22 Open space, sport, recreation and community facilities

22 Open space, sport, recreation and community facilities

National policy

22.1 NPPF supports planning policies which promote healthy and safe communities that include “high quality public space, which encourage the active and continual use of public areas.” NPPF also supports policies that “enable and support healthy lives, - for example through the provision of safe and accessible green infrastructure, sports facilities, local shops, access to healthier food, allotments and layouts that encourage walking and cycling.” 

22.2 NPPF states planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities (including quantitative or qualitative deficits or surpluses) and opportunities for new provision. Existing open space, sports and recreation facilities should be protected unless surplus or replaced.

22.3 Planning Practice Guidance highlights the importance of open space as a component in the achievement of sustainable development.

Evidence base

Key issues

  • Ensuring good quality sports and leisure facilities are accessible to local residents.
  • Ensuring new development contributes to the health and wellbeing of residents.
  • Ensuring all typologies open space, sport and recreation are delivered across the Borough to meet standards.
  • The emerging Cheshire and Warrington Local Nature Recovery Strategy – A key theme of the draft strategy is ‘more, bigger and joined up green infrastructure’.

Current adopted policy

Local Plan

 Policy reference

Policy summary

Local Plan (Part One)

SOC 5 Health and well-being

Policy sets out support for proposals which will meet the health and wellbeing needs of the boroughs’ residents.

Local Plan (Part One)

SOC 6 Open space, sport and recreation

Seeks to protect and enhance open space and ensures provision of open space, sports and recreations facilities to meet needs arising from new development.

Local Plan (Part Two)

DM 35 Open space provision in new residential development

Open space provision in new residential development to meet open space quantity standards.

Local Plan (Part Two)

DM 36 Provision for sport and recreation

Provision for sport and recreation to meet current and projected need.

Local Plan (Part Two)

DM 37 Recreational routeways

Seeking development adjacent to Public Rights of Way, footpaths, bridleways, cycle routes, canals and waterways to enhance/extend.

Local Plan (Part Two)

DM 39 Culture and community facilities

Supporting suitable culture and community facilities within urban areas.

Suggested policy approach

22.4 We consider the new Local Plan should seek to protect, manage and enhance existing open spaces, sport , recreation and community facilities and to provide a network of diverse, multi-functional open spaces as set out in current Local Plan (Part One) policy SOC 6. 

22.5 The suggested approach is to retain the current approach in Local Plan (Part One) policy SOC 6 and update to incorporate the specific content of Local Plan (Part Two) policy DM 35, which deals with open space and new development, Local Plan (Part Two) policy DM 36 with regard to sport and recreation facilities, and Local Plan (Part Two) policy DM 37 which protects the range of recreational routeways in Cheshire West from any harmful impacts arising from new development.

OS 1

Open space, sport and recreation

The suggested approach is to retain Local Plan (Part One) policy SOC 6, and combine with elements of Local Plan (Part Two) policies DM 35, DM 36 and DM 37.

The policy approach will continue to protect, manage and enhance existing open spaces, sport and recreation facilities to provide a network of diverse, multi-functional open spaces, ensuring that any policy wording will continue to:

  1. Support proposals that improve the quality and quantity of accessible open space, sport and recreation. This should include the improvement of the network of existing open spaces and improving accessibility to green corridors, and enhancing biodiversity in line with the suggested policy approach in GI 1 ‘Green infrastructure, biodiversity and geodiversity’
  2. Prevent development if it results in substantial harm to or total loss of an existing open space, sport and recreation facility.
  3. Outline the circumstances where development involving the loss of existing open space, sport and recreation facilities will be supported. This should include where there is a better replacement, surplus, or compensatory facilities are provided.
  4. Require that all major residential development makes provision for open space in accordance with the current open space quantity and accessibility standards and onsite thresholds as set out in current Local Plan (Part Two) policy DM 35 (including that all forms of residential development, including older person, student and extra-care schemes should make provision for open space).
  5. Developer contributions will be required for playing pitches based on the additional demand generated by new residential development having regard to Sport England’s planning tools and the latest Playing Pitch Strategy.
  6. Open space provision in new developments should be sought in the following order: on site, off-site, a financial contribution.

Recreational routeways

The suggested approach is to retain and update where necessary the current approach in Local Plan (Part Two) policy DM 37 which protects the range of recreational routeways in Cheshire West from any harmful impacts arising from new development.

Proposals that enhance public access and the recreation value of the recreational routeway network will be supported.

Strategic recreational routeways of particular importance within the borough, will be identified on the policies map.

Question OS 1

Do you agree with the suggested policy approach towards open space, sport and recreation, as set out in OS 1 ‘Open space, sport and recreation’ above? If not please suggest how it could be amended? 

Question OS 2

Are the current thresholds for developer contributions for open space and playing pitches suitable, or do you have any comments or suggestions for what they should be?

Question OS 3

Is the current evidence sufficient or does it require updating (Open Space Study and Playing Pitch Strategy)?

Question OS 4

Should the policy approach be more flexible in the order provision of open space in new developments? If yes, do you have any suggestions how this could be achieved?

22.6 We believe that the new Local Plan should seek to protect, manage and enhance facilities to meet the needs of different groups in the community as set out in current Local Plan (Part One) policy SOC 5. 

22.7 The policy approach will continue to support the development of new community facilities and protect the loss of existing facilities, unless demonstrated that it is surplus or not capable of continued use by retaining, and updating where necessary, the content of Local Plan (Part Two) policy DM 39.

OS 2

Cultural and community facilities

The suggested approach is to retain and update, where necessary, Local Plan (Part Two) DM 39 ensuring that  any policy wording will continue to:

  1. Avoid the loss of community and cultural facilities 
  2. Support proposals for new or improved community facilities and cultural or local services that serve the local community
  3. Provide an appropriate mechanism for schools (and other community facilities) to secure pay and play community access for sport and recreation through a community use agreement.
  4. Outline and clarify the circumstances where development involving the loss of existing community facilities, cultural or local services will be supported. This should include: where there is a surplus; the facility is no longer capable for use; the facility forms part of a larger community scheme; and/or compensatory facilities are provided.

Question OS 5

Do you agree with the suggested policy approach towards cultural and community facilities, as set out in OS 2 ‘Cultural and community facilities’ above? If not please suggest how it could be amended?