26 May 2010
Independent panel says, "No need to build new sports facilities"
The independent Facilities Inquiry panel, chaired by sports broadcaster John Inverdale, launched its report and recommendations to a wide range of stakeholders on 18 May 2010. The panel’s seven key recommendations were welcomed by all present, and as a result CCPR will seek meetings with ministers and other key decision-makers in order to progress these.
Driven by a panel led by sports broadcaster John Inverdale and supported by some of the sport sector’s biggest hitters, the inquiry suggests that little or no new spending on sport and recreation facilities is required to sustain any significant increases in participation.
The Inquiry members, after five months of evidence-taking, visits and deliberation, conclude that there are currently enough sport and recreation facilities in the UK – but many are either in too poor a condition or frustratingly sealed off to potential users.
Specifically the panel recommends two priority actions:
- Local authorities should not be afraid to ‘rationalise’ facilities where they are no longer fit for purpose or are located in the wrong place
- Schools should be forced to open their premises for out-of-hours usage.
Chair John Inverdale believes that implementing these recommendations could play a key role in delivering the participation target set as part of a legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"It’s not that we don’t have enough facilities – we have some unloved ones which need taking better care of and we have some really well-cared for facilities which people can’t get into.
"In some cases, councils should bite the bullet and close a poor or unused facility if it means it can re-invest in a better-placed or better-used facility. These kind of decisions aren’t always going to be popular but they are necessary if we are going to make proper use of what we’ve got."
Commenting on the fact that many new school sport facilities are closed to the public even when demand to use them is there, he added:
"It’s madness that we are spending hundreds of millions on gleaming new sports facilities around the country which then lie vacant at weekends and evenings – when community demand for them is the greatest. Schools already have the option to open them up – and some do – but they need to be compelled to improve access so that everyone has the chance to use them.
"The public spending environment isn’t going to get any easier. There’s no point in sport shouting into the wind for more money. That’s just not realistic any more. This country has to be a bit smarter about how it spends money on sports facilities and how it uses them and that will go a long way to solving some of the problems we have now."
The recommendations from the Facilities Inquiry are:
1) Local authorities must not be afraid to rationalise facilities where they are no longer fit for purpose or located in the wrong place.
- Evidence shows that closing two poor facilities in order to create one good one can lead to increased sporting participation.
2) Schools must be obliged to open the premises for out of hours sporting usage.
- Evidence shows that the availability of school sports facilities varies according to the attitude of the individual school. Yet opening up all school facilities could enable many more people to participate.
3) Greater research is required to understand the current location, condition and usage of facilities. Only then can investment be directed to where it will have the most impact.
4) All new facilities, whether on school or community sites must include social space for players, spectators and others. This contributes both to the quality of experience, and crucially may generate income to sustain the venue.
5) Voluntary and community groups must be more fully involved in facility provision. This would reduce costs and generate greater community ownership of the facility. Examples are as follows:
- A school providing access and giving responsibility to a badminton club one evening, and a basketball club the next; the security of venue would incentivise responsible stewardship
- A sports centre and local clubs creating formal user agreements, thus providing secure income for the centre and guaranteeing facility time for sport as opposed to other non-sporting uses;
- A local authority transferring a pavilion or changing rooms to local sports clubs, thus reducing costs for the local authority and providing an asset for the club from which to create a firm base and identity
6) Freely available outdoor space must appear more accessible. Whilst there is now increased access to open space, people do not understand how to get there, nor where to go upon arrival. Improved transport links to natural areas, and improved information on paths and routes would encourage greater usage among non-participants.
7) Access to and maintenance of waterways must be improved. At present access to the UK’s waterways is highly restricted, and maintenance is dramatically underfunded. Opening up high quality water and waterside recreation would hugely increase the facility stock.