3 Open Space for Sport- Playing Pitches

3.1 Within towns, due to the concentration of open space within a small number of large allocations, many residential areas have a limited supply of open space in the immediate vicinity. Playing fields, particularly school playing fields, thus form a significant proportion of open space in urban areas as well as being a vital component of the sporting infrastructure.

3.2 Rural settlements often lack any form of public open space and therefore playing fields may provide the only accessible open space available to a residential community. Consequently playing fields have an amenity function in addition to their purely recreational function and merit protection.

The Playing Pitch Update in 1999

3.3 An Update of the 1996 Playing Pitch Strategy was carried out in 1999. This concluded that although there had been a number of encouraging developments in terms of both new and improved provision, particularly in some smaller settlements, the underlying deficiencies in pitch provision within Barnstaple and Ilfracombe have not yet been addressed and indeed are now more serious than originally identified. Moreover the acute deficiency in Braunton was only temporarily relieved because of the demise of two clubs which ran 4 teams between them.

3.4 A further review of the situation for playing pitches has been undertaken for the preparation of this study. See Schedule 2 for supporting information. Progress towards the targets identified in the 1999 Update is shown in Table 3, with numbers and location of pitches then and now in Table 4.

OTHER OUTDOOR SPORTS FACILITIES

Court sports

3.5 For both tennis and netball the primary need is for floodlit all weather courts which can facilitate play throughout the year and during evenings and accommodate significant levels of use, rather than grass courts which are expensive to maintain and offer limited use. The study has highlighted areas where localised deficiencies exist.

3.6 The ‘multi use games area concept can embrace a wide range of facilities, from a one tennis court area in a remote rural village to a many court centre capable of catering for large netball or soccer competitions (80m x 105m) or for hockey (70m x 100m). Any area should be floodlit to allow for intensive use. Minimum size 20m x 40m can be accommodated on a site of 0.25 acres (0.1 hectares).

Bowls

3.7 9 bowling greens equates to 1 green per 9,956 which is an acceptable level of provision.

3.8 No targets for provision are recommended, but the District Council should give sympathetic consideration to the provision of new bowling greens, where demand is apparent.

Golf and pitch and putt facilities

3.9 All of these are private and are not included in the open space assessment as being very large areas of land. No emerging problems or generic issues have been identified other than a need for pay and play facilities, at existing courses where possible.

3.10 Other outdoor sports, for the sake of simplicity confined to those sports covered in the NPFA’s definition of outdoor sport, and including the athletics track at Braunton have been listed as covering 11 hectares of land. No specific issues have been identified. See also Table 6 and 6A which list all facilities.

Recommendations for new provision

3.11 The principal findings from the club survey are presented in Appendix 3 and 4. In essence, this identifies the following requirements:

Playing Pitches

Barnstaple area

a. At least one additional adult football pitch to serve Barnstaple teams The provision of playing pitches as necessary to keep pace with development in Roundswell

b An additional youth soccer pitch, the development of a mini soccer centre and the need for an ongoing review of pitches for youth football

c. One football pitch to meet North Devon League Premier Division requirements (fenced off and dug-outs)

Ilfracombe area

a. The upgrading of adult and junior pitches at Marlborough Park Additional rugby pitch(es)

b. Additional senior and junior football pitches (minimum of one each)

c. The provision of mini soccer pitches

Northern Rural area

a. Additional pitches to serve Fremington village

b. Further two adult football pitches in Braunton

c. Further two football pitches (senior and junior) and cricket pitch in Swimbridge

d. Football and cricket pitch provision in Combe Martin

e. Pitch provision in Instow

South Molton area

a. Additional football pitches in South Molton to include mini soccer

b. Junior football pitches at other locations e.g. East Anstey

Multi use games areas/court sports

3.12 In view of the need to provide such areas to cater for a wide variety of training and competition needs in pitch and court sports, it is recommended that proposals for MUGAs should be supported in all settlements of 1000+ and in settlements of 500+ where demand is proven. There should be at least two multi-use games areas in both Barnstaple and Ilfracombe and one in each of Braunton, Chulmleigh and South Molton, preferably on school sites with full community use.

Artificial Turf Pitches

3.13 The proposals for upgrading the outdoor pitch at Pilton Community College to a synthetic turf pitch and the provision of a half-size synthetic turf pitch at Ilfracombe are supported.