Local Football Facility Plan Wandsworth

Wandsworth is in the Greater London region.

The current population of the authority (ONS 2017 Mid-Year Estimate) is 316,096. This is expected to rise to 355,931 by 2039.

Wandsworth is ranked 22 out of 33 LAs in the region, and 148 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

Although its ethnic composition is primarily white (71.41%) this is significantly lower than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of Wandsworth’s population represented by the BAME community is 28.59%. This is significantly higher than the national average (14.6%)

Local authority

The LB Wandsworth Active Wandsworth Strategy (2017-2022) sets out a vision of "enabling Wandsworth to be the most active borough in London by 2022" based upon four main themes:

Motivate (workforce) – inspiring and upskilling individuals and organisations in the recruitment, training and deployment of volunteers, coaches, officials, administrators, walk leaders and instructors and then supporting these people to ensure that more opportunity is provided for everyone to participate in active travel, physical activity and sport.​

Facilitate (places) – investing in and maintaining existing sport and physical activity facilities and thinking differently about how we use non-traditional sporting venues. This encompasses protecting and improving the number and quality of places for active travel, active recreation and sport across the borough including the River Thames, highways, parks, playing fields, sports facilities, leisure centres, schools and other community buildings where physical activity and sport take place.

Participate (participation) – changing people’s behaviours in respect of sport and physical activity; introducing it for those for whom physical activity is not part of their daily routine and supporting those that are already active to maintain a regular habit. It involves ensuring that children and young people have an active and healthy start to life, understanding the barriers faced by inactive people and helping to assist those with sporting talent to succeed

Advocate (support) – for the strategy to be successful it needs to be collaborative and innovative. There is no one single cure for inactivity, and this theme encourages partnership working so that activity can be provided by appropriately trained staff across a range of venues to meet the needs of the public. It also recognises the need to embrace technology, encouraging the use of apps and harnessing the power of elite sport to inspire. Research, insight and evaluation are also key to demonstrate and evidence the positive impact that sport and physical activity has.

The Authority Playing Pitch Strategy was developed in 2013 and adopted by the Authority in 2016. Its stated overarching priorities are to increase the provision of both full size and small sided 3G FTPs across the borough. in respect of grass pitches the PPS sets out an objective to, where appropriate, develop lease arrangements (and or asset transfers) to enable large, sustainable, development- minded clubs to manage their own sites thus facilitating club development. The PPS also gives priority to the creation of central venue sites with access to suitable pitches and facilities to support and grow junior and women’s and girls’ football. To a degree this priority has been actioned with the bulk of affiliated junior and women's & girls football is now played at central venues. It should be noted that the PPS has not, as yet, been refreshed and is now out of date. The Local Authority expects to update its PPS by 2020.

County football association

LB Wandsworth is covered by the London 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). AFC Wimbledon Foundation, Fulham FC Foundation, and Chelsea FC Foundation all run a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities in the local area.

Local leisure operator

There is a mixed economy of leisure operators involved in community football facilities in Wandsworth. Management arrangements vary from school/academy-run venues to sites run by commercial providers, to those in place at Wandle Recreation Centre (operated by Places Leisure) and Enable LC's management of the Furzedown Recreation Centre and Battersea Sports Centre.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in Wandsworth. 39 individuals (representing 27 local organisations) were spoken to. The agencies consulted include:

• LB Wandsworth
• Sporting Duet FC
• Doverhouse Lions FC
• Southern Sunday League
• Representative - Wandsworth Schools District Team
• University of Roehampton

(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. Wandsworth has a total of 184 teams, which is comparable to local areas of a similar size.

The FA is investing to support clubs both on and off the pitch which includes an aim to have a qualified FA coach with every youth team by 2020/21. In addition, it will support 1,000 clubs to create full player pathways from youth to adult teams and develop 150 community football hubs with male and female pathways, disability and recreational playing opportunities.

Over the last ten years there has been a significant national increase in the number of large multi-team football clubs. In Wandsworth, five clubs have more than 10 registered teams. These (based upon 2017-18 affiliation data) are:

• Broomwood FC – 22 - teams
• Balham FC – 16 teams
• Sporting Duet (Youth) FC - 18 teams
• Dover house Lions FC – 10 teams
• Westside Boys Youth FC - 10 teams

Leagues

Five leagues operate in Wandsworth offering competitive opportunity for many different players, including women and girls, disability, youth and adults:. The largest local leagues (2017-18) include:

• Tandridge Youth League – 91 teams– home and away
• London County Saturday Youth League – 54 teams– home and away
• Greater London Womens Football league – 54 teams home and away
• Southern Sunday - 64 teams - home and away plus one central venue; Clapham Common
• Wimbledon & District – 18 teams playing home and away

The County FA reports that there is relatively low level cross boundary migration to/from Wandsworth.

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 Wandsworth, several sessions specifically for people with a disability are delivered. 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. Wandsworth has two FA Wildcats girls football centres and the priority is to grow this activity.

At ten, Wandsworth’s number of female teams is comparable to 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 opportunity for females. The local girls’ league is the Capital Girls League in which matches are played on a home and away and central venue basis. It is expected to grow its provision in future years. The local adult female league is the Greater London Women's Football League and matches are played on a home and away basis and the league is expected to grow its provision in future years.

For talented players, the most local FA Regional Talent Club (RTC) is Chelsea FC which is located in Cobham. 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 Chelsea 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.

Key local providers include:

• Powerleague Nine Elms
• Wandle Recreation Centre - PowerPlay

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 affiliated futsal teams in Wandsworth. It is a priority for the County FA to grow opportunity in 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 is currently one FA Just Play centre in Wandsworth. Walking football sessions are delivered by a range of community organisation such as the local authority and Enable LC. 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 Wandsworth is played across the borough. Battersea Park, Wandsworth Park, Wandsworth Common, Tooting Bec Common, Putney Heath are key heavily used site locations.

The key strengths of local football in Wandsworth include adult and youth provision and it is recommended that this is sustained and encouraged to grow further. However, gaps in provision do exist in female recreational football and disability football where provision is lower than local authorities of a similar size.

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

1. Recreation female football
2. Formalised disability 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 Wandsworth. 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.

The national ‘Mini Pitch’ programme delivers small 3G FTPs at primary school sites to provide a high quality introduction to football and get children more physically active. While mini pitches are reviewed in this section, they are not included in the demand and supply analysis for 3G FTPs.

There are two full-sized (11 v 11) 3G FTPs in Wandsworth. These are located at:

• The Aspire Centre at Southfields Academy (one full size 3G FTP)
• Rosslyn Park Rugby Club (one full size World Rugby compliant 3G AGP). This facility has no football usage and is, thus, discounted from the 3G FTP supply/demand stock.

In addition, there are 18 small-sided 3G FTPs in Wandsworth:

• Oak Lodge School (one 5v5)
• HMP Wandsworth (one 5v5). There is no community usage at this site.
• National Tennis Centre (one 5v5)
• Power league Nine Elms (six 5v5). This facility opened in 2018 and features an innovative tiered pitch design.
• Penwortham School (one 5v5)
• Battersea Sports Centre (one 5v5)
• Sacred Heart Primary School (one 5v5)
• Wandle Recreation Centre (four 5v5)
• Furzedown Recreation Centre (one 7v7)
• Griffin Primary School (one 5v5)

A new 9v9 3G FTP at Falcon Park is due to open in summer 2019. Development of this facility was match funded by LB Wandsworth and the Football Foundation.

There is also a significant number of multi sport AGPs and MUGAs in Wandsworth. These are heavily used for recreational football. The Authority's PPS was produced in 2013 and has not been updated. As a result, demand for full sized 3G FTPs has been calculated using FA 3G demand modelling which, in Wandsworth, identifies that the demand for recreational football is higher than that for affiliated demand. Based upon the FA model, there is an assessed shortfall of 11 full-sized 3G FTPs (or equivalents) relative to assessed demand.

The majority of the abovementioned pitches are available for community football use, with the exception of HMP Wandsworth and Rosslyn Rugby Club. The 3G FTPs at The Aspire Centre and Furzedown Recreation Centre are on the FA Register for 3G FTPs (meaning that they has been quality checked and can be used for football match play). Due to land constraints within Wandsworth it is challenging to find and secure space for FA match play compliant 3G FTPs. Nonetheless, it is strongly recommended that any future 3G FTP developments (full size and/or small sided) are assessed and placed on the Register to enable more match play on 3G.

The geographic spread of existing facilities is uneven; there are provision gaps across the borough despite high levels and density of population and significant planned regeneration & housing growth. Provision gaps are especially prevalent in Roehampton, Earlsfield, and Tooting. Due to the limited available space an approach based upon developing predominantly small sided (rather than full sized) 3G FTPs is proposed to help alleviate the borough-wide shortfall. Roehampton Playing Fields and opportunities in the Wandle Recreation Centre are the exception to this; as there is potential space on these sites to install a full-sized 3G FTP.

Local consultation confirms the limited availability and opportunity for match play on 3G and the recommendations in this plan are designed to address this.

It should be noted that any potential projects associated with Clapham Common have been identified within the Lambeth LFFP.

Six priority projects for potential investment are identified. Whilst these will not meet the identified full-sized 3G FTP shortfall (based on recreational demand) it is recommended that future iterations of the plan address this if and when land/development opportunity becomes available.

There is also a potential opportunity at Clapham Common which has been listed in the Lambeth LFFP. The Lambeth and Wandsworth local authority border runs through the site and the potential 3G FTP development sits on the Wandsworth side. However, the site as a whole is under LB Lambeth management. If any development were to proceed it would require co-operation with Wandsworth Council Planning Committee. Successful development of a joint local authority project of this type would be a good model both for the locality and for other parts of London and England.

Sites were selected based upon the availability of space to develop, servicing densely populated local areas, achieving geographic spread and their potential accessibility to large numbers of people from lower social economic groups.

There are currently ten grass pitch sites in Wandsworth with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 55 grass pitches.

There is one new additional key site which will require pitch improvements.

Of the ten key pitch sites referenced above, six are prioritised for improvements. This will affect a total of 27 pitches.

Local consultation confirms common issues with poor quality and limited availability and the purpose of the proposals made in this plan is to start the process of addressing this.

It should be noted that any potential projects associated with Clapham Common have been identified within the Lambeth LFFP.

Six priority projects for potential investment are identified. Pitch quality rating was evidenced by PPS (2013) and ratified by local partners. Prioritisation was informed by local partners based upon a rationale of selecting sites that are, or have the potential to be, well-utilised and reflect the strategic focus of the Authority on participation:

Of the ten key grass pitch sites in Wandsworth with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but of strategic importance), five have suitable changing rooms and five require improvement/replacement.

One new additional grass pitch site will require pavilion improvement/replacement and, as part of the potential 3G FTP development at Garratt Park, there will be a need to improve the existing changing facility.

Seven 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 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 one indoor facility offers potential to develop small sided football.

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

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

• Assistant Director (Leisure & Contracts) - LB Wandsworth
• Centre Manager - Enable LC
• Chairman - Earlsfield FC (via club survey)
• Chairman - Furzedown United FC
• Chief Executive Officer - Fulham FC Foundation
• Club Manager - Parthenope FC (via club survey)
• Contracts Manager (Leisure) - LB Wandsworth
• Co-ordinator - Wandsworth School Games
• Deputy Head of Wandsworth Youth Service - LB Wandsworth
• Deputy Sport Manager - University of Roehampton
• Director - Football Beyond Borders
• Director of Football - Balham FC
• Executive Director Parks & Leisure - Enable LC
• Football Development Manager - Amateur Football Alliance
• Football Development Officer - London Football Association
• Head of Community Development - Chelsea FC Foundation
• Head of Delivery - London Football Association
• Head of Operations - Fulham FC Foundation
• Head of Planning & Transport - LB Wandsworth
• London Community Manager - Chelsea FC Foundation
• Manager - London Falcons FC (via club survey)
• Neighbourhood Team Manager - LB Wandsworth
• Regeneration Project Manager - LB Wandsworth
• Relationship Manager - London Sport
• Representative - Guy Mascolo Football Charity
• Representative - Wandsworth Schools District Team
• Secretary - AFC Wandsworth
• Secretary - Balham Badgers FC (via club survey)
• Secretary - Doverhouse Lions
• Secretary - FFK (Fit 4 Kids)
• Secretary - Parthenhope FC (via club survey)
• Secretary - Rosslyn Park RFC
• Secretary - Sporting Duet
• Secretary - Southern Sunday League
• Senior Public Health Lead - LB Wandsworth
• Sport Manager - University of Roehampton
• Sport & Physical Activity Manager - Enable LC
• Treasurer - Clapham Common Management Advisory Committee