Local Football Facility Plan Redditch

Redditch is in the West Midlands region.

The current population of the authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 85,204. This is expected to rise to 85,209 by 2039.

Redditch is ranked 13 out of 30 LAs in the region, and 137 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

Redditch's ethnic composition is primarily white (92%). This is higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Redditch’s population represented by the BAME community is 8%. This is below the national average (14.6%).

Local authority

Redditch Borough Council’s Local Plan (2011-2030) ensuring there is a range of health facilities that support existing and new communities and to promote the role of healthy living through good planning, stating that improvement and enhancement of the well-being of the Borough’s residents is important.

The policies in this Promoting Redditch’s Community Wellbeing chapter of the Local Plan support the provision of new and improved tourism, leisure and health facilities and recognise the potential for the natural environment to provide opportunities for leisure and recreation.

The Authority does not have a playing pitch strategy. It last one was produced in 2011 but has not been updated. As such it is no longer a robust evidence base.

County football association

Redditch is covered by both the Worcestershire County FA and Birmingham County FA. They 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's have a designated facilities investment lead officer who works to ensure the right facilities are located in the right locations.

Football Foundation

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

Sport England

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

Professional community club organisations (CCOs)

These offer a variety of programmes and services to support local communities (sporting and non-sporting). There is no active CCO in Redditch .

Local leisure operator

Rubicon Leisure is the key leisure operator in Redditch. It currently operates Abbey Stadium Sports and Fitness Centre, which has two grass pitches.

Local consultation

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

• Bromsgrove and District Sunday League
• Birmingham Tigers Futsal
• Redditch United FC

(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. Redditch area has a total of 111 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 10-years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Redditch area, two clubs have more than ten registered teams. These (based upon 2018-19 affiliation data) are:

• Redditch Borough - 26 teams
• Redditch United - 39 teams

Leagues

One league; the Redditch and South Warwickshire Combination operates in Redditch, offering competitive opportunities for adult players. While there are no specific league opportunities for disability and youth within Redditch, suitable provision is made in the neighbouring Wyre Forest and Birmingham areas.

The Redditch and South Warwickshire Combination league has ten Redditch teams for the 2018/19 season on a home and away basis.

The County FA reports that there is significant cross boundary migration in Redditch due to teams migrating to/from various leagues. For example, Worcestershire teams migrating to Birmingham leagues and visa versa.

There are two national leagues which cater for teams that play within the Redditch area. These leagues also have some ground restrictions for participating in them, which needs to be taken into consideration.

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 Redditch there are thirteen football teams / sessions specifically for people with a disability. It is a priority of the County FA to grow & sustain this provision and both Worcestershire and Birmingham county FAs work closely together to support this. 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. Redditch has three FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow and sustain this activity.

At 14, Redditch’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 Mercian and Fortis league (Worcestershire) and Central Warwickshire Girls League (Birmingham) in both of which matches are played on a home and away basis. Both leagues also expect to grow provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Midwest Counties League. In it matches are played on a home and away and it is expected to sustain its provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Birmingham City which is located in Birmingham area. 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 Birmingham 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. Leisure Leagues currently operates from Trico Stadium.

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 Redditch. It is a priority for the County FA to grow the sport within the Borough.

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 no FA Just Play centre in Redditch. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Redditch United FC. Walking football and Just Play are County FA priorities for further growth and development.

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 Redditch is played particularly in the central part of the local authority within parks and open spaces.

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

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

1. Increase female provision
2. Increase disability provision
3. Support the development of small sided football (futsal)

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 Redditch. 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.

Existing full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTPs in Redditch are located at:

• Trico Stadium
• Woodfield Academy

There is no current PPS and, therefore, demand for full sized 3G FTPs has been calculated using the FA training ratio model 1:38. On the basis that there are 111 teams in Redditch there is a requirement for three (rounded up from 2.9) full sized 3G FTPs. There are currently two and there is, thus, a shortfall of one.

This being said, with a lack of PPS to fully determine demand and subsequent sustainability of an additional 3G FTP, more exploration and evidence is required before committing to the development of a third 3G FTP in the area. In addition better understanding as to why Woodfield Academy is not being fully utilised needs to be obtained. Following this, should an additional 3G FTP be feasible, a 3G pitch in the either the central Redditch or Matchborough area (areas of highest football demand) could be taken forward. Feasibility work may required to identify the best site for provision to be provided.

Both full sized 3G FTPs are available for community use and are on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning they have been quality checked and can be used for football match play). It is strongly recommended that any pitches developed in the future are also assessed and FA registered to enable more match play on 3G.

Both pitches are located in the central area of Redditch, which is the area with the highest population density and the highest levels of deprivation.

One priority project for potential investment is identified. This is; however, subject to assessment of demand and subsequent sustainability of an additional 3G FTP. There may also be feasibility work required to determine the best location.

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, many 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 seven grass pitch sites in Redditch with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or considered to be of strategic importance). These sites contain 23 grass pitches.

Of these, three have been prioritised for investment. This will result in quality improvements to 13 pitches.

Three priority projects for potential investment are identified based upon a rationale of selecting sites in poor condition, that are, or have the potential to be well-utilised and reflect current strategic focus.

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 seven key grass pitch sites in Redditch with three or more full-size pitch equivalents, five have suitable changing rooms and two require improvement/replacement.

Two 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 one indoor facility that could be enhanced to provide opportunity for small-sided football:

• Ridgeway Academy - there is a possibility of a new sports hall being built on site with potential for futsal line markings and goals to be provided. This site could also be utilised for disability sessions run by the County FA.

One potential opportunity for MUGAs is identified. The site is in an area of significant population with a relatively high proportions of people from lower social economic groups:

• Greenlands Playing Field - is a site utilised for affiliated football in an area of deprivation, which could also provide an informal offer.

Following local consultation, no locations have been identified other than the one identified above to support small sided 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:

• Birmingham County FAm - Facilities and Investment Lead
• Redditch United FC - Chairman
• Birmingham Tigers Futsal - Secretary
• Bromsgrove and District Sunday League - Secretary
• Football Foundation - Engagement Manager
• Redditch Borough Council - Sports Development Officer
• Worcestershire FA - Football Development Manager
• Sport England - Planning Manager