Local Football Facility Plan North Somerset

North Somerset is in the South West Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2018 Mid-Year Estimate) is 213,919. This is expected to rise to 248,939 by 2039.

North Somerset is ranked 21 out of 30 LAs in the region, and 211 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 North Somerset's population represented by the BAME community is 3%. This is below the national average (14.6%)

Local authority

The North Somerset Council Corporate Strategy (2020-2024) vision is to create an open, fairer, greener authority. One of its key priorities is to ensure that it is a great place for people to live, work and visit. One of the underpinning actions to achieve this development of high quality leisure services, accessible by all, that remain relevant to the changing needs of North Somerset residents.

The Authority Playing Pitch Strategy was produced in 2020, although it is not, as yet, adopted. Key findings include a current shortfall of one full-sized 3G FTP with a focus on remedying this in the Portishead area. An additional two full-sized 3G FTPs will be required by 2036 in line with population growth.

County football association

North Somerset is covered by the Somerset 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 Bristol City Community Trust runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities primarily from its base at Long Aston Community Centre.

Local leisure operator

Places Leisure and Legacy Leisure are the key leisure operators in North Somerset. Between them, they run a number of key sites including Strode Leisure Centre and Churchill Sports Centre.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in North Somerset. 18 individuals (representing 18 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• North Somerset Council
• Bristol City Community Trust
• A range of football clubs

(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. North Somerset has a total of 453 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 North Somerset, 18 clubs have more than ten registered teams. These are (based upon 2019-20 affiliation data):

• Portishead Town FC (Adult – M/F & Youth – M/F) – 71 teams
• Ashton & Backwell United & Ashton FC (Adult – M/F & Youth – M/F) – 42 teams
• Clevedon United FC (Adult – M & Youth – M/F) – 34 teams
• Nailsea Athletic FC (Adult – M & Youth - M) – 30 teams
• Weston Super Mare FC (Adult – M/F & Youth - M) – 24 teams
• Banwell FC (Adult – M & Youth - M) – 23 teams
• Hutton FC (Adult – M/F & Youth M/F) – 23 teams
• Swiss Valley Rangers FC (Adult – F & Youth – M/F) – 17 teams
• Backwell Athletic Junior Youth FC (Youth – M) – 16 teams
• North Somerset Youth Football FC (Youth – M) – 16 teams
• Weston Crusaders Junior Youth FC (Youth – M) – 15 teams
• Yatton & Cleeve United FC / Yatton Athletic Junior Youth FC (Adult – M & Youth – M) – 15 teams
• Priory Pumas FC (Youth - M) – 14 teams
• Long Ashton FC (Adult - M & Youth - M) – 13 teams
• Weston Mendip FC (Adult - F & Youth - F) – 13 teams
• Chew Valley Youth FC (Youth – M) – 11 teams
• Milton Nomads Junior Youth FC (Youth – M) – 11 teams
• Winscombe FC (Adult – M & Youth - M) – 10 teams

Leagues

Three leagues cater for clubs and teams in North Somerset. They offer competitive opportunities for male youth and male adults. While there are no specific league opportunity for women and girls and disability football in the local area, suitable provision is made via the Somerset Girls League, Somerset Women’s League and Somerset FA Ability Counts League (all countywide). North Somerset's three local leagues (2019-20) are:

• Weston Super Mare & District Men’s League – 45 teams– [home and away]
• Woodspring Junior League – 130 teams– [home and away]
• Somerset Junior Premier League – 106 teams– [home and away]

The County FA reports some cross boundary migration to/from North Somerset primarily due to teams playing in the Bristol & District Men’s League, Bristol Girls League, Bristol Saturday Youth League, Avon Youth League and Hanham Minor League.

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 North Somerset there are eight football teams / sessions specifically for people with a disability. 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. North Somerset has four FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to sustain this activity.

At 37, North Somerset’s number of female teams is higher 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 Somerset Girls League in which matches are played on a home and away basis. It expects to grow its provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Somerset County Women’s League League. It too organises matches on a home and away basis and is expected to grow provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Bristol City. However, the Somerset FA Girls Advanced Coaching Centre is available to talented female players from across the county. 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 also Bristol City 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:

• Soccer Sixes (leagues based in: Weston Super Mare FC, Winterstoke Hundred Academy Sports Centre, Hutton Moor Leisure Centre and Clevedon Town FC)
• PlayFootball (league based at Hornets RFC, Hutton Moor)

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 North Somerset though the County FA runs numerous club and school festivals throughout the season that feed into the FA’s National Futsal Competition . It is a priority for the County FA to grow futsal for male, female, youth and adult players

Recreational football

Recreational football is played where facilities are typically booked and there might be someone to help organise. Examples include FA Just Play sessions, walking football and casual pitch hire for small-sided match play.

There are currently two FA Just Play centres in North Somerset. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Weston Super Mare FC and Clevedon Town FC. Walking football and Just Play are County FA priorities for further growth and development. Other local recreational football programmes are delivered by a range of organisations including Man v Fat (@Worle Sports Centre).

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 North Somerset is played particularly in the north and south part of the local authority. Gordano School, Banwell Playing Fields and Long Ashton Community Centre are key, well-used, site locations.

The key strengths of local football in North Somerset include male and female football, and disability provision. It is recommended that this is sustained and encouraged to grow further. However, gaps include Just Play, recreational football and futsal. It is, therefore, recommended that the future football development priorities for North Somerset are to:

1. Sustain and increase adult and junior male football
2. Continue to grow female participation
3. Increase the number of recreational playing opportunities
4. Grow disability provision
5. Increase futsal opportunities

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 North Somerset. 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 full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTPs in North Somerset are located at:

• @Worle Centre
• Churchill Sports Centre (Churchill Academy)
• Clifton College Sports Ground
• Hans Price Sports Centre
• Weston College Sports & Wellbeing Centre
• Weston Somerset Enterprise & Technology College
• Weston-Super-Mare AFC
• Nailsea School
• Clevedon Town FC/Everyone Active
• Hornets RFC*
• Bristol Grammar School*
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital School*

(*not available for community use)

In addition, there are four small-sided 3G FTP centres located at:

• Gordano School Sports Field (one 5v5)
• Grove Park – Weston College (one 7v7)
• Hutton Moor Leisure Centre (one 7v7 and one 5v5)
• Rock Road Playing Fields (one 5v5)
  

The North Somerset 2020 PPS confirms the current shortfall of one full size 3G FTP and the need for an additional two by 2036; in line with population growth. The sub analysis area of Portishead is identified as the area in most need with Nailsea and Clevedon identified as other locations for future 3G FTP development.

Nine of the 12 listed full-sized 3G FTPs are available for community use. Those at Bristol Grammar School and Queen Elizabeth Hospital School are private sites which do not available to the community at all. Hornets Rugby Club does allow limited football use but not at a level sufficient for it to be classed as community available.

Of the community available sites, eight 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 Nailsea School 3G FTP is assessed and placed on the Register to enable more match play on 3G although it is noted that planning permission is in place until 8pm.

The geographic spread of 3G FTPs is uneven; the majority are located in and around the town of Weston-Super-Mare. There are gaps in Backwell, Clevedon and Portishead and these align with PPS recommendations. The LFFP consultation confirms this picture. Clubs such as Portishead Town FC (c.70 teams) currently have to send teams to venues in Bristol to access 3G facilities.

Three priority projects for potential investment are identified. The initial priority is to address the shortfall in Portishead. This plan then identifies sites for longer-term potential investment in line with the recommendations from the PPS and club consultation.

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 23 grass pitch sites in North Somerset with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 72 grass pitches. Of these, six are considered to offer good quality pitches and 17 provide pitches that are of either standard or poor quality.

Of the 23 key sites referenced it was determined that 17 should be prioritised . This will result in quality improvements to 53 pitches:

17 priority projects are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by the current PPS and ratified by local partners. Site prioritisation was based the selection of sites containing pitches that are in standard or poor condition that can help address the stated strategic need to support affiliated football.

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 23 key grass pitch sites in North Somerset with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance) 19 have suitable changing rooms, three require improvement/replacement and one has no facility and requires a new changing room.

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.

Two potential MUGA opportunities are identified. In each case the rationale is based on the site being in an area of significant population density with limited current provision and corresponding high local demand for informal football. In addition, one of the proposed sites is where Bristol City Community Trust currently delivers community programmes. Investment at this location would allow the organisation to enhance its offer.

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:

Backwell School
Portishead Town FC
Ashton & Backwell United
Ashton Youth
Clevedon United
Clevedon United Junior Youth
Nailsea Athletic Junior Youth
Weston Super Mare FC
Hutton Juniors Youth
Swiss Valley Rangers Youth
Backwell Athletic Junior Youth
North Somerset Youth
Weston Crusaders Youth
Worle FC
Long Ashton Junior Youth
Milton Nomads Junior Youth
Winscombe Junior Youth
Worle Sports & Community Centre