Local Football Facility Plan Medway

Medway is in the South East Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 277,855. This is expected to rise to 324,726 by 2039.

Medway is ranked 11 out of 67 LAs in the region, and 119 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

Medway's ethnic composition is primarily white (90%). This is higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of its population represented by the BAME community is 10%. This is below the national average (14.6%)

Local authority

The emerging Local Plan forms part of the Council’s policy context. It provides the spatial direction for Medway’s growth aligned to the overarching ambitions for the area. Medway Council is committed to providing the civic leadership to achieve the area's potential as a successful vibrant modern city that celebrates its heritage and close links to the river and countryside, and where all residents can share in opportunities to improve their lives, health and wellbeing.

The Authority Playing Pitch Strategy is due for completion in late 2019. The key findings and stated overarching priorities are that , when taking into account future population growth to 2035 there is likely to be an under supply of adult football pitches, with a marginal shortfall of youth pitches. In respect of 3G FTPs, there is an assessed shortfall of nine, again driven largely by predicted future housing growth.

County football association

Medway is covered by the Kent 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 Gillingham FC Community Trust runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities within the local area.

Local leisure operator

Leisure facilities in Medway are operated in-house by the Authority. The stock includes 3G FTP facilities at Strood Leisure Centre.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Medway . 14 individuals (representing 12 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• Arches Big Local
• Medway Norse
• Medway Sunday Football League

(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. Medway has a total of 478 teams, which is higher 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 ten years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Medway, 13 clubs have more than 10 registered teams. These (based upon 2018-19 affiliation data) are:

• Anchorians – 76 teams
• Chatham Town Youth - 17 teams
• Cuxton 1991 - 17 teams
• Hempstead Valley - 20 teams
• Hollands And Blair - 20 teams
• Medway Town - 14
• Medway United - 16
• Pegasus 81 - 11 teams
• Rainham 84 Youth - 10 teams
• Real 60 Youth - 14 teams
• Rochester - 11 teams
• Thamesview FC - 10 teams
• Wigmore Youth - 14 teams

Leagues

Three main leagues cater primarily for clubs and teams in Medway. They offer competitive opportunities for adults. While there is no specific league opportunity for disability, youth or women & girls football, suitable provision is made in neighbouring areas including Swale. The predominantly local leagues (2018-19) include:

• Medway Messenger Sunday Football League – 54 teams – home and away
• Medway Messenger Youth League – 285 teams – home and away
• Rochester & District Football League – 62 teams – home and away

The County FA reports significant cross boundary migration to/from Medway due to teams migrating outwards to play in the following leagues:

• BUCS (Mens Competition)
• BUCS Futsal - Mens
• Canterbury and District Football League.
• East Kent Youth League
• ECFA Women's League
• EFL
• EFL Community & Education Football Alliance
• EFL Youth Alliance
• FA Girls' England Talent Pathway League
• FA Women's National League
• Kent County Football League
• Kent Disability Football League
• Kent FA Youth Futsal League
• Kent Girls/Ladies Football League
• Kent Youth League
• Maidstone Boys Primary
• Maidstone Invicta Primary League
• Maidstone Minor Football League
• North Kent Sunday League
• North Kent Youth League
• South East Counties Womens League
• South East London & Kent Youth League
• Southern Counties Cup Competition
• Southern Counties East Football League
• Southern Veterans League
• Suburban Football League

Disability football

There are 9.4million 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 Medway there are seven football teams / sessions specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to sustain 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. Medway has three FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to sustain this activity.

At 32, Medway’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 to develop playing opportunities for females. The main local girls’ league is the Kent Girls/Ladies Football League in which matches are played on a home and away basis. It is expected to grow its provision in future years. The main local adult female leagues are the Kent Girls/Ladies Football League and South East Counties Women's League. Both play matches on a home and away basis and expect to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Gillingham FC located in Swale. 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 Brighton & Hove Albion Women 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.

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.

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 one futsal team in Medway. It plays in the Kent FA Youth Futsal League at the Stour Centre. It is a priority for the County FA to sustain futsal opportunity for youth players.

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 five FA Just Play centres in Medway. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisations such as Strood Leisure Centre, Medway Park, Anchorians FC, Playfootball Gillingham. Sustaining the level of Walking football and Just Play provision is a County FA priority. Other local recreational football programmes encompass inclusion projects and pro-club community scheme activity delivered by a range of organisations including Man v Fat, Anchorians F C and Gillingham FC.

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).

The key strengths of local football in Medway include youth and mini soccer. It is recommended that this is sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist; these include adult male 11v11 teams, futsal and informal football session provision. It is recommended that the future football development priorities for Medway include:

1. Support the transition of youth teams (and individual players) to adult male 11v11 leagues.
2. Build on and grow youth futsal provision.
3. Ensure club structures are in place to grow in line with the housing growth.
4. Develop comprehensive support to volunteers to allow clubs to retain, grow and provide opportunity to all.
5. Increase the level of women and girls provision via informal ladies sessions and the FA Wildcats programme.

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

Additionally, 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 Medway. 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 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.

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

• Victory Academy
• Strood Academy
• Greenacre Academy
• Star Meadow Sports Club
• Chatham Town FC

Small sided 3G FTPs in Medway include :

• Strood Sport Centre ( one 30m x 49m, six 22m x 28m)
• Playfootball Gillingham (one 20m x 30m, one 30m x 40m)
• Woodlands Sport Centre (one 30m x 40m)
• Lordswood Sport And Social Club (one 40m x 60m)
• Burnt Oak Primary School (one 13m x 21m)
• Holcombe Grammar School (one 40m x 60m)

The Medway PPS in nearing completion. It identifies deficit of four 3G FTPs (taking into account the addition of 3G FTPs at Anchorians & Chatham Town). This deficit will rise to nine based upon population growth (to 2033).

Community use at Greenacre Academy is currently severely restricted due to the fact that the floodlights are in very poor condition.

The 3G FTPs at Chatham Town and Victory Academy are on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning they are quality checked and can be used for football match play). It is strongly recommended that the remainder are assessed and placed on the Register to enable more match play on 3G.

The geographic spread of existing facilities is relatively even and reflects the need for provision in the main centres of population in Medway. The main area of forecasted population growth (Hoo Peninsula) is not currently serviced by 3G FTP facilities.

Local consultation confirms the widespread issue of limited 3G FTP availability and the lack of match play options on 3G. The recommendation in this plan are designed to start to address this.

Seven priority projects for potential investment are identified. They were selected based upon a rationale of serving existing affiliated club and community demand primarily centred around main current/future settlements. Also factored in are issues such as good access, high local population, deprivation and the proportion of people from lower social economic groups alongside maintaining geographic spread and considerations related to existing facility quality.

It should be noted that the project at Anchorians has the potential to add a further full size (youth) 11v11 FTP in the medium term should affiliated team growth continue at the current rate.

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 20 grass pitch sites in Medway with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 86 grass pitches.

In addition to the grass pitch sites identified above, the potential new site to be occupied by Medway Town FC may also require pitch improvements.

Local consultation confirms the widespread issue of poor pitch quality and the recommendations made in this plan reflect the priority attached to this.

Of the 20 key pitch sites referenced above, 13 are prioritised. This will result in quality improvements to 57 pitches:

13 priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by PPS and ratified by local partners and pitch improvement plans. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites in poor condition at which there will be an impact on the quality of the most pitches.

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 21 key grass pitch sites in Medway with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance) 13 have suitable changing rooms, and nine require improvement/replacement.

In addition, the potential new site for Medway Town FC will require a new build pavilion.

Ten 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, whilst no currently in place indoor facilities require investment to develop small sided football, two forthcoming secondary schools (The Hoo Peninsula School and The Howard School) may require support and assistance to determine whether indoor hall facilities should be specified for futsal in respect of line marking and portable goals.

Three potential opportunities for MUGAs are identified. All three are located in Chatham; an area of high deprivation and diverse ethnicity. There is a corresponding high local demand for informal football and potential for greater linkage with the Charlton Athletic Community Foundation.

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

• Chairman - Gillingham FC
• Local co-ordinator- Arches Big Local
• Sports Development Manager- Medway Council
• Principal Greenspace Development officer - Medway Council
• Head of Community - CAFC Foundation
• Secretary- Medway Sunday Football League
• Secretary - Medway Youth League
• President - Kent FA
• Representative - Anchorians FC
• Representative - Lordswood FC
• Representative - Medway Town FC
• Contracts Manager - Medway Norse
• PE lead - Brompton Academy
• Representative - Thinking Schools Academy Trust
• Secretary - Rochester & District football league