Local Football Facility Plan West Lindsey

West Lindsey is located in the East Midlands region.

The current population of the Authority (ONS 2016 Mid-Year Estimate) is 93,734 This is expected to rise to 105,211 by 2039.

West Lindsey is ranked 17 out of 40 LAs in the region, and 153 out of 326 LAs nationally on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (ONS).

West Lindsey’s ethnic composition is primarily white (98%). This is higher than the national average (85.4%).

The proportion of West Lindsey’s population represented by the BAME community is 2%. This is below the national average (14.6%).

Local authority

The Local Plan for Central Lincolnshire (which includes the areas of the City of Lincoln, North Kesteven and West Lindsey) covers the period 2012-2036. It includes Policy LP24 which states that the three authorities will seek to "reduce deficiencies in public open space, sports and recreational facilities." As part of this, they commit to ensure that new development provides an appropriate amount of new open space, sports and recreation facilities and/or improves the quality of, and access to, existing open spaces, sports and recreation facilities.

Health and Wellbeing Policy is also contained within the Local Plan. It states that “it is essential that community needs are supported through appropriate physical and social infrastructure, and by other facilities and key services which contribute to improving physical and mental health and wellbeing, and the overall quality of life experienced by residents.”

West Lindsey District Council plans to develop a new £6.3 million leisure facility in Market Rasen. The new facility will be built on land on Gainsborough Road in the Town. This new facility is scheduled to include a full-sized 3G FTP, fitness suite, dance studio, sports hall and changing facilities.

The local authority does not have a current PPS .

County football association

West Lindsey 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.

Active partnerships

Active Lincolnshire is the Active Partnership for the county of Lincolnshire. Its mission is to get everyone, every day more physically active. It has 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.

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). In West Lindsey the Gainsborough Trinity Foundation runs a variety of health, education, engagement, football and sporting activities in the local area.

Local leisure operator

In conjunction with the new leisure centre being built in Market Rasen, Everyone Active has been appointed to run the Council’s leisure contract. The arrangement means that the new purpose built facility at Market Rasen will replace the existing offers at both De Aston Sports Centre and Caistor Sports Hall, whilst there will be improved facilities in Gainsborough as part of a £1.4 million investment. This will see Everyone Active operating two key sites; West Lindsey Leisure Centre and Market Rasen Leisure Centre.

At present, Everyone Active does not manage any grass or 3G football provision; however, with the new leisure centre development, it will operate a full sized 3G FTP.

Local consultation

This has taken place with a broad and diverse set of community groups in West Lindsey. 17 individuals (representing 15 local organisations) were spoken to. Agencies consulted include:

• Gainsborough Trinity Foundation
• Scotter Playing Field Committee
• Gainsborough Town Council
• Caistor Town Council

Clubs

There are over 91,000 community football teams in England, spread over an expansive network of clubs and leagues. West Lindsey has a total of 148 teams, which is lower 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 West Lindsey, 4 clubs have more than ten registered teams. These (based upon 2018-19 affiliation data) are:

• Welton FC - 22 teams
• Marshall Sports JFC - 18 teams
• Scotter Juniors FC - 13 teams
• Nettleham FC - 12 teams

Several leagues operate across West Lindsey however only one league is specific to the local area; the Gainsborough Standard Sunday League which has 26 teams and offers competitive opportunity for adult male players.

The largest local leagues operating in West Lindsey (2018-19) include:

• Lincoln Co-Op Mid Lincs Youth League - male and female provision – 398 teams total with 41 teams from West Lindsey – home and away / central venue / central venue at multiple sites.
• Crofts Estate Agents Youth Football League - 130 teams, offers competitive opportunities for youth players with 6 teams from West Lindsey – home and away / central venue / central venue at multiple sites.
• Jack Kalson Junior League (Sunday) - 55 teams, offers competitive opportunities for youth players with 11 teams from West Lindsey – home and away / central venue / central venue at multiple sites.
• Jack Kalson Junior League (Saturday) - 50 teams, offers competitive opportunities for youth players with 12 teams from West Lindsey – home and away / central venue / central venue at multiple sites.
• Liberty Merchant Bar Junior Football League - 96 teams, offers competitive opportunities for youth players with 21 teams from West Lindsey – home and away / central venue / central venue at multiple sites.
• Lincoln & District Sunday League which totals 54 teams. It offers competitive opportunities for adult male players with 10 teams from West Lindsey – home and away.

The County FA reports some cross boundary migration to/from West Lindsey primarily due to teams migrating outwards to play in the 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 West Lindsey there are four football teams 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 sentres 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. West Lindsey has one FA Wildcats girls football centre and the priority is to grow this activity.

At six, West Lindsey number of female teams is lower than local areas of a similar size. The County FA’s priority is to support existing clubs to grow and encourage more clubs to develop playing opportunities for females. The local girls’ league 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 Womens County Football League in which 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 clubs (RTCs) are Doncaster Belles / York City located in Doncaster and York 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 Sheffield United 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.

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. There is currently no affiliated small sided provision within this area.

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 West Lindsey. It is a priority for the County FA to grow affiliated 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 no FA Just Play centres in West Lindsey. Affiliated walking football in West Lindsey has a total of two affiliated teams. Walking football and Just Play are prioritised by the County FA for further growth and development. Other local recreational football programmes include pro-club community scheme activity delivered by Gainsborough Trinity Foundation and casual, recreational bookings 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 West Lindsey is played across local parks and open spaces within the local authority.

The key strengths of local football in West Lindsey includes the Gainsborough Standard Sunday League. However, gaps in provision do exist. These include FA Just Play centres, small sided opportunity, disability provision, female provision, futsal provision and walking football. It is therefore recommended that the future football development priorities for West Lindsey are:

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

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 West Lindsey. 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 (11v11) 3G FTP 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.

FA data states that there are currently two full sized (11v11) 3G FTPs in West Lindsey. This represents a shortfall of two pitches relative to assessed demand.

Existing 3G FTPs in West Lindsey are located at:

• The Priory Pembroke Academy
• Riseholme College

In addition, a further full sized 3G FTP is due to be developed at the new Market Rasen Leisure Centre. This will reduce the current shortfall to one full-sized 3G FTP.

Further to this, there are currently two small-sided 3G FTPs in West Lindsey at:

• De Aston School (7v7)
• Welton Manor Park Sports Centre (7v7)

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

The small sided 3G FTP at Welton Manor Park Sports Centre is also available for community use. However, although the facility at Se Aston School was, until recently, available for community use this has now been withdrawn.

The geographic spread of existing facilities is uneven; the majority are located in the south of the local area. There are facilities provision gaps in the west and east despite significant populations plus, in the west, substantial levels of deprivation.

Local consultation reveals common issues with limited availability and substantial travel times. It is recommended that the plan see that these are addressed.

Two priority projects for potential investment are identified. Although the development of a full size pitch at Market Rasen Leisure Centre will reduce the current shortfall to one full-sized FTP, it is felt that two additional pitches may be required to satisfy future demand, one being a small-sided facility (at Caistor Grammar School). Nevertheless, the impact of provision at Market Rasen Leisure Centre should be thoroughly assessed, with further projects carefully considered to prevent potential oversupply.

Under-supply was calculated using the FA 3G FTP demand and supply model. Sites are proposed based upon a rationale of meeting existing affiliated and community football demand in key local settlements taking account of the quality of existing facilities, local deprivation levels and the proportions of people from lower social economic groups in the relevant catchments.

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, many players (63%) believe facilities are already expensive and some (16%) believe prices are prohibitive. A sustainable solution should, therefore, carefully balance pitch quality and affordability.

While the education sector (37%) and local authorities (32%) are still the principal asset owners of grass pitches, clubs / leagues own or maintain an increasing share (currently 25%). Assets and opportunities have been considered across each sector.

Although large (3+ pitch) strategic sites are important and make up much of the project list within the LFFPs, this does not mean that other club, league and community/voluntary sites are not important or eligible for funding. These sites are key to the Football Foundation's Grass Pitch Programme to deliver 20,000 good quality pitches.

For more information click here.

PitchPower

The PitchPower app is the gateway to any grass pitch improvement funding. It is the tool that will allow clubs and organisations to complete pitch inspections and access funds.

If you haven't signed up and completed a PitchPower pitch inspection, you will need to do this before you can apply for the Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund.

Learn more by clicking here.

There are currently 14 grass pitch sites in West Lindsey with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three but deemed to be of strategic importance). These contain 40 grass pitches. Eight sites have been prioritised for improvement; this will affect a total of 24 pitches.

Local consultation highlights common issues with poor quality and low levels of current maintenance and this plan seeks to make a start on addressing this.

A key point to note, is that two priority sites (in Saxilby - Mill Lane and Memorial Playing Field) due to their close proximity to each other, and shared management arrangements are being combined. They will, as a consequence, account for one project.

Seven priority projects for potential investment are, thus, identified. Prioritisation was based upon the rationale of selecting sites in the poorest condition, that have the potential to be best-utilised and are deemed to be of strategic importance.

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 West Lindsey with three or more full-size pitch equivalents (or with fewer than three pitches but of strategic importance), 11 have suitable changing rooms and three require improvement/replacement.

Three priority projects for potential investment are identified. Prioritisation was informed by local partners with the rationale of selecting sites which are deemed to have an unsuitable pavilion that requires replacement or refurbishment.

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 & 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 one indoor facility that requires improvement; West Lindsey Leisure Centre. There is an opportunity to further develop small-sided football at the site. In addition, there is opportunity to extend the indoor football offer at the new Market Rasen Leisure Centre.

Four potential opportunities for MUGAs have been identified. The rationale behind two of the projects; Danes Road and the Levelings, is based on the sites being located in areas with a relatively high population, limited green space and higher proportions of people from lower social economic groups - plus corresponding high local demand for informal football.

The remaining two projects; Scotter Playing Fields and Saxilby area, are based on these sites being located in more rural settlements, from where access to larger facilities is challenging due to the need to travel. As such, there is considered to be a need to provide more localised facilities to accommodate existing informal football demand.

Following local consultation no locations have been identified to support small-sided informal football in addition to the four MUGA projects.

• Senior Project Lead - Active Lincolnshire
• Director of Sport - Bishop Burton Colleges
• Partnership Manager - Caistor Grammar School
• Town Clerk - Caistor Town Council
• Contract Manager - Everyone Active
• Town Clerk - Gainsborough Town Council
• Chairman - Gainsborough Trinty FC
• Community Manager - Gainsborough Trinty Foundation
• Chairman - Gainsborough Trinity Foundation
• Chairperson - Market Rasen FC
• Secretary - Marshall Sports JFC
• Secretary - Nettleham FC
• Chairman - Saxilby Athletic FC
• Treasurer - Scotter Juniors FC
• Chairman - Scotter Playing Field Committee
• Community & Commercial Programme Manager - West Lindsey District Council
• Enterprising Communities Manager - West Lindsey District Council