Local Football Facility Plan Lewisham

Lewisham is in the Greater London region.

The current population of the authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 301,867. This is expected to rise to 362,110 by 2039.

Lewisham is ranked tenth out of 33 LAs in the region, and 26 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

The ethnic composition of Lewisham is highly diverse. People classified as white account for 53.53% of the population (as compared to the national average (85.4%) while the proportion of Lewisham’s population represented by the BAME community is 47.47%. which is significantly above the national average (14.6%).

Local authority

A number of current strategic polices, strategies and factors influence current and future supply and demand for sport and recreation facilities in LB Lewisham. As well as providing the context for future facility provision, e.g. health improvement, improving accessibility, increasing participation, these strategies provide opportunities to link priority areas and needs, and ensure that outcomes are aligned with identified local objectives. The relevant strategies and policies include:

• Lewisham Local Plan (2018 – 2033)
• London Plan (2018 – 2036)
• Thames Gateway Kent Partnership (TGKP)
• Site Allocations Local Plan
• Lewisham Town Centre Local Plan
• Development Management Local Plan

The Local Plan is currently in development phase. Consultation on the Plan is taking place with various stakeholders. In relation to sport and recreation facilities it outlines the following objectives - to:

• Support and allow site allocations to meet existing and forecasting demand by ensuring development is supported by appropriate facilities to meet local demand.
• Ensure that all community facilities are located in places that are or will be accessible by a range of modes of transport.
• Enter into joint venture arrangements where co-funding is considered to be the best and most cost-effective means of delivering services
• (Create) an active and connected community - which is about ensuring that residents and businesses have the local infrastructure and services that give them greater choice about how they access services. It is important that people have access to community facilities and that they are inclusive and accessible to everyone.

The Authority's draft PPS was developed in 2018. The key initial findings and stated overarching priorities are that, in general, the quality of grass provision is reasonably good; 24% of all sites were scored as good, 68% standard and 7% poor. The strategy highlights that spatially, standard and poor quality sites are evenly distributed throughout the borough. However, a number of the sites rated standard are close to having a poor rating particularly if maintenance procedures are not continued.

The PPS indicates a shortfall of two full-sized (11v11) 3G FTPs, although this is based on the FA training demand model of 1:42, not the one that is now being applied - 1:38 (38 teams using one full size FTP for training on a weekly basis).

LB Lewisham also has a recently developed Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) Strategy designed to improve access to, and the quality and supply of, MUGAs across the borough. The site by site analysis therein has been used as an evidence base to inform this report.

County football association

Lewisham is covered by the London 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 Millwall Community Trust runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities in the local area.

Local leisure operator

There are two main leisure operators for community football facilities in Lewisham. Fusion Lifestyle operate Bellingham Leisure Centre which has facilities including one 7v7 3G FTP and three full size equivalent grass pitches. It also operates The Bridge Leisure Centre (which has one 7v7 3G FTP). In addition 1life operates Downham Leisure Centre which has a small sided sand-based AGP which is well used for recreational football.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Lewisham. 19 individuals (representing 14 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• LB Lewisham
• Ten-Em-Bee Sports Development
• New Cross Gate Trust
• Lewisham Sports Consortium
• Bonus Pastor College

(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. LB Lewisham has a total of 134 teams, which is lower 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 Lewisham, one club has more than 10 registered teams. The largest of these (based upon 2017-18 affiliation data) are:

• Ten-Em-Bee Sports Development Centre (Youth) - 16 teams
• Lewisham Tigers (Youth)- 9 teams
• HF Sports Paulista (Youth)- 7 teams
• AFC Lewisham - 6 teams
• Caribb (Youth) 1994 - 5 teams
• FD United - 5 teams
• Lewisham Lionhearts (Youth) - 5teams
• Youth Football Club (YFC) Vista – 5 teams

Leagues

Two leagues operate in Lewisham. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including male youth and adults. While there are no specific league opportunities for women & girl's within Lewisham, there is however suitable provision provided in neighbouring Bromley.

Lewisham's largest local leagues (2017-18) include:

• Metropolitan Sunday League 36 teams – home and away
• Tandridge Youth League – 91 teams– home and away

The County FA reports that there is some cross boundary migration in Lewisham due to teams migrating outwards to the Bromley area.

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 Lewisham Millwall Community Trust deliver pan disability sessions across the borough. 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. Leiwsham has one FA Wildcats girls football centre and the priority is to grow this activity.

At three, Lewisham's number of female teams is lower than 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 London County Saturday Youth League and matches are played on a home and away basis. The league is expected to sustain its provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Greater London Womens Football League and matches are played on a home and away and the league is expected to grow its provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) are Millwall FC and Charlton Athletic FC which are located in Bermondsey and New Eltham respectively. 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 West Ham 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

• St Dunstan's Enterprises (St Dunstan's Jubilee Ground)
  

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 no futsal teams in Lewisham. It is a priority for the County FA 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 is currently one FA Just Play Centres in Lewisham. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisations. Walking football and Just Play formats that the County FA has prioritised for sustained growth.

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 Lewisham is played across the borough. Blackheath and Beckenham Park Place are key site locations that are heavily used.

The key strengths of local football in Lewisham include adult and youth male provision and it is recommended that this is sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist that are lower than local authorities of a similar size, these include youth female and futsal.

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

1. To increase the number of Wildcats centres
2. To increase the number female teams
3. To increase the provision of female leagues
4. To increase the number of Just Play sessions
5. To increase Futsal provision within the borough

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 in Lewisham. 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 has been 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 national ‘Mini Pitch’ programme delivers small 3G FTPs at primary school sites to provide a high quality introduction to football and get children more physically active. While mini pitches are reviewed in this section, they are not included in the demand and supply analysis for 3G FTPs.

There is currently one full-sized (11v11) 3G FTP in Lewisham - at Prendergast Ladywell School. It was resurfaced in 2014 and received Football Foundation funding for this work. This site currently has community access; the majority of time available is taken up either with daytime curriculum based usage or, at evenings and weekends, commercial pay and play bookings.

There are 12 small-sided 3G FTPs in Lewisham:

• Prendergast Vale (one 5v5)
• St Dunstans Jubilee Ground (seven 5v5)
• Millwall Lions Centre (one 5v5)
• Bellingham Leisure Centre (one 7v7)
• The Bridge Leisure Centre (one 7v7)
• Deptford Green School (one 7v7)

Lewisham is also home to a significant number of multi sport AGPs and MUGAs. These are heavily used in for recreational football. As noted above, the Authority PPS identifies a shortfall of two full-sized 3G FTPs to service affiliated training demand. For the purposes of LFFP development, demand for full-sized 3G FTPs has been calculated applying FA 3G demand modelling. This identifies that demand for recreational football is higher than that for the affiliated game. Based on the FA model, there is an assessed shortfall of eight full-sized 3G FTPs (or equivalents)

The PPS identifies Deptford Park, Bellingham Leisure Centre, Downham Leisure Centre, Sydenham High School and Haka Sports Complex as potential sites for 3G FTP development. Each of these sites is identified as a priority project within this plan.

All of the abovementioned 3G FTPs are available for community use. No sites are currently on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (which would mean that they had been quality checked and were suitable for use for football match play). It is strongly recommended that the full size FTP at Prendergast Ladywell School, along with the 7v7 sized FTPS at Bellingham Leisure Centre, The Bridge Leisure Centre and Deptford Green School are assessed and placed on the Register to enable more match play on 3G. Due to land constraints in Lewisham it is challenging to find and secure space for FA match play compliant 3G FTPs. Nonetheless, it is strongly recommended that any future 3G FTP developments (full size and/or small sided) are assessed and placed on the Register to enable more match play on 3G.

By way of a backdrop, it is important to note that Lewisham is experiencing significant planned regeneration and housing growth. Currently, the geographic spread of existing facilities is uneven and there are provision gaps across the borough which faces universally high levels of population density and corresponding high levels of deprivation. Gaps in provision are especially prevalent in the North and South of the Authority area and local consultation confirms the limited availability and opportunity for match play on 3G. The recommendations in this plan are designed to address this.

Six priority projects for potential investment are identified. Whilst these do not meet the identified full-sized 3G FTP shortfall (based on recreational demand) it is recommended that future iterations of the plan address this if and when land/development opportunity becomes available. Proposed sites will go some way to address provision gaps and in cases will serve areas with high population, density and substantial deprivation.

A number of the identified projects are identified as either/or options, as feasibility appraisals to determine the best locations are still required:

There are currently 15 grass pitch sites in Lewisham with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than 3 pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 60 grass pitches. Of these sites. five were considered to have good quality pitches, and ten are of standard quality.

Local consultation confirms common issues with poor quality and (reportedly) poor maintenance regimes. Of the 15 key pitch sites referenced above, eight are prioritised for improvements. This will affect the quality of a total of 35 pitches.

Nine priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced in the PPS and ratified by local partners. Site prioritisation is based upon the rationale of selecting sites that are, or have the potential to be, well-utilised and reflect the strategic focus of the borough on increasing participation:

Of the 15 key grass pitch sites in Lewisham with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but of strategic importance) 12 sites have suitable changing rooms while three require improvement/replacement.

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 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 reveals that there are no indoor facilities that require improvement to develop small sided football.

Six potential opportunities for MUGAs are identified. In each case the rationale is based on the site being in an area with limited recreational provision and high local demand for informal football.

As noted earlier in this plan, LB Lewisham has a MUGA Strategy which aims to improve quality and supply across the borough. It provides a site by site analysis which has provided an evidence base for this report.

Following local consultation, and assisted by the Sport England green spaces mapping tool three locations are identified to support small sided informal football. Here, the rationale is based on locating provision at popular local parks and/or open green spaces with suitable space/areas to increase 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:

• Area Director (London & South East) - StreetGames
• Community Assets Manager - LB Lewisham
• Chairman - Lewisham Sports Consortium
• Chairman - Lewisham Tigers
• Chairman - FD United
• Chairman - Ten-Em-Bee Sports Development Centre
• Cultural Development Manager - LB Lewisham
• Football Development Manager - Amateur Football Alliance
• Football Development Manager - Millwall Community Trust
• Football Development Officer - London Football Association
• Head of Delivery - London Football Association
• Principal - Bonus Pastor Catholic College
• Project Manager (Beckenham Park Place regeneration) - LB Lewisham
• Relationship Manager - London Sport
• Secretary - Forest Hill Park FC
• SGM Strategic Service Planning and Business Change (Children & Young People) - LB Lewisham
• South East Parakeets Football Club (survey response)
• Sports Development Manger - Glendale Services
• Strategy & Partnerships Manager - New Cross Gate Trust