In discussion with Hamish Gledhill, Senior Planning and Development Consultant
Across the country, many local and community sports clubs are facing increasingly complex, costly and onerous planning systems, leaving some considering selling their sites for development rather than facing the challenge of securing permission to improve their facilities.
Any development has to balance several competing agendas such as climate change and biodiversity. The planning system is weighted heavily in the belief that development generates profit levels that enables developers to fund interventions to mitigate against the impact of development.
For many local and community sports clubs this is simply not the case, yet they are facing the same planning obligations as more profitable developments. In a society where we are aiming to improve healthy and active lifestyles, surely the output of the development alone should be sufficient to counter other considerations?
It is becoming increasingly common for sports and community groups to invest in their pitch facilities to secure the long-term future of their clubs. Whilst a new artificial grass pitch requires a heavy financial commitment, the benefit to clubs is immense, as their usability can increase 20-fold. This can enable the pitch to be shared with other sports clubs and when they are not in use, they can be opened up for hire to the public – thus generating income to ensure their long-term maintenance. However, the planning process can generate additional costs that not only affect the financial viability of the scheme, but can also leave the club considering alternative options, including selling the land for development.
It is only right that some costs associated with a development are to ensure it is safe and fit for purpose, such as ensuring the impact on highway safety is within acceptable levels. However, many local authorities are imposing other requirements such as 50% of parking spaces being served by electric vehicle charging points and the remainder being served by ducting for future EV charging points. ‘Submit a Viability Appraisal’ we hear you cry, but how do you assess viability for a cash rich, well-managed club, who have been saving funds for club house improvements in the future. If you assess the development on its own, it is clearly not viable, as unlike housing or commercial development, it is not for financial gain. Furthermore there’s the non-negotiable biodiversity net gain (BNG), which is the nail in the coffin for many schemes.
Sports clubs and community groups invariably own or rent large areas of land to accommodate playing pitches. Whilst maintaining pitches is a priority, it is common for other areas of the site to be neglected allowing areas of shrubs to become overgrown and small, self-planted saplings to grow in to mature, largely unremarkable trees. It is then common for clubs to look at plans to develop their site assuming these unkempt areas can simply be cleared, without understanding the BNG costs associated with clearing these shrubs bushes and trees that have grown up through neglect over the previous 20 – 30 years.
Site clearance is not just the by-product of maximising the site area. Simply submitting a planning application for replacement facilities triggers the requirement for additional parking spaces, improvements to site access and circulation and even fire safety roads. It is frequently these elements alone that require the removal of plants, shrubs and trees. Safety considerations such as proximity of trees to pitches also result in pressure to remove trees, as well as the threat of damage to new artificial pitches and sub layers from root penetration, and damage from dead leaves lying on the pitch.
BNG guidelines suggest that each tree removed must be replaced with 10 -20 new trees, or the equivalent habitat units purchased. This can have a huge impact on the financial viability of a scheme. For example, we are currently dealing with a scheme where 30 trees of various size, age and quality have to be removed, and the client is looking at purchasing compensatory credits in the region of £250k.
It is against this backdrop that we welcomed the Government’s consultation on improving the implementation of BNG for minor, medium and brownfield development in May 2025. The option to include parks, gardens and playing fields development as being partially exempt from BNG would be welcomed, however the devil will be in the detail.
We want to ensure that the need for playing pitches and the benefits they bring remain high in the Government’s thinking when considering changes to the implementation of BNG. Sports clubs and community groups should be encouraged to enhance and develop their facilities, not only to ensure that communities have access to good quality sport and recreation facilities, but where land is becoming an ever increasingly scarce commodity, the understanding that modified, well-designed playing pitches can accommodate 20 times more activity than a natural turf pitch is essential. It’s worth considering that a standard football pitch is approximately 0.75 hectares. A 3G astro turf pitch can provide the same benefits as 15 hectares of natural pitches. We recognise these pressures are faced by clubs at every level and with decades of experience and unparalleled sports sector knowledge, we ensure innovative, sustainable and code compliant sports surfaces, from local playing fields to elite level tournaments and events.
To find out more about how we can help with planning processes, reach out to our team.
T: 01274 565131
