Local Football Facility Plan Fylde

Fylde is in the North West Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2018 Mid-Year Estimate) is 79,770. This is expected to rise to 83,685 by 2039.

Fylde is ranked 34 out of 39 LAs in the region, and 222 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

Fylde's ethnic composition is primarily white (97%). This is higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Fylde’s population represented by the BAME community is 3%. This is below the national average (14.6%)

Local authority

The adopted Fylde Local Plan (to 2032) focuses on sustainable development through three dimensions: social, economic and environmental. The environmental aspect focuses on ‘contributing to protecting and enhancing the natural, built and historic environment; and, as part of this, helping to improve biodiversity, use natural resources prudently, minimise waste and pollution, and mitigate and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon economy.’ There are cross cutting themes throughout the Fylde Local Plan; these include promoting health and wellbeing, equality, viability, achieving good design and sustainability. Chapter 11 expresses the importance of greenspace for people’s health and wellbeing, and therefore the need to retain and expand (where opportunity arises) existing greenspaces.

The Authority Playing Pitch Strategy was produced in 2016 and is, thus, in imminent need of an update. Its key findings and stated overarching priorities were to increase the supply of 11v11 3G FTPs, improve the quality of grass pitches focusing especially on large multi-pitch sites used by larger clubs and to ensure that changing and pavilion provision is of the required format and quality to meet the demands of users at key strategic sites.

The draft Fylde Healthy Living Supplementary Planning Document notes that the population of Fylde is aging and it's higher than the average in other authorities. It also acknowledges that the health impact of limited physical activity cost to the Fylde Borough per year is approximately £1,620,106, based on the cost of treating the five major diseases that can be attributed to people being inactive (Sport England Cost of Inactivity by Local Authority). This is important to football in that it highlights not only a need to engage the young population typically playing competitive or league football, but that there is also a considerable opportunity to engage the adult or older population through football.

County football association

Fylde is covered by the Lancashire 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 AFC Fylde Community Foundation runs a variety of health, education, engagement and football within the local area.

Local leisure operator

YMCA is the key leisure operator in Fylde. It currently runs three key sites:

• YMCA Lytham - 5v5 3G FTP, three grass football pitches, sports hall
• YMCA St Annes - sports hall
• YMCA Ansdell - full size artificial grass pitch, sports hall

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad set of community groups in Fylde. Thirteen individuals (representing ten local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• Fylde Borough Council
• AFC Fylde Community Foundation
• St Annes Juniors
• Lytham St Annes YMCA FC

(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. Fylde has a total of 160 teams, which is fewer than 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 Fylde, five clubs have more than 10 registered teams. They are (based upon 2018-19 affiliation data):

• St Annes Juniors - 32 teams
• AFC Fylde - 32 teams
• Lytham St Annes YMCA - 17 teams
• Lytham Juniors - 17 teams
• Kirkham Juniors - 16 teams

Leagues

Nine leagues serve clubs and teams in Fylde. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including women and girls, youth and adults. While there is no specific league opportunity for disability football in Fylde, suitable provision is made in neighbouring Preston. Fylde is adjacent to larger towns including Blackpool and Preston and, as a consequence, the majority of the teams that train in Fylde tend to migrate to neighbouring authorities for match play. The largest of these (2018-19) include:

• Poulton and District Primary League – 287 teams – home and away fixtures and central venue at multiple sites
• Central Lancashire Junior Football League – 220 teams – home and away fixtures
• Mid Lancashire Colts Junior Football League – 218 teams – home and away fixtures and central venue

The County FA, thus, reports significant cross boundary migration to/from Fylde due to teams playing in the Poulton & District Primary League, Mid Lancashire Colts JFL and the Central Lancashire JFL.

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 Fylde there is one football team / session specifically for people with a disability at Lytham St Annes YMCA. 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. Fylde has one FA Wildcats girls football centre and the priority is to grow this activity.

At 14, Fylde’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 West Lancashire Girls Football League in which matches are played on a home and away basis. It is expected to grow provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Lancashire FA Women’s County League. It too plays matches on a home and away basis is expected to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Blackburn Rovers. 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 teams are Manchester City FC and Manchester United FC, with Blackburn Rovers FC also competing in the FA Women’s Championship. Collectively, these clubs provide 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. The key local provider is Mill Farm Sports Complex.

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.

There are currently three futsal teams in Fylde that play in the Fylde Coast Futsal League at key site locations including Blackpool Sports Centre (Blackpool). It is a priority for the County FA to grow futsal for all male, female, 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 are currently no FA Just Play Centres in Fylde. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisations such as AFC Fylde Community Trust, along with leisure providers such as YMCA. Walking football and Just Play are areas that the County FA has prioritised 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 Fylde is played particularly in parks and open spaces and at village sites owned and operated by parish councils, for example Elswick.

The key strengths of local football in Fylde include strong club participation and though there are fewer clubs, these accommodate a large number of teams at dedicated venues. It is recommended that this is sustained and encouraged to grow further. It is recommended that the future football development priorities for Fylde are to:

1. Invest in and develop grass pitches at key hub multi-pitch sites.
2. Develop and refurbish changing room and flexible space facilitites.
3. Identify small sided recreational facilities to grow recreational forms such as walking football and young people interaction.
4. Develop 3G FTPs in key geographic areas of the Borough, which will benefit growth of all formats of the game.

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

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 Fylde. 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.

There is one full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTP in Fylde - located at Mill Farm Sports Complex in Kirkham along with a small-sided 3G FTP centre at the same complex; this has six 5v5 3G FTPs.

In addition Fylde Rugby Club has a small-sided (60m x 40m) 3G FTP which, as well as providing for rugby union use, is used by football teams for training.

The Fylde 2016 PPS indicates a requirement for three full-sized 3G FTPs. Based on 2018/19 season demand, there is a current requirement for four. Given that there is just one in the Borough, this represents a shortfall of three.

Blackpool Council is seeking to develop two new 3G FTPs at Common Edge Road as part of its plans to mitigate the proposed loss of the existing onsite pitches to development of the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone. Proposals are to relocate some grass pitches to neighbouring land (which lies in Fylde Borough), with the additional development of two new 11v11 3G FTPs (within Blackpool) on part of the existing Common Edge Road site. The local authority border intersects the two portions of the identified footprint for the new re-provided facilities.

Development of two full-sized 3G FTPs in mitigation would provide team training capacity beyond that which is required to service demand in Blackpool and it was agreed via consultation in/with both local authorities that it would be most appropriate to address 3G FTP shortfalls in the North West Fylde area at this proposed new development. The majority of demand on the North West Fylde border is exhibited by St Annes Juniors, based at Blackpool Road North Playing Fields, just 1.5 miles from the Common Edge Road site; these facilities would, thus, be more easily accessible than most other sites in Fylde.

The 3G FTP at Mill Farm Sports Complex is available for community use and is on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning it is quality checked and can be used for football match play).

Self-evidently, the geographic spread of existing facilities is uneven with the only existing full-sized facility being in Kirkham. There are, thus, key provision gaps in the Lytham, St Annes and Lytham St Annes areas which have substantial population levels and team demand. The projects proposed in this plan are suggested on the basis of their capacity to start to address these gaps.

At this point, two priority projects for potential investment are identified. Both were selected upon the basis of them being able to tackle the key provision gaps noted above:

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 Fylde with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 31 grass pitches. Of these sites, two are considered to have good quality pitches and eight have standard quality pitches.

There are plans in place to install a dedicated drainage system at Staining Millennium Recreation Field, to be undertaken without Football Foundation grant funding support. Furthermore, the Council is also working to resolve an existing drainage issue across the site at Blackpool Road North Playing Fields which is impacting on pitch quality.

Local consultation confirmed this situation and did not unearth any other major issues. Of the ten sites referenced above it was determined that seven of these should be prioritised. This will result in quality improvements to 21 pitches:

Seven priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by PPS and ratified by local partners. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites that had the most pitches and that were best-utilised.

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 ten key grass pitch sites in Fylde with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance), six have suitable changing rooms and four require improvement/replacement. Park View Road Playing Fields has no pavilion but, as outlined below, a solution for this could be created at Lytham Town.

The main user at Park View Road Playing Fields is Lytham Juniors; the junior section of Lytham Town which is based adjacent to this facility. There is a key need for new changing provision at Lytham Town (which has one adult and one mini grass pitch). The suggestion is, thus, that the changing provision at Lytham Town is replaced at a scale which enables it to service the pitches on both sites (and both sections of the Club) rather than creating a new smaller stand-alone changing room on the Park View Road site.

Four 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 one opportunity to develop new indoor football provision in the Borough. AFC Fylde Community Foundation highlights that the quality of most school sports halls is not adequate and that access is often difficult. It believes that better indoor provision is required for the delivery of its community programmes, particularly one well suited for disability football and participants. Such a facility may also lend itself well to futsal use both community driven and that resulting from AFC Fylde community and education programmes. The Foundation has specific aspirations around the development of Powerchair football which would require a specific facility with chair storage capacity.

Local consultation indicates a potential opportunity for the improvement of one existing MUGA at Ashton Gardens. This is based on the site being in an area of significant population with limited green space, near to the seafront and close to the local railway station offering good access. AFC Fylde Community Foundation states that were the MUGA of better quality with fencing, it would wish to deliver some of its community programmes onsite.

Following local consultation, the Council identified South Park (Lytham) as a potential opportunity to support small sided informal football. This would be a facility on a local park which connects two densely populated areas of housing and acts as a throughfare between them. The park has an existing playground and is next to a primary school and school playing field so there the potential to also attract use by the school.

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

• Head of Facilities & Investment - Lancashire FA
• Football Development Officer - Lancashire FA
• Engagement Manager - Football Foundation
• Planning Manager - Sport England
• Sports Development Officer - Fylde Borough Council
• Tourism and Cultural Services Manager - Fylde Borough Council
• Head of Parks, Leisure and Cultural Services - Fylde Borough Council
• Director of Community Development - AFC Fylde Community Trust
• St Annes Juniors
• Lytham St Annes YMCA FC
• Kirkham Juniors
• Lytham Juniors
• Fylde Coast Futsal Club