Local Football Facility Plan Southwark

Southwark is located in the Greater London region. The current population of the Authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 314,322. This is expected to rise to 366,502 by 2039.

Southwark is ranked 9 out of 33 LAs in the region, and 24 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS)

Southwark’s ethnic composition is primarily White (54.23%). This figure is significantly lower than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Southwark’s population represented by the BAME community is 45.77%. This figure is more than three times the national average (14.6%).

Local authority

The New Southwark Plan (NSP) will be a new borough-wide planning and regeneration strategy up to 2033 and is currently out for consultation.

The Authority Playing Pitch Strategy was adopted in 2017. The key findings and stated overarching priorities in relation to football are that there is a current shortfall of three full size 3G FTPs and a projected shortage of four in 2031. The PPS also states that the overall quality of grass pitch sites is good with only a small number of sites requiring significant investment.

County football association

Southwark is covered by London 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.

Professional club community organisations (CCOs)

These offer a variety of programmes and services to support local communities (sporting and non-sporting). The Millwall Community Trust runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities within the local area.

Local leisure operator

Everyone Active is the leisure operator in Southwark. It currently runs a number of key sites including:

• Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Sports Facility (three 30x16m floodlit 3G FTPs)
• Camberwell Leisure Centre
• Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre
• The Castle Centre
• Seven Islands Leisure Centre
• Dulwich Leisure Centre
• Surrey Docks Fitness and Water Sports Centre
• Queen Mother Sports Centre
• Marshall Street Leisure Centre and Spa

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Southwark. 30 individuals (representing 26 local organisations) were consulted. These include:

• Peckham Town FC
• Southwark Community Sports Trust
• Millwall in the Community Trust
• Bacon's College Sports Centre

Clubs

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. Southwark has a total of 224 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 10-years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Southwark, seven clubs have more than 8-10 registered teams. These (based upon 2017-18 affiliation data) are:

• Athenlay Youth - 13 teams
• Dulwich Village - 45 teams
• Hillyfielders - 15 teams
• South Bank Cuaco - 8 teams
• Fisher Youth- 8 teams
• Dulwich United Youth- 9 teams
• Alleyn Old Boys - 8 teams

Three leagues operate in Southwark. They offer competitive opportunities for many different players, including girls, youth and adults. While there is no specific league opportunity for adult female and disability within Southwark, there is however suitable provision provided in neighbouring boroughs.

Southwark largest local leagues (2017-18) include:

• Southern Sunday Football League– 75 teams–venue at multiple sites
• Tandridge Youth League – 540 teams–venue at multiple sites
• London County Saturday Youth League – 212 teams– central venue at multiple sites

The County FA reports some cross boundary migration to/from Southwark primarily teams migrating outwards to play in the Hackney Marshes Saturday Youth Football League and SELKENT leagues (in Kackney, South East London and Kent).

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 Southwark there are three football 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. Southwark has four FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow this activity.

At 12, Southwark’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 Capital Girls League in which matches are played on a home and away basis. It is expected to grow its provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Greater London Women's’ League in which matches are played on a home and away; it too is expected to grow its provision in future.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Millwall which is located in Southwark. 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 Millwall Lionesses. It 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:

• Burgess Park
• Colombo Sports Centre
• Bacons College Sport Centre

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 Futsal is available across the country.

There is currently one futsal team in Southwark; it plays in the London Futsal League at key site locations including Ark Walworth Academy. 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 four FA Just Play Centres in Southwark. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Millwall Community Trust. Walking football and Just Play are formats that the County FA has prioritised for further growth and development. Other local recreational football programmes include other recreation programmes e.g. pro-club community schemes which are 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 Southwark is played particularly in the South of the Borough. Belair Park, Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye Park are key heavily used site locations.

The key strengths of local football in Southwark include youth and adult male provision and it is recommend that this is sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist, these include female provision and disability provision. It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for Southwark are:

1. Female youth
2. Female adult
3. Disability
4. Futsal

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

In addition, 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 Southwark. 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 this potential

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 three existing full-sized 3G FTPs in Southwark:

• Bacon College Sports Centre
• Burgess Park
• St. Paul's Recreation Ground

In addition, there are currently 12 small-sided 3G FTPs in the Authority:

• ARK All Saints Academy (60x35m)
• Colombo Sports Centre (two 40x20m)
• Damilola Taylor Youth Centre (60x40m)
• Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Sports Facility (three 30x16m)
• Grotto Place (35x27m)
• Harris Academy Bermondsey (80x50m)
• Homestall Road Playing Fields (51x34m)
• St Thomas The Apostle College (57x35m)
• The Dockland Settlements Community Centre (Tiger Turf) (29x17m)

There is a shortfall of six full-sized FTP equivalents relative to assessed demand. This is calculated using FA 3G demand modelling, which in Southwark identifies that the demand for recreational football is higher than affiliated demand. This closely aligns with the current shortfall of three 3G FTPs, and future shortfall of four, identified within the PPS.

All of the current 3G FTPs (including the small sided facilities) are available for community use. Bacon College Sports Centre, St Pauls Recreation Ground, ARK All Saint Academy and Homestall Road Playing Fields 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 pitches of a size appropriate to enable match play are assessed and placed on the Register to enable more play on 3G.

The Authority has recently submitted a funding bid to the Football Foundation to fund the resurfacing of the current 11v11 3G FTP at Burgess Park and develop a second full-sized 3G FTP at the site. The Authority is also looking to self fund the upgrade of two small sided (5v5) facilities to 3G at Brimmington Park, and develop two additional small sided 3G FTPs (5v5) at the same site.

In addition, the carpets on the full-sized 3G FTP and two small sided AGPs at Bacon's College Sports Centre require replacement. These facilities have previously received Football Foundation funding. One of the three small sided 3G FTPs at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Sports Facility also requires replacement.

There are plans to convert the full-sized sand dressed AGP at Greendale Playing Fields subject to planning permission approval. This will be funded via developer contributions.

The geographic spread of existing facilities is uneven; the majority are located in the north of the local area. There provision gaps in the south despite the fact that there are high levels of population and large number of affiliated teams. It is recommended that this is addressed.

Local consultation reveals common issues with long travel times for teams wishing to play on 3G and theis plan is seeking to ensure that this is addressed.

Nine priority projects, at seven sites are identified for potential investment. Each was selected based on a rationale of improving access, serving areas of high population and substantial deprivation and, in some cases, the quality and levels of use being attracted by the existing facilities.

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 standard 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%).

There are currently 14 grass pitch sites in Southwark with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 49 grass pitches. Of these, three were considered to have good quality pitches, 11 are of standard/poor quality.

Local consultation confirms the poor quality of some sites and the need to ensure that this is addressed.

Of the 14 key pitch sites referenced above it was determined that 11 should be prioritised for improvements. This will result in quality improvements to 43 pitches:

11 priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by PPS and ratified by local partners. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of selecting sites with pitches that are in poor 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 14 key grass pitch sites in Southwark with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance), eight have suitable changing rooms, four require improvement/replacement and two have no facilities and require new changing facilities.

Seven priority projects for potential investment are identified. This number includes the six grass pitch sites referenced above plus the new ancillary provision needed to service the proposed small sided 3G FTPs at Brimmington Park:

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 no indoor facilities that currently require improvement to develop small sided football.

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

Following local consultation, and assisted by the Sport England green spaces mapping tool six locations have been identified to support small sided informal football. Here, the rationale is based on highly popular local parks and open green spaces with suitable space / areas to increase informal football.

A number of key parks across the borough that would benefit from investment to support informal and recreational football are identified although the specific facility type is yet to be determined.

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:

• Strategic Officer Partnerships & Programmes - LB Southwark Council
• Sport and Physical Activity Development Coordinator - LB Southwark Council
• Sports and Leisure Services Manager - LB Southwark Council
• Idverde - Grounds Maintenance
• Peckham Town FC - Club Development Director
• Southwark Community Sports Trust - Director
• Millwall in the Community Trust - Football Development Manager
• Millwall in the Community Trust - Community Development and Health Improvement Manager
• Hillyfielders FC - Secretary
• Athenlay FC - Secretary
• Dulwich Village Youth - Secretary
• Everyone Active - Community Development Manager
• Continuum Leisure (on behalf of Dulwich Hamlet) - Associate Consultant
• AFC Phoenix - Secretary
• The Bede Centre - Director
• Bacon's College Sports Centre - Facilities Manager
• PE and School Sports Network - Joint Network Manager
• PE and School Sports Network - Joint Network Manager
• Football Beyond Borders - Co-Founder
• The Charter School North Dulwich - Business Manager
• Pilgrims Way Primary School - Year 6 HLTA
• Dulwich Sports Club - Sports Club Manager
• London South Bank University - Sports Development Manager
• Kick Start - Development Officer
• Docklands JFC - Secretary (via Club survey)
• Old Alleynians Association Football Club - Chairman (via Club survey)
• University of the Arts London - Sports Coordinator (via Club survey)
• Honourable Artillery Company - Secretary (via Club survey)
• Southwark Borough 2009 - Secretary (via Club survey)
• Tulse Hill JFC - Secretary (via Club survey)