Local Football Facility Plan Copeland

Copeland is in the North West Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2018 Mid-Year Estimate) is 68,424. This is expected to fall to 62,672 by 2039.

Copeland is ranked 18 out of 39 LAs in the region, and 77 out of 317 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

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

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

Local authority

Copeland BC is currently developing a new Local Plan to cover the period up to 2035. The vision set out in the existing Local Plan is that 'by 2028, Copeland will be an economically and socially sustainable, well connected and environmentally responsible place of choice'.

Copeland BC is currently updating its Playing Pitch Strategy. It is due to be completed in Autumn 2020.

Building on the Local Plan evidence base and subsequent spatial framework planning, Copeland BC is currently preparing bids to the Governments Future High Streets Fund in respect of Whitehaven) and Towns Fund in respect of Millom and Cleator Moor.

County football association

Copeland is covered by the Cumberland and Lancashire County FAs. They provide governance for, and development support to, all aspects of local football including coaches, referees, volunteers, clubs and leagues; supporting football for all. Both have designated facilities investment lead officers who work 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 Copeland .

Local leisure operator

There is no single leisure operator for community football facilities in Copeland, with responsibility being shared across the local authority, GLL (at Cleator Moor Activity Centre), schools and clubs in the case of the 3G FTP at Whitehaven FC.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Copeland. 21 individuals (representing 21 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• Copeland Borough Council
• Millom Health Action Group
• A range of local affiliated 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. Copeland has a total of 161 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 Copeland, eight clubs have more than ten registered teams. These (based upon 2019-20 affiliation data) are:

• Whitehaven AFC - 42 teams
• Cleator Moor Celtic - 19 teams
• Moor Row FC - 19 teams
• Millom AFC – 15 teams
• St Bees FC - 14 teams
• Windscale FC - 12 teams
• Bransty Rangers Juniors – 10 teams
• Whitehaven Miners Social - 10 teams

Leagues

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

• Egremont & District Sunday League – 8 teams in Copeland – home and away
• West Cumbria Youth League – 118 teams in Copeland– home and away / central venue
• Cumberland County League – 8 teams in Copeland – home and away
• Cumberland Veterans League – 5 teams in Copeland – home and away
• Cumberland FA Women’s League – 3 teams in Copeland – home and away
• The Cumberland Ability Counts League – 9 teams in Copeland – central venue
• Cumberland FA Flexi League – 4 teams in Copeland – central venue

The County FA reports some cross-boundary migration to/from Copeland, in the case of disability football primarily due to the teams playing in the Cumberland Ability Counts League in Carlisle. There is also migration in respect of the Furness Premier League where teams from South Copeland Play in and the Barrow and District Junior 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 Copeland there are five football teams / sessions run specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of both the County FAs 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. Copeland has two FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow this activity.

At 13, Copeland’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 of them to develop and offer playing opportunity 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 expects to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Clubs (RTC) are Durham Wildcats and Blackburn Rovers RTC . 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 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. A key local provider is Soccer Sixes at Whitehaven AFC.

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 73 affiliated futsal teams in Copeland play as part of the winter provision within the West Cumbria Youth League at key site locations including St Bees School Sports Hall. It is a priority for the County FA to further grow futsal for youth and adult 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 is currently one FA Just Play centre in Copeland. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as GLL at Whitehaven Sports Centre. Walking football and Just Play are priorities for further growth and development for both county FAs. Casual bookings where users who play on a turn up and play basis are available at other sites across the area.

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 is played across the whole of Copeland, particularly in rural areas where there is not dedicated football provision.

The key strengths of local football in Copeland include strong mixed mini soccer and youth football provision along with girls provision. It is recommended that this is sustained and encouraged to grow further. However, provision gaps include U18 football , entry level female mini soccer and the adult male game as well as disability youth and adult provision.

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

1. Grow provision for entry level female teams at U7
2. Continue delivering flexible approaches to adult male provision
3. Double female participation
4. Increase levels of accessibility to disability football at grassroots clubs
5. Further grow youth futsal provision
6. Further develop recreational alternatives including Walking Football and flexi formats.
7. Enhance the accessibility and potential of investment for dedicated 3G facility in South Copeland and the wider Furness area (Lancs FA)
8. Continue to see investment and engagement with the FA Pitch Improvement Programme

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

In addition, priority projects that progress 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 Copeland. 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 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.

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

• St Benedicts High School (Campus Whitehaven)
• Whitehaven AFC

In addition, there are currently three small-sided 3G FTP centres located at:

• Cumbria Sport Academy (four 5v5)
• Egremont Rugby Union Football Club (two 5v5)
• St Benedict's Rugby Union Football Club (two 5v5)

Copeland is currently undertaking a PPS; this is due to be completed in Autumn 2020. Scenario planning related to 3G FTPs from the completed PPS strategy should be used alongside the completed LFFP to inform project feasibility and delivery by the two county FAs and the Football Foundation.

On the basis that there are 161 teams in Copeland, there is a requirement for four full sized 3G FTPs. There are currently two and there is, thus, a shortfall of two. In addition to this identified shortfall the full sized 3G FTP at Whitehaven AFC will require replacement within the period covered by the LFFP. Both the existing full-sized facilities are available for community use and are on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning they are quality checked and can be used for football match play).

They are also both located in the north of the borough at Whitehaven. There is, thus, a provision gap in the south of the Authority area and in its main southern settlement of Millom.

Local consultation confirms the limited availability of 3G provision for training and matchplay and the recommendations made in this plan are designed to address this.

Three priority projects for potential investment are identified. These comprise a generic South Copeland project (with a site option identified at Millom School involving conversion of the existing sand based AGPs to 3G), the refurbishment of the existing 3G FTP at Whitehaven AFC, and a generic North Copeland project.

In respect of the sand based conversion at Millom school presented as an option for South Copeland, whilst England Hockey has been consulted, the PPS should ultimately provide a full strategic assessment as to current and future needs for hockey in Copeland and therefore offer definitive direction on the strategic case for conversion. Millom school is selected on the basis of it's capacity to service an area of the authority that is currently not catered for.

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 eight grass pitch sites in Copeland with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 18 grass pitches.

In respect of the Council's current PPS needs assessment, pitch quality ratings (once agreed) should be incorporated in future versions of the LFFP which may identify additional pitch improvement needs.

Local consultation confirms the issues faced in respect of poor pitch quality.

Of the eight sites referenced, five have been prioritised. This will result in quality improvements to 13 pitches.

In addition, consultation with Bransty Rangers JFC highlighted a need for improved site security and storage at Bransty Playing Field. It is recommend this be explored with the club, with a view to a potential small grants application.

Five priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by club and local consultation. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites with pitches that are in poor condition which reflect the Authority's strategic focus to improve pitches which cater for club play.

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 eight key grass pitch sites in Copeland 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, one requires improvement/replacement and two have no facilities and require new provision.

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.

Local consultation indicates that, at present, no indoor facilities require improvement to develop small sided football. Consultation did however identify that new indoor school sports facilities are to be developed at Whitehaven Academy. The proposed sports hall may present a potential opportunity to be specified (and marked out) to cater for futsal use.

Local consultation indicates three potential opportunities for MUGA development; two generic small sided facilities in the Whitehaven area, and one identified for Millom Park. In each case the rationale is based on the site catering for an area with a significant local urban population, a relatively high proportion of people from lower social economic groups and corresponding high local demand 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:

• Representative - Cleator Moor Celtic FC
• Representative - Whitehaven Miners Welfare
• Representative - Bransty Rangers
• Representative - Whitehaven AFC
• Representative - St Bees
• Representative - Windscale
• Representative - Millom St James
• Representative - Haverigg United (Survey)
• Representative - AFC Bootle (Survey)
• Representative - Millom FC
• Head of Facilities and Investment - Lancashire FA
• Football Development Manager - Cumberland FA
• Engagement Manager - Football Foundation
• Deputy CEO - Active Cumbria
• Secretary - Cumberland County League
• Secretary- West Cumbria Youth League
• Principal Strategic Planner - Copeland Borough Council
• Partnership Manager - GLL
• Area Manager - Cumbria County Council
• Representative - Millom Health Action Group
• Headteacher- Millom School