Local Football Facility Plan Hounslow

Demographics for the area can be seen below:

Local authority

The Council's Local Plan (2015-2030) commits it to protecting and improving the provision of play spaces and outdoor sports facilities to meet the diverse needs of the Borough's population, both now and in the future.

The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (2017) states that the Borough "should support positive health lifestyle behaviours and promote physical activity, use of play areas, open space and recreational facilities to raise physical and mental well being in all age groups".

The Local Authority has a PPS in place; this was adopted in 2017 and approved by cabinet in 2018. Despite recent investment, there is still insufficient accessible and secured community use of football provision to meet the current demand of football clubs in the Borough. A shortfall of 3G FTPs is also identified. Given that the PPS is now five years old there are plans to redo the PPS, however it has been annually reviewed as part of the Stage E process and data checked each year. Once complete the LFFP should be reviewed again to ensure alignment with the new PPS and both the LFFP and PPS should be reviewed annually with Sport England and the other NGBs as best practice.

Hounslow Council’s new Corporate Plan has an ambition for a greener, healthier, cleaner, thriving, safer, liveable Hounslow. The plan promotes increased physical activity for all through building awareness and engagement of healthy activities. The priorities and actions proposed as part of the new Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy include a commitment to increase the number of people being physically active, especially those at higher risk of long-term conditions, underrepresented communities in sports, leisure and physical activity programmes. The current Data Hub provides a further indication of priority health needs in Hounslow using the most recent census data alongside a soon to be updated Physical Activity Needs Assessment.

County Football Association

Hounslow is covered by the Middlesex 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 as detailed in their three-year strategy, Leading From the Front. The County FA has a designated facilities investment lead officer, as well as a facilities investment officer, who work to ensure the right facilities are located in the right locations.

The Amateur Football Association (AFA) also covers Hounslow and has teams playing within the Local Authority.

Football Foundation

The Regional Delivery Manager and Regional Technical Project Manager at the Football Foundation work collaboratively with the County FA to provide pre-application support to priority projects for potential investment.

Sport England

Has a network of planning managers who have a statutory role in the planning system to protect playing fields and provide consultation responses to planning applications relating to sporting facilities . They also play a key role in strategic planning for sports facilities, providing advice and support to local authorities to assess need for facilities in their local area.

Professional community club organisations (CCOs)

These offer a variety of programmes and services to support local communities (sporting and non-sporting). Both the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust and the Chelsea Foundation run a variety of education, engagement, football and sporting activities in the local area.

Local leisure operator

Hounslow's Leisure facilities are operated by Lampton 360 (a wholly owned Council company) to include five leisure centres and an indoor and outdoor sports facility at Osterley Sport and Athletics centre. The group are also responsible for day to day management of Green Lane Sports Club. GLL operate Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub site (Hounslow) which includes a sports centre, two 3G FTPs and grass pitch facilities. The site is managed in partnership with Ealing Council.

Local consultation

Local consultation took place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in the original LFFP. As part of the refresh process a survey was sent via the County FA to all football clubs in the area.

Clubs

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. Hounslow has a total of 329 teams.

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

Over the last 10-years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Hounslow, six clubs have more than 10 registered teams. Two of these clubs; Hampton & Richmond and Elite Magic, have a number of teams playing within the Borough but the parent club is based outside of Hounslow - this demonstrates the need to consider cross border migration when planning investments. The largest of the clubs (based upon 2021-22 affiliation data) are:

• Bedfont Eagles - 26 teams
• Isleworthians FC - 20 teams
• Hampton & Richmond Borough Youth - 17 teams
• CB Hounslow United Youth FC - 14 teams
• Elite Magic FC - 12 teams
• Chiswick Youth Meadonians - 12 teams

Leagues

17 leagues operate in, or service teams from, Hounslow. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including women and girls, youth and adults. While there are no specific league opportunities for disability within Hounslow, suitable provision is made in neighbouring Hillingdon.

Some of the larger local leagues catering for clubs and teams from Hounslow include:

• Surrey Youth League
• Middlesex Youth Football League
• Middlesex County League

All of the above operate on a home and away basis.

The County FA reports that there is significant cross boundary migration to/from Hounslow due to teams affiliating to and playing in leagues in Surrey.

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.

The FA’s three-year strategy titled Football Your Way, outlines key areas to help develop, improve and raise awareness of Disability Football in England from 2021-2024.

In Hounslow there are three football teams/sessions specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to support the recovery of disability provision to pre-Covid-9 participation levels and grow from there. For talented players the FA runs regional centres and England national squads.

Women and girls

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

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

Education environments have a huge impact on the first experience of football for young girls. This pathway can offer many opportunities for females of all ages to develop and grow a lifelong interest in football.

The UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 was a history making event, with Hounslow playing a key part as a host city. Alongside host cities across the country, a London Legacy Programme was developed in partnership with Brent and Ealing, with the following objectives:-

• Equal access for girls to play in schools and clubs
• Diverse workforce in local communities
• Inclusive environments for women and girls in football

The FA Girls’ Football School Partnerships supported by Barclay’s, play a pivotal role in building a sustainable infrastructures of schools committed to developing the girls’ game. In Hounslow, the Super Hub is led by Sport Impact (Isleworth and Syon School) who engage with schools across the borough to work toward two main objectives;

1. 90% of schools offering football participation opportunities for girls by 2024
2. 75% of schools offering football in the curriculum for girls by 2024

Weetabix Wildcats and Squad Girls’ Football providers offer regular recreational football for girls aged 5-11 and 12-14 respectively. These programmes play a key part in offering football opportunities for girls trying football for the first time or those that don’t want to play competitively. There are currently five Weetabix Wildcats and four Squad Girls Football providers in Hounslow.

Hounslow has 17 female teams playing affiliated football across the borough. The local girls’ league is the Capital Girls League in which matches are played on Saturdays with both home and away and central venue fixtures. It is expected to grow its provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Greater London Women's Football League; its matches are played on a home and away basis and it too is expected to grow in future years.

The implementation of Girls’ Emerging Talent Centres (ETC) for the 2022/23 season has created greater opportunities for girls aged eight to 16 to access the talent programme. Brentford Community Sports Trust have been awarded an ETC licence which is delivered at Gunnersbury Park. The most local Women’s Super League team is Chelsea Women's FC 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:

• Powerleague Sunbury-on-Thames
• Goals Gilette Corner
• Lampton Leisure, Heston
• Hounslow Council Cruyff Court - Brentford Towers

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 and casual pitch hire for small-sided match play. There is currently one male Just Play session in Hounslow.

As part of the UEFA Women’s EURO Legacy Programme, five recreational football opportunities have been set-up within the borough for women. These are delivered by the following organisations with support from Middlesex FA; Age UK Hounslow, Afghan & Central Asian Association, Brentford Community Sports Trust, Indian Gymkhana and Street Soccer.

Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Feltham Walking Football Club at Powerleague, Feltham. Walking football and Just Play are County FA priorities for further growth and development.

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 Hounslow is played across the borough.

Significant improvements have been made to improve St Pauls Recreation Ground MUGA Brentford , Ivybridge Housing Estate Isleworth and Redlees Park in Isleworth. Investment in a similar multi-sport facility will take place at Lampton Park in Hounslow. These are free to use community spaces and usually a hard wearing macadam surface.

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. Futsal provision is provided as part of the new Football Hub development at Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub.

The key strengths of local football in Hounslow is male affiliated provision and women’s recreational opportunities (as part of the London Legacy Programme) and it is recommended that these areas are sustained and encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist and there are areas for priority growth, this includes youth female affiliated football which is expected in line with the positive growth of youth female recreational football and disability provision, with the aim of returning to pre-Covid-19 participation levels.

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

1. Youth female football
2. Disability football
3. Male recreational football

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

Each priority project that progresses to a funding application via the Football Foundation will produce a detailed ‘site development plan’ specifying all football development activity, usage and key partner engagement.

This section reviews existing football facility assets. It identifies current issues and presents opportunities for improvements, including a list of priority projects for potential investment.

Local assets and opportunities have been reviewed in line with four investment priorities:

• 3G FTPs
• Improved grass pitches
• Off pitch and ancillary facilities (e.g. toilets, changing rooms, catering)
• Small sided facilities

To ensure a consistent and high quality approach, each local area has been reviewed applying a standard approach, supplemented by input from consultation with local partners and stakeholder organisations.

While each investment priority is reviewed individually, it is understood that they can be inter-reliant; account is, thus, taken of these potential connections.

3G FTPs are a high quality and indispensable part of modern football facilities; their impact cannot be underestimated. In recent years the industry has seen major innovations and improvements to artificial surfaces (and sports lighting). This has created playing surfaces that replicate a good standard natural turf pitch whilst significantly increasing levels of use (x20). All FTPs must have sports lighting to achieve this.

The high quality, consistent playing surface is the ideal environment to play the game and for young people to learn. With regular maintenance programmes, FTPs can be heavily used all year round with no decline in quality. They almost completely negate annoying fixture cancellations during winter months, helping football to be a key part of a regular physical activity habit.

High capacity levels offer a great opportunity to embrace all formats and engage all participants. A full-sized 3G caters for an average of 1,200 participants per week and is suitable for various location types. That means being fully inclusive to all sections of the community, with a particular focus on under-represented groups such as women and girls, people with a disability, BAME communities and people from lower socio-economic groups.

The way 3G FTPs are used is rapidly changing; current line-marking systems allow for match play across all formats of football (5v5, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11). This enables significant levels of match-play to be transferred from grass to 3G.

There are eight existing full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTPs in Hounslow. These are located at:

• Bedfont Sports Recreation Ground
• Cranford Community College (indoor)
• Grasshoppers Rugby Club
• King's House Sports Ground
• Isleworth and Syon School for Boys
• Springwest Academy
• Gunnersbury Park (x2)

In addition, ten sites provide small-sided 3G FTPs:

• Beavers Community Primary School
• Bedfont Sports Recreation Ground
• Chiswick School
• Cranford Community College
• Goals Soccer Centre
• Heston Pools and Fitness
• Marlborough Primary School
• Powerleague
• Rocks Lane Multi-Sports Centre
• The Blue School C of E Primary School

Six of the eight full sized 3G FTPs are readily available for community football use; the pitch at Cranford Community College is not considered to be available as it is primarily reserved for use by QPR FC, whilst the pitch at Grasshoppers Rugby Club is primarily used for rugby. All six of the available pitches are on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning they are quality checked and can be used for football match play). With the relocation of QPR to a nearby local site, plans for usage of the existing indoor 3G facility at Cranford Community College are under review. Brentford Towers in Brentford now hosts a new small sided Cruyff Court as a result of a partnership with the Cryuff Foundation.

The FA's training ratio model (1:38) suggests there is an overall need for 8.5 full sized 3G FTPs in Hounslow, this is a slight increase from 8 identified in the PPS due to an increase in team numbers. This means, when provision at Cranford Community College and Grasshoppers Rugby Club is discounted, there is a current shortfall of 2.5 pitches . There is also an aspiration to install 3G FTPs at Feltham Arena Parklands. This site was selected given its wider development plans and based upon a rationale of good access, high population and potential usage, however this and Rectory Farm projects are some years away from delivery and the steering group agreed that alternative sites should be considered to accommodate shortfalls.

The FA has seen unprecedented growth over the last five years, particularly in the youth and women & girls game. Overall participation is estimated to grow year on year, equating to an additional 142 teams in the local authority by 2030, of which 47 will come from women and girls. This could represent the equivalent of up to four additional 11v11 3G FTPs.

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

Demand for 3G is in the West Area of the Authority and focus on finding suitable sites should be centred around this area. Further feasibility will be required for any potential sites identified and all options will need to be considered in the round, including the consideration of cross border migration from potential users. Each was identified based upon a rationale of good access, high population, geographic need and existing scope for development. The LFFP identifies a need for at least two 3G FTPs based on the current PPS but this should be revisited once the new PPS is delivered.

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

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

The key challenge is to create a sustainable approach to provide good quality football pitches for the long term. Most local authorities (78%) intend to increase pitch hire fees in the future. However, the majority of players (63%) believe facilities are already expensive and some (16%) believe prices are prohibitive. A sustainable solution should, therefore, carefully balance pitch quality and affordability.

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

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

From the time of the original LFFP the introduction of PitchPower Football Foundation | How it works has allowed all Club owned and leased sites to apply for funding to improve grass pitch maintenance. In Hounslow three of the six eligible sites have applied for this funding and the aim now should be to get the pitches up to the 'good' standard and work to sustain them. Clubs that have accessed the funding to improve pitches are:

• Hanworth Villa (Rectory Meadow)
• Bedfont Sports FC (Bedfont Sports Ground)
• Chiswick Youth Meadonians (Dukes Meadow/Riverside Lands Playing Field)

Sites/clubs eligible to apply for funding to improve their sites that have not yet accessed funding for pitch improvements are:

• Lampton School (Isleworthians Youth)
• The Memorial Ground (Isleworthians Youth)
• Cranford Community College (Various teams)

The priority now is to concentrate on those local authority owned/managed sites that require improvements and agree sustainable solutions for pitch maintenance going forward. The first step is to ensure that all pitches have a baseline quality assessment done via PitchPower. There are three key pitch sites and it was determined that all of these should be prioritised for improvements. This will result in quality improvements to 10 pitches.

It should be noted that in addition to the sites below there are two other sites which present huge opportunities to provide grass pitch provision for clubs should they be developed in the future (they are not currently used for football). These are:

• Feltham Arena Parklands - Consideration for this as part of the park masterplan and an opportunity to provide new provision which could include small sided and/or full size 3G FTP(s) and grass pitches to be reviewed as part of the Masterplan.
• Rectory Farm - a proposed new site with planning approval; 110 acres of open space for community use. Potential therefore to develop new pitches within the wider development.

Three priority projects for potential investment have been identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by PitchPower or the PPS and ratified by local partners. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites in the poorest condition and that are most well 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 key grass pitch sites with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance) four sites have suitable changing rooms and one site requires improvement/replacement.

One of the four changing room projects identified in the last LFFP has seen improvements to the changing facilities, this is Boston Manor Park, and two sites have been removed as current projects as they are sites for future delivery; Feltham Arena Parklands and Rectory Farm (see grass pitch section for details).

The FA has seen unprecedented growth over the last five years, particularly in the youth and women & girls game. Overall participation is estimated to grow year on year, equating to an additional 142 teams in the local authority by 2030, of which 47 will come from women and girls. This could represent the equivalent of up to four additional 11v11 3G FTPs.

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

One priority project for potential investment is identified:

Good facilities are important to all small sided football players, but it is important to understand the different formats of the small-sided game, the audiences and the various facility types they relate to.

Research suggests that small-sided players in teams and leagues, and in organised recreational sessions, prefer a 3G surface type because it replicates a good standard natural turf pitch. These facilities have already been covered in the 3G FTP section of this LFFP.

Indoor environments currently accommodate 20% of football participation and are also popular with players in teams and leagues and recreational sessions . Indoor sports halls are most popular, along with some community halls and indoor 3G centres. Environments need to be engaging, have clear line-marking and the correct size goalposts.

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

Football Foundation PlayZone Programme

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Heston
• Hanworth
• Feltham (Bedfont)
• Isleworth
• Brentford

The key priority groups in Hounslow are:

• LSEG
• Children and young people
• Inactive people
• Women and girls
• Disabled people

The priority group of places and people will be ratified through consultation and the next step is to now begin community and key stakeholder engagement to help identify where the specific sites are that will help to tackle inequalities and provide spaces for activity. Some sites identified through early conversations, and will need testing through community engagement. The project is expected to engage key stakeholders though the set up of a coalition.

A range of local agencies and local football clubs were invited to participate in the LFFP consultation. In Hounslow all affiliated Clubs in the Borough were invited to participate, those that participated include:

• Old Berkhamstedians F.C.
• London Welsh F.C.
• Hanworth Sports F.C.
• AFC Brentford
• Feltham Panthers FC
• Brentford Women F.C.
• Bedfont Eagles F.C.
• Bedfont Sports Club F.C.
• Bedfont Sunday F.C.
• CB Hounslow United F.C.
• Civil Service F.C.
• Old Meadonians F.C.
• Hanworth Villa F.C.
• Old Isleworthians F.C.