Local Football Facility Plan Swindon

Swindon is in the South West Region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 220,363. This is expected to rise to 242,673 by 2039.

Swindon is ranked 19 out of 37 LAs in the region, and 189 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

Swindon's ethnic composition is primarily white (89.84%). This is higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Swindon’s population represented by the BAME community is 10.16%. This is below the national average (14.6%)

Local authority

Swindon Council’s Local Plan commits it to protecting existing sports facilities where there is a demonstrable need for continued presence and to provide increased opportunities for residents to use and access sport, leisure, cultural and community facilities.

The Authority PPS was adopted in February 2018. The key findings include an identified shortfall of 3G pitches and poor grass pitch quality, especially during wet weather.

County football association

Swindon is covered by Wiltshire 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 Swindon Town FC Community Foundation runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities within the local area.

Local leisure operator

GLL is a key leisure operator in Swindon, operating its leisure centres. Away from this, parish councils tend to manage and maintain the grass pitch football stock.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Swindon. 14 individuals (representing 13 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• Swindon Borough Council
• Central Swindon North Parish Council
• Central Swindon South Parish Council
• GLL
• Swindon Sunday League

(See Appendix B for full list of consultees)

Clubs

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. Swindon has a total of 295 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 Swindon, 13 clubs have more than 10 registered teams. The largest of these (based upon 2018-19 affiliation data) are:

• Highworth Town Juniors FC - 26 teams
• FC Abbey Meads Youth FC - 22 teams
• Stratton Juniors FC - 18 teams
• Lydiard Youth FC - 17 teams

Leagues

Six leagues cater for clubs and leagues in Swindon. They offer competitive opportunity for many different players, including women and girls, disability youth and adults. The largest of these local leagues (2018-19) include:

• North Wilts Youth League - 540 teams - home and away
• Wiltshire Women's & Girls' League - 53 teams - home and away and central venue
• Swindon & District League - 27 teams - home and away
• Swindon Sunday Football League - 28 teams - home and away

The County FA reports that there is only limited cross boundary migration to/from Swindon.

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 Swindon there are 11 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. Swindon has one FA Wildcats girls football centre and the priority is to grow this activity.

At 13, Swindon’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 and adult female league is the Wiltshire Women's & Girl's League in which matches are played on a home and away or central venue basis (dependent on age groups). It is expected to grow provision for juniors and sustain women's provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA regional talent clubs (RTCs) are Bristol City Women's FC and Oxford United FC, located in Bristol and Oxford, respectively. 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 Bristol City Women's FC which provides player pathway opportunities for gifted and talented female players and a spectator interest for fans.

In addition, the Swindon Town FC Community Foundation delivers a Girls Development Programme that includes local girls development centres, in-school girls' coaching programmes, the Premier League girls' project and a Girls Centre of Excellence for local talented female players from under 10's through to under 18's.

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:

• PlayFootball Swindon (Unit 29 Bramble Road)
• Soccer Sixes (Swindon Academy)
• Football Mundial (Dorcan Leisure 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 that futsal is available across the country.

There are currently 21 futsal teams in Swindon that play in the PlayFootball League at PlayFootball Swindon. It is a priority for the County FA to sustain futsal for all 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 six FA Just Play centres in Swindon. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as Highworth Town Walking Football Club, Wiltshire Walking Football and Stratton Parish Council. Walking football and Just Play are County FA priorities for further growth and development. Other local recreational football programmes include Football Fans in Training, delivered by Swindon Town FC Community Foundation, and a Veteran's Flexi-League, ran by Wiltshire County FA.

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 Swindon is played across the local authority. Lydiard Park, Meadowcroft Recreation Ground, Sevenfields Recreation Ground, Mannington Recreation Ground and Moredon Recreation Ground are key well-used site locations.

The key strengths of local football in Swindon include mini soccer, male youth, walking, disability and veteran's provision and it is recommended that this is sustained and also encouraged to grow further. However, there are aspects of football provision that lower than local authorities of a similar size, including female football and recreational Just Play centres. It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for Swindon are:

1. Improving changing rooms for adult football
2. Working with clubs and partners to provide access to high quality facilities
3. Increasing access and provision of 3G FTPs for training and match play
4. Providing appropriate facilities to support BAME participation
5. Improving and enhancing facilities to help grow female participation

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 Swindon. 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.

The full size (11 v 11) 3G FTPs in Swindon are located at:

• Kingsdown School
• Lydiard Park Academy
• New College Swindon
• Swindon Academy
• Swindon Town Community Foundation (Foundation Park)

There are also 12 small-sided 3G FTPs spread across six sites. Six of these are indoor (five at PlayFootball and one at Swindon Supermarine Football Club).

The Swindon PPS identifies a shortfall of four full size 3G pitches. However, two have since been provided, leaving a shortfall of two pitches. This is confirmed when using current affiliation data and the FA training ratio model (1:38).

All of the existing full size 3G FTPs are available for community use. Three 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 two others (at Lydiard Park Academy and Swindon Academy) are assessed and placed on the Register to enable more match play on 3G. Quality issues are noted at Lydiard Park Academy.

The geographic spread of existing facilities is uneven; the majority are located in the west and central parts of the local area. There are provision gaps to the North and to the South, as well as a need for further provision elsewhere, and it is recommended that this is addressed.

Local consultation confirms issues associated with limited availability and opportunity for match play on 3G. The plan is set out to ensure that these are addressed.

Five priority potential investment projects are identified; for four new full sized 3G FTPs and one small-sided 3G FTP. Whilst providing four full size venues exceeds the current shortfall (of two). It is, however, considered appropriate given proposed housing growth and subsequent population increases. Nevertheless, further investigation is required to inform the two proposals linked to housing developments (New Eastern Villages and Kingsdown) to ensure not only the sustainability of these facilities but also the impact they will have on the sustainability of existing 3G FTP venues.

Two proposed projects (Highworth and Wroughton) are not site specific and simply reference areas that require provision. Further investigation is required to determine preferred site options.

Projects have been proffered based upon a rationale of meeting provision gaps, serving major existing and new settlements and improving geographic spread.

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 24 grass pitch sites in Swindon with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 97 grass pitches. Of these sites, five are considered to have good quality pitches, 13 are of standard quality and six are poor quality.

Local consultation confirms the issues associated with poor quality pitches, particularly in the Swindon Central North and Swindon Central South parishes and it is recommended that these are addressed.

Of the 24 key pitch sites referenced above it was determined that 11 should be prioritised. This will result in quality improvements to 39 pitches.

It is also considered that the provision of hybrid pitches should be considered within Swindon at key, strategic locations. At present, affordable hybrid pitch development is still being piloted and it is not, as yet, eligible for funding. A full assessment of surface quality, durability and the associated business model is being undertaken.

11 priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by the PPS and has been ratified by local partners. Prioritisation was based on a rationale of generally focusing upon sites which have pitches in the poorest condition and/or that had a substantial number of pitches and that are (or have the potential to be) best utilised. This is accompanied by a strategic focus to improve parish council managed provision. Swindon Borough Council has recently transferred it's grass pitch sites to parish councils and there is, thus, a need to ensure that correct and effective maintenance practices are embedded.

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 24 key grass pitch sites in Swindon with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance), 18 sites have suitable changing rooms or are not in need of provision, five sites require improvement and one site requires a new build due to the condition and position of the existing building.

Six 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.

Local consultation reveals that five MUGAs are required to develop small sided football. In each case the rationale is based on the site being in a position to service an area of significant urban population and cater for a relatively high proportion of people from lower social economic groups, - with corresponding high local demand for informal football.

Given the above, all five projects are in relatively close proximity to each other. As such, further investigation is required to prioritise the sites as it may not be feasible or sustainable to develop MUGA provision at each of them.

Following local consultation, and assisted by the Sport England Green Spaces Mapping Tool, one location has been identified to support small sided informal football. This is a site in a popular local park with suitable space to increase informal football. It previously hosted formal pitches so it is considered important to ensure it is still utilised for some form of play.

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:

• Clerk - Central Swindon North Parish Council
• Clerk - Central Swindon South Parish Council
• Clerk - Wanborough Parish Council
• Clerk - Highworth Town Parish Council
• Clerk - Stratton Parish Council
• Site Manager - GLL
• Secretary - Highworth Town Juniors FC
• Secretary - Lydiard Youth FC
• Secretary - Swindon Supermarine Youth FC
• Secretary - Wanborough Junior FC
• Secretary - Swindon Sunday League
• Head of Operational Property - Swindon Borough Council
• Head of Transport, Delivery & Landscape Services - Swindon Borough Council
• Operations Director - Wiltshire & Swindon Sport