and ratified by local partners. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites with pitches in poor condition which will, when upgraded meet local demand .

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 key grass pitch sites in Cherwell with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance), seven have suitable changing rooms, two require improvement/replacement and one has no facilities and requires a new changing room.

Three 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.

Whilst no specific projects are identified in respect of indoor facilties, PPS work has identified the defunct aircraft hangers at Upper Heyford as having potential for development. Sport England has flagged potential for climbing and indoor cycling as well as Futsal. This should be considered as a medium term possibility in respect of futsal development.

Consultation with Cherwell DC, Banbury Utd FC, and Oxford Utd Community Trust has identified several neighbourhood locations in Banbury and Bicester where an improvement in small sided facilities may aid delivery of targeted informal football and Just Play programmes. Identified neighbourhood locations are as follows.

Banbury

• Moorfields & Chandos Park Banbury (Grimsbury Ward).
• Princes Diana Park – (Neithrop Ward).
• Peoples Park – (Ruscote Ward).

Bicester

• Keble Road – Bicester East ward – delivering informal football provision.

Kidlington

• Exeter Hall Park

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:

• Senior Community Infrastructure Officer - Cherwell DC
• Community Infrastructure Partner - Cherwell DC
• Sport and Physical Activity Manager - Cherwell DC
• Representative - Banbury United Youth Football Club
• Representative - Banbury United FC
• Representative - Kidlington Youth Football Club
• Representative - Launton Football Club
• Representative - Bure Park Juniors FC
• Representative -Easington United FC
• Representative - Heyford Park FC
• Representative - Chesterton Football Club
• Clerk - Kidlington Parish Council
• Clerk - Adderbury Parish Council
• Parks and Recreation Manager - Banbury Town Council