Local Football Facility Plan Havant

Havant is in the South Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2018 Mid-Year Estimate) is 122,200. This is expected to rise to 136,514 by 2039.

Havant is ranked 14 out of 67 LAs in the region, and 133 out of 317 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

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

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

Local authority

The Havant Council Corporate Strategy (2017-2022) vision is for the communities of Havant to be increasingly prosperous, vibrant and active. To achieve this, one of the key objectives is to ensure that all leisure facilities and open spaces are accessible, encouraging all residents and visitors to be more active.

The Authority Playing Pitch Strategy was adopted in 2018. It states that there are four full sized 3G FTPs plus one small sided facility and that there is no calculated 3G FTP shortfall. In addition, there is a current under supply across all grass pitch types particularly youth 11v11 and mini soccer.

County Football Association

Havant is covered by the Hampshire 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). There is no active CCO in Havant.

Local leisure operator

Horizon Leisure is the leisure operator in Havant. It currently runs two leisure facilities; Havant and Waterlooville Leisure Centre. There are no football facilities linked with this site.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a range of community groups in Havant. Eight individuals (representing eight local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• Havant Council
• A range of football clubs
• Wecock Farm Big Local

(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. Havant has a total of 171 teams, which is comparable to local areas of a similar size.

The FA is investing to support clubs both on and off the pitch which includes an aim to have a qualified FA coach with every youth team by 2020/21. In addition, it will support 1,000 clubs to create full player pathways from youth to adult teams and develop 150 community football hubs with male and female pathways, disability and recreational playing opportunities.

Over the last ten years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Havant, seven clubs have more than 10 registered teams. These (based upon 2019-20 affiliation data) are:

• Berewood Panthers- 11
• BSS Portsmouth - 15
• Cowplain - 11
• Denmead Youth- 14
• Havant & Waterlooville Youth - 26
• Hayling St Andrew- 13
• Widbrook United - 27

Leagues

Three main leagues cater for clubs and teams in Havant offering competitive opportunities for youth and adult males. These are:

• Mid Solent Youth League- home and away
• Portsmouth Youth League- home and away
• Meon Valley League- home and away

Female and disability league provision is delivered on a county basis.

The County FA reports that there is some cross boundary migration to/from Havant due to teams playing in a range of wider than local authority area leagues in the county.

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 Havant there is currently no football team / session specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to initiate and 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. Havant has one FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow this activity.

At seven, Havant’s number of female teams is low compared 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 Hampshire Girls 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 Hampshire County Women’s League. Its matches are played on a home and away basis and it also expects to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Southampton. 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 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- South Downs College

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 is currently no affiliated futsal team in Havant . It is a County FA priority to grow futsal for all 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 three FA Just Play centres in Havant (two walking and one female 'find your feet' session). Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Havant and Waterlooville FC.

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 Havant is played at a number of key parks in the Authority including, notably, Havant Town Park and Hayling Park.

The key strengths of local football in Havant include adult male and youth football and it is recommended that this is sustained and encouraged to grow further. However, gaps include women and girls, disability, recreational and futsal opportunities. It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for Havant are to:

1. Sustain male youth and adult football
2. Increase the number of womens and girls teams.
3. Initiate and grow futsal within the Authority.
4. Increase the number of Just Play centres.
5. Initiate and then support the development of disability opportunity.

The facilities required to assist this are now set out in the Assets and opportunities section. Priority projects that progress to become a funding application via the Football Foundation produce detailed ‘site development plans’ specifying all football development activity, usage and key partner engagement.

This section reviews existing football facility assets in Havant. 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 four full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTPs in Havant are located at:

• South Downs College
• Cowplain School
• Warblington School
• Front Lawn Community Hub

The one small sided facility (a 9v9 3G FTP equivalent to 0.75 of a full sized pitch) is at Park Community School. In summer 2020 a new stadia 3G was installed at Havant and Waterlooville FC (Westleigh Park) without FF funding. Community use of the site is currently unknown.

The Havant PPS (2018), concluded that there is no current shortfall of provision.

All five pitches listed above are both available for community use and on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning they are quality checked and can be used for football match play).

The geographic spread of existing facilities is even; with the mainland well served, however, there is no provision on Hayling Island and it is recommended that this is addressed.

Local club consultation supports this, with both Hayling United and Hayling St Andrew both having to travel north to access 3G provision. Clubs also highlighted the high level of demand from clubs in Portsmouth looking to access facilities in Havant. Their use of venues reduces availability for local clubs. This is, in part, a consequence of the significant shortfall of 3G provision in Portsmouth, which the City's LFFP will address.

One priority project for potential investment is identified. As discussed above, the rationale is to ensure that all key areas of the Authority have access to 3G provision. Currently there is no provision on Hayling Island, and this proposal will address this.

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 12 grass pitch sites in Havant with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These sites contain 32 grass pitches. Of these, according to the PPS, one is considered to have good quality pitches and 11 are of either standard or poor quality.

Of the 12 key pitch sites referenced above it was determined that all 11 sites with pitches rated as standard or poor should be prioritised. This will result in quality improvements to 28 pitches:

11 priority projects for are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by the PPS and ratified by local partners as part of the LFFP consultation process.

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 12 key grass pitch sites in Havant with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance), eight have suitable changing rooms and four need to be upgraded and/or improved.

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 that, at present, no indoor facilities require improvement to develop small sided football.

Four potential opportunities for MUGAs are identified. In each case the rationale is based on the site being in an area of relatively high proportions of people from lower social economic groups where there is corresponding high local demand for informal football. Sites are also linked with organisations which can potentially animate them and deliver local programmes. These agencies include the Wecock Farm Big Local which could deliver programmes at the Hobby Close Field (Acorn Centre).

Local consultation indicates that, at present, no parks and open green spaces require improvement to develop small sided 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:

• Havant Borough Council
• Widbrook United FC
• Berewood Panthers
• BSS Portsmouth
• Havant & Waterlooville Youth
• Community First
• Hayling Tigers FC
• Wecock Farm Big Local