Local Football Facility Plan South Kesteven

South Kesteven is in the East Midlands region.

The current population of the authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 141,662. This is expected to rise to 160,300 by 2039.

South Kesteven is ranked 27 out of 40 LAs in the region, and 225 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

South Kesteven's ethnic composition is primarily white (97.46%). This is substantially higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of the population represented by the BAME community is 2.54%. This is considerably below the national average (14.6%).

Local authority

South Kesteven District Council is preparing a new Local Plan. This will cover spatial development across the whole District for the period 2011- 2036. Objective 11 of the draft Local Plan is to support new and existing community infrastructure. This includes facilities for leisure, new or enhanced open space provision and green infrastructure. The aim of this is to improve the health and wellbeing of residents.

The local authority has no PPS in place.

County football association

South Kesteven is covered by Lincolnshire County FA which provides governance 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.

Active Partnerships

Active Lincolnshire is the Active Partnership for the county of Lincolnshire. Their mission is to get everyone, every day more physically active. They have a remit to support people of all ages and background to improve their health and wellbeing by taking part in regular physical activity supporting Sport England’s Towards an Active Nation strategy.

Professional club community organisations (CCOs)

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

Local leisure operator

1Life is the key leisure operator in South Kesteven. It currently runs a number of key sites including:

• Grantham Meres Leisure Centre (x1 full size floodlit 3G FTP)
• Deepings Leisure Centre
• Bourne Leisure Centre
• Stamford Leisure Pool

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in South Kesteven. 27 individuals (representing 21 local organisations) were spoken to. Agencies consulted include:

• Deeping Rangers FC
• Deeping United FC
• Bourne Town JFC
• Long Bennington FC
• Positive Futures
• Inspire+

(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. South Kesteven has a total of 247 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 South Kesteven, Nine clubs have more than 10 registered teams. These (based upon 2018-19 affiliation data) are:

• Stamford AFC Young Daniels - 23 teams
• Bourne Town Juniors - 21 teams
• Deeping Rangers FC - 18 teams
• Long Bennington FC - 17 teams
• Thurlby Tigers -14 teams
• Gonerby Youth FC - 14 teams
• Deeping United - 11 teams
• Barrowby Junior FC - 10 teams
• Ancaster Athletic - 10 teams

A number of leagues operate across South Kesteven, these include;

• Grantham Youth Football League - 41 teams, offers competitive opportunities for youth players.
• The Arion Grantham & District Sunday League – 15 teams, offers competitive opportunities for adult male players.

The largest local leagues operating in South Kesteven (2018-19) include:

• Lincoln Co-Op Mid Lincs Youth League - male and female provision – 398 teams total with 12 teams from South Kesteven– home and away / central venue / central venue at multiple sites - all
• Boston & District Saturday Football League - 49 teams in total with 5 teams from South Kesteven - home and away / central venue / central venue at multiple sites - all

The County FA reports some cross boundary migration to/from South Kesteven primarily due to teams migrating outwards to the Junior Premier League / Newark Football Alliance / Nottinghamshire Girls & Ladies Football League / Notts Youth Football League / Peterborough & District Football League / Peterborough & District Junior Alliance League / Peterborough & District Youth League / S-Tech County Girls & Womens Football League / Young Elizabethan Football 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 South Kesteven there is one football team / session 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. South Kesteven has three FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow this activity.

At eight, South Kesteven’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 girl's league from Under 12’s upwards is the Lincoln Co-Op Mid Lincs Youth League in which matches are played on a home and away basis. League provision for Under 11’s and below is the Lincolnshire Girls & Goals League. Both leagues are expected to grow provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Lincolnshire Women's County Football League and matches are played on a home and away basis; it too is expected to grow its provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Nottingham Forest Ladies located in Nottingham. Higher level talent pathway opportunities are also provided regionally and nationally by the FA, culminating in the England Women’s national squads. The nearest local Women’s Super League team is Leicester City 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.

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. Currently no affiliated Futsal leagues run within the South Kesteven Lincolnshire local authority.

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 South Kesteven. It is a priority for the County FA to grow the sport 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 no FA Just Play Centres in South Kesteven. Walking football has a total of four affiliated teams in South Kesteven. Walking Football and Just Play have been prioritised by the County FA for further growth and development. Other local recreational football programmes include casual, recreational bookings delivered by a range of organisations.

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 South Kesteven is played across local parks within the local authority.

The key strengths of local football in South Kesteven include the Grantham Youth Football League, local teams accessing leagues across the county that offer suitable provision, provision needs to be sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist these include FA Just Play centres, small sided opportunities, disability provision, female provision and futsal.

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

1. Just Play centres
2. Small sided opportunities
3. Disability football provision
4. Female provision
5. Futsal
6. Walking football

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

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

This section reviews existing football facility assets in South Kesteven. 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 each investment priority is reviewed individually, it is understood that they can be inter-reliant; account is, thus, taken of these potential connections.

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

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

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

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

There are two full-sized (11v11) 3G FTPs in South Kesteven. These are located at:

• Bordeville Sports Complex - New College Stamford
• Grantham Meres Leisure Centre

In addition, there is two small-sided 3G FTPs in South Kesteven at Great Gonerby Recreation Ground (5v5) and Charles Read Academy (9v9).

There is no current PPS. As a consequence, demand for full sized 3G FTPs has been calculated using the FA training ratio model 1:38. On the basis that there are 240 teams in South Kesteven, there is a requirement for six full sized 3G FTPs (rounded down from 6.3). As noted above, there are currently two in addition to which Elsea Park Community Trust has secured planning permission to develop a full sized 3G FTP independently of this plan. On this basis, the shortfall in South Kesteven will be three full-sized 3G FTPs.

All existing 3G FTPs are available for community use. Two 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 remaining one at Charles Read Academy is assessed and placed on the Register to enable more match play on 3G.

LFFP consultation suggests that the key provision gaps are at The Deepings, Grantham, Stamford and Long Bennington. These are substantial settlements with a considerable number of affiliated teams and Plan recommendations are geared to addressing these gaps.

Local consultation reveals common issues with cost and clubs having to travel substantial distances to play on 3G. Implementation of Plan recommendations should help to address this.

Four priority projects are been identified for potential investment; three full sized 3G FTPs and one small-sided FTP.

As noted above they have been proposed based upon a rationale of serving key settlements which, at present, do not have, or have insufficient, access to 3G FTP provision:

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 12 grass pitch sites in South Kesteven with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 34 grass pitches. Of these, eight are considered to have good quality pitches and four have pitches that are of standard/poor quality.

Local consultation confirms the issues of poor quality at certain sites and it is recommended that this is addressed.

Four sites are prioritised for improvement. This will result in quality improvements to nine pitches.

Four priority projects for potential investment are identified. Prioritisation was informed by local partners based upon a rationale of selecting sites in the poorest condition that are, or have the potential to be, well utilised and reflect the strategic focus to improve football participation.

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 12 key grass pitch sites in South Kesteven with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but of strategic importance) five sites have suitable changing rooms, five require improvement/replacement and two have no facilities and need a new facility. One of the five sites requiring improvement is the Rospley Colts site. This is already earmarked for Football Foundation investment - independent of this LFFP.

In addition to the 12 grass pitch sites, new changing facilities may be required if the proposed 3G FTPs are developed in Grantham, Stamford and The Deepings.

Nine priority projects for potential investment are, therefore identified. This is based upon the rationale of selecting sites deemed to have changing rooms that need to be replaced or refurbished plus those needed to service sites earmarked for 3G FTP development.

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

Two opportunities for MUGAs are identified based upon a rationale of them being in areas of relatively high population with limited accessible green space and relatively high proportions of people from lower social economic groups.

Following local consultation, and assisted by the Sport England green spaces mapping tool, two locations are identified to support small sided informal football. Here, the rationale is based on using popular local parks/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:

• Gonerby Youth FC - Chair
• Ancaster Athletic FC - Chair
• Ancaster Athletic FC - Secretary
• Thurlby Tigers FC - Secretary
• Stamford AFC Young Daniels - Young Daniels Committee Member / First Team Director of Youth
• Deeping Rangers FC - Secretary
• Deeping United FC - Secretary
• Bourne Town JFC - Secretary
• Long Bennington FC - Director of Football
• The Priory Ruskin Academy – Director of Sport
• Grantham Town FC – Academy Director
• Grantham and District Sunday League – League and Fixture Secretary
• Grantham College – PE Teacher
• SK Invest – Sports Development Officer
• Lincolnshire FA Management Board - Director
• Lincolnshire FA area delegate
• Lincolnshire FA area delegate
• The West Grantham Academy - Head of PE
• Lincs CVS - Senior Area Officer
• Positive Futures - Community Sports Worker
• Inspire+ - Operations Manager
• Lincolnshire SW School Sport Partnership - School Games Organiser
• Harrowby United FC - Chairman
• South Kesteven District Council - Leisure and Events Officer
• South Kesteven District Council - Team Leader - Leisure and Corporate Operations
• South Kesteven District Council - Corporate Project Officer
• South Kesteven District Council - Corporate Operations Lead