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Ploszajski Lynch

 Consulting Ltd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maidstone Borough Council

 

Playing Pitch Strategy

Final Draft

 

June 2018

 

 

 

 

                          

                          

CONTENTS

 

           

 

1                                  INTRODUCTION                                                                          1

                                               

2                                  THE LOCAL CONTEXT                                                               4

 

3                                  STRATEGIC INFLUENCES                                                         8

 

4                                  ASSESSING PITCH NEEDS                                                         12

 

5                                  FOOTBALL NEEDS                                                                       16

 

6                                  CRICKET NEEDS                                                                           60

 

7                                  RUGBY UNION NEEDS                                                               82

 

8                                  RUGBY LEAGUE NEEDS                                                             98

 

9                                  HOCKEY NEEDS                                                                           111

 

10                                 AMERICAN FOOTBALL NEEDS                                               127

 

11                                 LACROSSE NEEDS                                                                                    138

 

12                                 APPLYING AND REVIWING THE STRATEGY                      147

           

                       

1               INTRODUCTION

 

1.1    Introduction

 

Ploszajski Lynch Consulting Ltd. (PLC) was commissioned by Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) to produce a Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) for the borough. This is part of a wider assessment of sport and leisure provision in the borough which also includes indoor and outdoor built leisure facilities.

 

1.2    Strategic drivers

 

The primary purpose of the PPS is to provide a strategic framework which ensures that the provision of outdoor playing pitches meets the local needs of existing and future residents within Maidstone Borough. Development in the Borough has brought an increase in sports provision which is able to meet some of the needs of the area. However future development is likely to put a strain on the sporting infrastructure of Maidstone. The PPS will help to secure and safeguard sport in Maidstone now and in the future.

 

1.3    The aim and objectives of the strategy

 

1.3.1  Aim

 

The aim of the PPS is to provide Maidstone Borough Council with an assessment of all relevant outdoor sport facilities in the Borough. This will provide a baseline for current and future supply and demand assessments and also set out a vision with a strategic approach to sport and recreation provision in the Borough in the short, medium and long term (to 2031).

 

The strategy will also establish the principles to help inform where future resources should be focussed to ensure that proposed provision of pitches and related facilities will meet future demand and reflect sustainable development objectives.

 

1.3.2  Objectives

 

The objectives of the PPS are to:

 

·             Provide an evidence base for use in planning, investment and sports development decisions.

 

·             Refer to, and be in general accordance with, relevant national (including the National Planning Policy Framework), regional, sub-regional and local policies and priorities.

 

·             Provide a clear picture of existing supply, surpluses, deficit and anticipated future demand for pitches by sport and age bracket.

 

·             Assess the current supply of playing pitches including private facilities, with insight into the quality of these facilities and services, identifying possible future supply, including broad location and opportunities for opening up private sites for community use.

 

·             Make reference to provision of facilities immediately adjacent to the Borough to ensure a full picture of local provision is available.

 

·             Identify ways to increase opportunities for participation in sport and physical activity.

 

·             Consult with key established user groups such as local teams, the local Sport and Physical Activity Alliance, the governing bodies of the pitch sports (NGB’s), schools and education establishments and local key partners to apply local feedback to contextualise the results.

 

1.4    The scope of the strategy

 

1.4.1  The sports

 

The sports included in the Strategy are:

 

·             Football.

 

·             Cricket.

 

·             Rugby Union.

 

·             Rugby League.

 

·             Hockey.

 

·             American Football.

 

·             Lacrosse.

 

1.5    The study methodology

 

The methodology for the study follows the ’Playing Pitch Strategy Guidance’ (2013) approach to playing pitch assessments, developed by Sport England. The process involves five stages and ten steps as follows:

 

·                Stage A - Prepare and tailor the approach (Step 1).

 

·                Stage B - Gather information on the supply of and demand for provision (Steps 2 and 3).

 

·                Stage C - Assess the supply and demand information and views (Steps 4, 5 and 6).

 

·                Stage D - Develop the strategy (Steps 7 and 8).

 

·                Stage E - Deliver the strategy and keep it robust and up-to-date (Steps 9 and 10).

 

1.6    Strategy format

 

The structure of the Strategy document is as follows:

 

·             The local context.

 

·             Strategic influences.

 

·             Assessing playing pitch needs in Maidstone.

 

·             Football needs.

 

·             Cricket needs.

 

·             Rugby needs.

 

·             Hockey needs.

 

·             American Football needs.

 

·             Lacrosse needs.

 

·             Strategy implementation.

 

 

 

 

 

2            the local CONTEXT

 

2.1         Introduction

 

This section identifies the context within which playing pitch provision is made in Maidstone.

 

2.2         Background

 

Maidstone is the county town of Kent and occupies a central location in the county. It stands on the River Medway which links the town to the Thames estuary. The Borough of Maidstone is one of the most attractive areas in the country in which to live, work or to visit, lying between the North Downs and the Weald.  The borough's easy access to both the attractions of rural Kent and of London means that Maidstone itself and the nearby towns and villages are highly desirable locations. Maidstone is at the centre of a good transport network with good rail and motorway access to London, the Channel ports and thence to Europe.

 

2.3         Population

 

The key population statistics are as follows:

 

2.3.1  Current population

 

Maidstone is the most populous of the Kent districts.  The 2011 census measured the population as 155,143.  107,627 people live in the town of Maidstone, with the remainder located in surrounding villages. According to Kent County Council’s ‘Business Intelligence Statistical Bulletin’ (2017) the population of the borough increased to 166,400 by the middle of 2016, an increase of 11,257 (7%).

 

2.3.2  Age structure

 

Maidstone has a relatively elderly age structure. The borough has a slightly lower proportion of people aged under 25 years (29.4%) compared with Kent as a whole (29.8%).

 

2.3.3  Ethnicity

 

Maidstone’s population is comparatively ethnically homogeneous with 94% of residents classifying themselves as White. 3.2% classify themselves as Asian with 0.9% being Black African or Black Caribbean.

 

2.3.4  Population growth

 

MBC’s ‘Strategic Housing Market Assessment’ (2015) confirmed the objectively assessed housing need for the borough over the period 2011 to 2031 as 17,660 dwellings. Of these 8,335 have already been built or granted planning permission. This scale of development will increase the borough’s population by 22,380 to 177,523 people by 2031.  This will represent an increase of 14.4% over the 2011 census figure.

 

 

2.4         Deprivation

 

According to the Government’s 2015 Indices of Multiple Deprivation, Maidstone is a comparatively prosperous area.  It ranks 206^th out of 326 English local authorities in terms of overall deprivation. However, this overall rating does hide some local inequalities. Public Health England estimates that 4,100 children (14.3%) in the borough live in poverty.  

 

2.5         Health

 

Local health indices are recorded in Public Health England’s ‘Health Profile for Maidstone’ (2015). These show that in general the health of people in Maidstone is better than in England as a whole:

 

·             Life expectancy at birth is higher than the national averages by 0.8 years for men and 0.5 years for women. However, there is a life expectancy gap of 5.4 years for men and 3.8 years for women between the most and least deprived parts of the Borough.

 

·             17.3% of year 6 children in Maidstone are obese, compared with a national average of 19.1%.

 

·             Only 18.9% of adults in the Borough are obese, compared with a national average of 23%.

 

2.6         Participation in sport and physical activity

 

Sport England’s ‘Active People’ surveys 9 and 10 have identified the following key measures of adult (16+) participation in sport and physical activity in Maidstone:

 

2.6.1  Overall participation

 

Overall rates of regular adult participation in sport and physical activity (at least one session of 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week) in Maidstone in 2015/16 were 39.3%, which is above the Kent average of 35.4% and above the 38.3% figure for the south-east as a whole.

 

2.6.2  Volunteering

 

The percentage of the population volunteering to support sport for at least one hour a week in Maidstone is 11.5% which is below both the south-east average of 13.6% and the national average of 12.6%.

 

2.6.3  Club membership

 

The percentage of the population belonging to a sports club in Maidstone is 26.9% higher than the south-east average of 24.5% and the national average of 22%

 

2.6.4  Coaching

 

The percentage of the Maidstone population receiving sports coaching in the last twelve months was 13.1% in 2015/16, below the south-east average of 18.1% and the England average of 15.6%.

 

2.6.5  Organised competition

 

The percentage of the Maidstone population taking part in a sporting competition in the last twelve months was 16.1% in 2015/16, above the south-east figure of 15.6% and the national average of 13.3%.

 

2.6.6  Satisfaction

 

The percentage of adults who are very or fairly satisfied with sports provision in Maidstone in 2015/16 was 62.2%, below the south-east figure of 64.3% and in line with the England average of 62.2%.

 

2.6.7  Geographical variations

 

Whilst overall rates of participation in the borough are relatively high, there are large variations at Middle Super Output Area (MSOA) level, with two areas in the south of Maidstone town in the lowest quartile nationally and one around Staplehurst in the highest quartile.

 

 

Lowest quartile Low middle quartile Upper middle quartile Highest quartile

 

 

2.7         The implications for pitch provision

 

The implications of the local context for pitch provision in Maidstone:

 

·             A relatively elderly population: A relatively elderly age structure is typically associated with lower rates of participation in sport and physical activity, so this may reduce demand for the pitch sports in Maidstone.

 

·             A predominantly white population: Physical activity participation rates amongst the white population are typically higher than for other ethnic groups. The low proportion of Maidstone residents from black and minority ethnic groups may contribute to the relatively levels of involvement in sport locally.

 

·             Population growth: The borough’s population is projected to increase by 22,380 people by 2031. This will create significant additional demand for the pitch sports.

 

·             Overall sports participation rates: General participation rates in sport and physical activity are higher than the respective county and regional averages.

 

·             Club membership, coaching and formal competitions: Involvement with formal sports structures like club-based activity and coaching in Maidstone are relatively high. This suggests that the pitch sports, which involve all of these elements, should be relatively popular locally.

 

·             Geographical variations in participation: Analysis of participation rates at Middle Super Output Area level reveal significant differences between the urban and rural parts of the borough, which will impact upon demand patterns.

 

 

 

3            strategic influences

 

3.1         Introduction

 

This section examines the influence of relevant policies and priorities on playing pitch provision in Maidstone, including the impact of national strategies.

 

3.2         Maidstone Council’s Strategic Plan

 

The Council’s work is guided by ‘The Strategic Plan 2015-2020’.  The 2017/8 refresh of the plan sets out the vision for the area ‘that our residents live in decent homes, enjoy good health and a pleasant environment, with a successful economy that is supported by reliable transport networks’. The vision is being delivered through several Action Areas of which the most relevant to the PPS are:

 

·             Keeping Maidstone Borough an attractive place for all.

 

·             Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough.

 

These priorities are being delivered through several Action Areas of which the most relevant to the PPS are:

 

·             Ensuring there are good leisure and cultural attractions.

 

·             Encouraging the good health and wellbeing

 

Success in these areas will be measured by customer satisfaction with the council’s leisure and cultural attractions and some, unspecified health indicators.

 

3.3         Maidstone Local Plan

 

The Local Plan sets out local planning policies and identifies how land is used, determining what will be built where. Adopted local plans provide the framework for development and must be positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy. The Maidstone Borough Local Plan was adopted in October 2017 and sets out the spatial vision for the future as supporting the wider vision of the borough:

 

·             The council’s vision for the borough is set out in the community strategy and the strategic plan (2015) and its 2017/18 update. The Maidstone Borough Local Plan is the spatial expression of the council's vision.

 

·             The Plan sets out standards of provision for sports pitches at 1.6 hectares per 1,000 people in line with the national standard adopted by Fields in Trust. However, as identified in the review of Government planning policy below, local authorities are required to undertake a robust assessment of local needs based upon Sport England’s ‘Playing Pitch Strategy Guidance’ (2013) which places less reliance on per capita standards and more upon a detailed site-specific assessment of the supply-demand balance.

 

3.4         Kent Health and Wellbeing Strategy

 

Maidstone Borough Council is a member of the West Kent CCG Health and Wellbeing Board.  This board is responsible for delivery in that area of the wider ‘Kent Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2014-2017’ (2014).  The health vision as set out in the strategy is ‘to improve health and wellbeing outcomes, deliver better coordinated quality care, improve the public’s experience of integrated health and social care services, and ensure that the individual is involved and at the heart of everything we do’.

 

The strategy makes no mention of sport and physical activity is promoted only as a way of decreasing obesity.  No specific targets for participation are set out.

 

3.5         The Government’s Planning Policies

 

In March 2012, the Government published the ‘National Planning Policy Framework’ (2012), setting out its economic, environmental and social planning policies for England. Taken together, these policies articulate the Government’s vision of sustainable development, which should be interpreted and applied locally to meet local aspirations. The policies of greatest relevance to pitch provision and retention are as follows:

 

·               Sustainable development: ‘The purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. Sustainable development means development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

 

·               Health and well-being: ‘Local planning authorities should work with public health leads and health organisations to understand and take account of the health status and needs of the local population, including expected future changes, and any information about relevant barriers to improving health and well-being’.

 

·               Open space, sports and recreational facilities: ‘Access to good quality opportunities for sport and recreation can make an important contribution to the health and well-being of communities. The planning system has a role in helping to create an environment where activities are made easier and public health can be improved. Planning policies should identify specific needs and quantitative or qualitative deficits or surpluses of sports and recreational facilities in the local area. The information gained from this assessment of needs and opportunities should be used to set locally derived standards for the provision of sports and recreational facilities’.

 

·               ‘Existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be built on unless:

 

-          An assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space, buildings or land to be surplus to requirements; or

 

-          The need for and benefits of the development clearly outweigh the loss’.

 

The Government also issued ‘Planning Practice Guidance’ in 2014 and the following is of particular relevance to sports facilities and playing pitches:

 

·                Open space, sport and recreation provision: ‘Open space should be taken into account in planning for new development and considering proposals that may affect existing open space. It can provide health and recreation benefits to people living and working nearby’.

 

-         ‘Authorities and developers may refer to Sport England’s guidance on how to assess the need for sports and recreation facilities’.  

 

-         ‘Local planning authorities are required to consult Sport England in certain cases where development affects the use of land as playing fields. Where there is no requirement to consult, local planning authorities are advised to consult Sport England in cases where development might lead to loss of, or loss of use for sport, of any major sports facility, the creation of a site for one or more playing pitches, artificial lighting of a major outdoor sports facility or a residential development of 300 dwellings or more’.

 

·                Health and well-being: ‘Local planning authorities should ensure that health and wellbeing, and health infrastructure are considered in local and neighbourhood plans and in planning decision making’. 

 

-            ‘Development proposals should support strong, vibrant and healthy communities and help create healthy living environments which should, where possible, include making physical activity easy to do’.

 

-            ‘Opportunities for healthy lifestyles must be considered (e.g. planning for an environment that supports people of all ages in making healthy choices, helps to promote active travel and physical activity and promotes high quality open spaces and opportunities for play, sport and recreation).

 

3.6         The Government’s Sports Strategy

 

The Government’s sports strategy ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’ (2015) sets the context for a national policy shift. It contains the following material of relevance to pitch provision in Maidstone:

 

·             The Strategy seeks to ‘redefine what success looks like in sport’ by concentrating on five key outcomes: physical wellbeing, crazy wellbeing, individual development, social and community development and economic development.

 

·             The benefit of engaging those groups that typically do little or no activity is immense. Future funding will therefore focus on those people who tend not to take part in sport, including women and girls, disabled people, those in lower socio-economic groups and older people.

 

 

3.7         Sport England Strategy

 

Sport England’s strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ (2016) contains a significant policy shift to encourage more currently inactive people to become active, with a relative move away from support for programmes aimed at existing participants. Elements of particular relevance to pitch provision in Maidstone are as follows:

 

·             More money and resources will be focused on tackling inactivity because this is where the gains for the individual and for society are greatest.

 

·             There will be greater investment in children and young people from the age of five to build positive attitudes to sport and activity as the foundations of an active life.

 

·             Sport England will work with those parts of the sector that serve existing participants to help them identify ways in which they can become more sustainable and self-sufficient.

 

3.8         The implications for pitch provision

 

The implications of the key strategic influences on pitch provision in Maidstone are:

 

·             Maidstone Strategic Plan: Encouraging the good health and well-being of Maidstone residents is a key action area. The key challenge for the pitch sports is to ensure that their ‘offer’ is sufficiently relevant and attractive to engage a wider participation base, including people who are currently inactive.

 

·             Maidstone Planning policy: A robust, evidence-based assessment of playing pitch needs in the borough is required to inform planning policy, including the Local Plan review and this PPS will provide this.

 

·             National sports policy shifts: The move in national sports policy towards prioritising new participants will create a challenge for the pitch sports to ensure that their ‘offer’ is sufficiently relevant and attractive to engage a wider participation base, including people who are currently inactive. Recent innovations such as walking and small-sided versions of the sports might prove more attractive than the more traditional models, but this will have implications for facilities needs in the future, because this type of activity does not need to be accommodated on formal grass pitches.

 

4       ASSESSING PLAYING PITCH needs IN MAIDSTONE

 

4.1         Introduction

 

This section explains the basis upon which the current playing pitch needs in Maidstone have been identified, along with the approach for identifying the additional provision that will be needed as a result of population growth.

 

4.2         Assessing current needs

 

The methodology applied to assess the supply-demand balance for pitches and related facilities follows Sport England’s recommended methodology, advocated in ‘Playing Pitch Strategy Guidance’ (2013). To assess whether the current provision is adequate to meet existing demand an understanding of the situation at all sites available to the community needs to be developed.  This is achieved by providing a brief overview for each site, which comprises:

 

·                A comparison between the carrying capacity of a site and how much demand currently takes place there. The carrying capacity of a site is defined as the amount of play it can regularly accommodate over an appropriate period of time without adversely affecting its quality and use. Demand is defined in terms of the number of ‘match equivalent’ sessions at each site.

 

·                An indication of the extent to which pitches and related facilities are being used during their respective peak periods.

 

·                The key issues with and views on the provision at a site and its use.

 

·                The site overviews identify the extent to which pitches are

 

- Being overplayed - where use exceeds the carrying capacity.

 

- Being played to the level the site can sustain - where use matches the carrying capacity.

 

- Potentially able to accommodate some additional play - where use falls below the carrying capacity.

 

The situation at individual sites can then be aggregated to identify the position at a wider geographical area, to identify the potential for excess demand at some sites to be accommodated by excess supply at others in the locality. Other factors can also be assessed such as:

 

·                Any demand being accommodated on sites with unsecured community access.

 

·                The impact of latent or displaced demand.

 

·                The situation at priority sites.

 

This analysis then enables an assessment to be made of the adequacy of existing pitch and related facility provision.

 

4.3         Assessing future needs

 

4.3.1 Assessment methodology

 

The methodology applied to assess the additional future needs for pitches and related facilities arising from population growth also involves the approach advocated in Sport England’s PPS guidance, namely:

 

·                Establishing projected population change.

 

·                Analysing sports development proposals and participation trends.

 

·                Considering existing deficiencies or spare capacity.

 

·                Taking account of any forthcoming changes to facility supply.

 

4.3.2 Assessed demand parameters

 

Analysis of the above factors influencing the future supply and demand for playing pitches in the borough has led to the following conclusions, which are reflected in the subsequent assessment of future needs:

 

·                Population change: MBC’s ‘Strategic Housing Market Assessment’ (2015) confirmed the objectively assessed housing need for the borough over the period 2011 to 2031 as 17,660 dwellings. Of these 8,335 have already been built or granted planning permission. This scale of development will increase the borough’s population by 22,380 to 177,523 people by 2031.  This will represent an increase of 14.4% over the 2011 census figure.

 

·                Participation trends: According to Sport England’s ‘Active People’ survey, participation at a national level in all the pitch sports has remained static or fallen in the period since 2005, in some cases by quite significant margins. This means that future increases in participation in the pitch sports cannot be assumed based upon historic trends and have therefore not been factored in to projected needs.

 

·                Sports development initiatives: A limited range of sports development initiatives is delivered in Maidstone involving the pitch sports. There are no firm proposals to expand or amend the current programmes and an increase in participation directly attributable to these activities has therefore not been factored in to projected future needs.

 

·                Changes in supply: Any known proposed gains or losses in pitches and related facilities provision will influence the ability to accommodate the additional demand arising from the increased population and this has been included in the capacity assessments.

 

4.4         Delivering future needs

 

4.4.1 Process

 

To identify the most appropriate way to meet the additional pitch and related facilities needs arising from population growth, four sequential questions were addressed:

 

·                Existing deficiency or spare capacity: To what extent do existing pitches and related facilities have any current shortfalls or any over-supply?

 

·                Additional needs: What additional needs will arise from population growth?

 

·                Accommodating needs: Which needs can be met in whole or part by spare capacity in existing pitches and related facilities and which will need to be met in whole or part by new provision?

 

·                Extra pitches: What extra pitches and related facilities of each type are required to provide for the residual unmet demand?

 

4.4.2 Methodology

 

The methodology provides quantified answers to the above questions as follows:

 

·              Current provision: The adequacy of current provision and any existing spare capacity was assessed using Sport England’s approved methodology, adapted where appropriate to assess informal demand and facilities.

 

·              Additional needs: Additional needs were calculated by identifying the existing Team Generation Rates in the borough, to identify the number of people that are currently required to form a team of various types in each of the pitch sports. These figures have then been applied to the projected population increases, to calculate the gross additional team and related pitch needs arising from an extra 22,380 people.

 

·              Net requirements: The net requirement for additional provision was calculated by comparing the extra required capacity to the current spare capacity where appropriate, to identify the difference.

 

·              Location of provision: The location of additional pitch and related facilities needs was established by comparing the respective levels of projected population growth in each part of the borough.

 

4.5         Sources of information

 

4.5.1    Consultation

 

Information was gathered from a wide range of consultees including:

 

·                    Sport England: Guidance on the assessment methodology.

 

·                    Maidstone Borough Council: Consultation with officers from Leisure, Planning and Grounds Maintenance on their respective areas of responsibility.

 

·                    Neighbouring local authorities: Information on their playing pitch assessments and the impact of any cross-border issues.

 

·                    Kent Sport: Information on local and wider strategic priorities.

·                    Governing bodies of sport: Information on local and wider strategic priorities and local supply and demand information.

 

·                    Individual pitch sports clubs: Information on playing pitch usage patterns, current and future needs and opinions on quality.

 

·                    Parish Councils: Information on the quantity and quality of pitches that they provide.

 

·                    Schools: Information on playing pitch needs and aspirations and attitudes towards community use.

 

4.6         The criteria assessed

 

4.6.1 Quantity

 

The number of pitches and related facilities was established and cross checked against other sources provided by local stakeholders and consultees.

 

4.6.2 Quality

 

The quality of playing pitches was assessed by visiting every pitch in the borough during the respective playing seasons and assessing quality criteria using the recognised non-technical visual assessment criteria. The ratings for each aspect of each pitch were checked and challenged via the clubs’ survey and stakeholder consultation and amended where necessary.

 

4.6.3 Accessibility

 

The accessibility of pitches, in particular the extent of secured community use and pricing was assessed, to identify any barriers to use that might impact on the capacity of local provision.

 

4.6.4 Access

 

The geographical spread of each type of pitch was mapped, the extent of catchment coverage was then determined and any gaps established.

 

4.6.5 Strategic priority

 

The assessment of need and priorities for provision was identified by the governing bodies of the respective pitch sports.

 

4.6.6 Used capacity

 

The used capacity of existing pitches at each site was assessed using a bespoke supply-demand spreadsheet.

 

4.7         Summary

 

The approach outlined above has been applied in the following sections to identify the playing pitch needs of football, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, hockey, American football and lacrosse.

5       FOOTBALL NEEDS IN MAIDSTONE

 

5.1         Key stakeholders

 

The key stakeholders delivering football in Maidstone are:

 

·                    Kent FA: Ten of the football clubs in the borough affiliate to the Kent FA.

 

·                    FA-affiliated clubs: There are 45 FA-affiliated clubs in Maidstone, who collectively run 58 adult teams, 106 youth teams and 68 mini-soccer teams.

 

·                    Pitch providers: A range of organisations provide football pitches in the borough, in particular schools and parish councils.

 

5.2         Strategic context

 

5.2.1  Football Association

 

The Football Association’s ‘National Game Strategy 2015 - 2019’ has a number of targets with important implications for football and its facilities needs at grassroots level (see box below).

 

·           Boost female youth participation by 11% by 2019. ·           Increase the number of over 16’s playing every week by over 200,000, by offering a variety of formats by 2019. ·           Create 100 new ‘3G’ football turf pitches and improve 2,000 grass pitches by 2019. ·           Develop Football Hubs in major centres of population. ·           Ensure that 50% of youth football and mini-soccer matches are played on ‘3G’ pitches by 2019.

 

5.2.2  Neighbouring local authorities

 

Playing pitch strategies in neighbouring local authority areas identify cross-boundary issues:

 

Ashford   The Council is in the final stages of producing a new playing pitch strategy.  Draft findings include: ·             All latent demand can be met from within current provision. ·             There will be a need to provide seven additional adult pitches, three youth 11v11, three youth 9v9, three mini-soccer 7v7 pitches and two mini soccer 5v5 pitches to meet the needs of anticipated population growth. ·             One team from Ashford plays at Swadelands School in Maidstone, but there is no evidence of any exported demand to Ashford.

 

Medway   The council has an adopted strategy dating from 2012 which it plans to revise in 2018.  The strategy identified: ·           No need for additional adult pitches or ‘3G’ pitches. ·           A shortage of up to 36 youth pitches and 11 mini-soccer pitches. ·           There is no evidence of any imported football demand from Maidstone, nor any exported demand to Maidstone.   Swale   The council has an adopted playing pitch strategy dating from 2015.  It identifies: ·           A shortage of junior/mini football pitches, especially in the Sittingbourne area. ·           This can be met through converting surplus senior pitches and increasing access to education sites that are not currently available for community use. ·           There is no evidence of any imported football demand from Maidstone, nor any exported demand to Maidstone.   Tonbridge and Malling   The council will shortly be finalising a Pitch Strategy.  Its most recent assessment states that: ·           Football is ‘favourably provided for’. ·           However, there is a shortfall of 12 junior football pitches offset by a surplus of 9 adult football pitches. ·           The council has plans to improve facilities at Tonbridge Racecourse and Tonbridge Farm pitch complexes. ·           There is no evidence of any imported football demand from Maidstone, nor any exported demand to Maidstone.   Tunbridge Wells   The council is finalising a playing pitch strategy in 2018. However, there is no evidence of any imported football demand from Maidstone, nor any exported demand to Maidstone.

 

5.2.3  Implications of the strategic context

 

The implications of the strategic context for football in Maidstone are as follows:

 

·                Participation increases: The FA’s target increases in participation amongst the over 16s need to be set in the context of falling demand locally for adult league football.

 

·                ‘3G’ pitches: The increased dependence on ‘3G’ football turf pitches for youth football and mini-soccer matches by 2019 will fit well in an area where there are good levels of provision of such pitches.

 

·                Exported demand: There is no evidence of any imported football demand from Maidstone, nor any exported demand to Maidstone.

5.3         Football pitch demand in Maidstone

 

5.3.1     Expressed demand

 

The following football clubs and teams are affiliated to the Kent FA and are based in Maidstone. The information was supplied by the Kent FA through its ‘Whole Game System’ database, cross-referenced to the clubs’ survey.

 

A questionnaire survey of clubs affiliated to the Kent FA produced responses from 17 clubs, collectively representing 182 teams or 78.4% of the 232 affiliated teams in Maidstone. The following clubs responded:

 

·                AFC Ashford Athletic

·                Bearsted FC

·                Coxheath and Farleigh FC

·                Castle Colts FC

·                Kent Police FC

·                Lenham Wanderers FC

·                Loose Lions FC

·                Maidstone Athletic FC

·                Maidstone Tempests FC

·                Maidstone United FC

·                Marden Minors FC

·                MPE FC

·                Staplehurst Monarchs United FC

·                Staplehurst Monarchs Youth FC

·                Vinters FC

·                Whitehawks FC

·                Yalding and Laddingford FC

 

Club	Match venue	Training venue	Adult teams	Youth (11v11) teams	Youth (9v9) teams	Mini (7v7) teams	Mini (5v5) teams
AFC Ashford Athletic	Swadelands School	Homelands Stadium	1	-	-	-	-
Barming Youth FC	Barming Primary School Barming Heath Giddyhorn Recn. Ground Gatland Recn. Ground New Barming Pavilion	Maplesden Noakes School	-	7	5	5	4
Bearsted FC	Bearsted FC Bearsted Green Chart Sutton Memorial PF	Bearsted FC Bearsted Green Swadelands School	1	8	4	3	-
Blue Eagles FC	Langley Recn. Ground	Langley Recn. Grd.	1	-	-	-	-
Castle Colts FC	The Orchard Ground Allington Primary School	The Orchard Ground Allington Prim Sch	-	1	7	3	5
Castle Wanderers FC	The Orchard Ground Allington Primary School	The Orchard Grd.	-	1	-	1	2
Coxheath & Farleigh	Chart Sutton Memorial PF Beacon Playing Field	The Orchard Grd. Cornwallis Academy	1	2	2	2	1
Club	Match venue	Training venue	Adult teams	Youth (11v11) teams	Youth (9v9) teams	Mini (7v7) teams	Mini (5v5) teams
Coxheath Colts JFC	Beacon Playing Field	Cornwallis Academy	-	-	2	-	-
Cross Keys (Sunday)	KGV Playing Field, Loose	-	1	-	-	-	-
Fisherman's Arms FC	Sutton Valence Mem. Grd	-	1	-	-	-	-
Headcorn FC	Headcorn Football Club	Headcorn FC	2	-	-	-	-
Headcorn Juniors FC	Headcorn Football Club Ulcombe Recreation Ground	Headcorn FC	-	2	1	3	2
Hollingbourne FC	Lance Memorial PF	Lance Memorial PF	1	-	-	-	-
Hunton FC	KGV Playing Field	-	1	-	-	-	-
Independent Maidstone Utd Supporters FC	The Gallagher Stadium	-	1	-	-	-	-
Kent County Squad	The Gallagher Stadium	The Gallagher Stad	1	-	-	-	-
Kent Police FC	Police HQ	-	1	-	-	-	-
Kings Park Rangers FC	Swadelands School ‘3G’	-	1	-	-	-	-
Lenham Wanderers FC	William Pitt Field Swadelands School	William Pitt Field Swadelands School	2	4	2	-	-
Loose Lions FC	Molehill Copse Pr. School Leeds Playing Field Sutton Valance Mem. Grd.	Molehill Copse Pr. School	-	4	1	2	1
Maidstone Int. FC	Shepway Green Pitches	Kings Hill Sp. Park	1	-	-	-	-
Maidstone Kestrels FC	Parkwood	-	1	-	-	-	-
Maidstone Tempests FC	Mote Park	Strood Sp. Centre	1	-	-	-	-
Maidstone United FC	The Gallagher Stadium	The Gallagher Stad	6	-	-	-	-
Maidstone Utd Ladies & Girls	Giddyhorn Recn Ground Cornwallis Academy	The Gallagher Stadium	1	-	2	2	1
Maidstone Utd Raiders	The Gallagher Stadium Bower Grove School	Bower Grove School	7	1	1	1	-
Maidstone Utd Youth FC	Oakwood Park School The Gallagher Stadium	Oakwood Park Sch The Gallagher Stad	-	6	2	3	4
Malgo FC	The Maplesden Noakes Sch.	-	1	-	-	-	-
Mangravet Utd FC	Sutton Valence Mem Ground	-	1	-	-	-	-
Marden Minors FC	Pattenden Lane	Pattenden Lane	2	-	1	-	-
MPE FC	Madginford Primary School South Park Mallards Way Parkwood	-	-	2	2	3	4
Park Royal (Maidstone)	Civil Service Sports Soc. Club	-	1	-	-	-	-
Parkwood Jupitors FC	Parkwood	-	1	-	-	-	-
Roseacre Raiders FC	Elizabeth Harvie Field Parish Recreation Ground Roseacre Junior School South Borough Prim. Sch.	Valley Park School Elizabeth Harvie Field	-	1	5	1	3
Soccer Elite FA Ltd.	Maplesden Noakes ‘3G’	Maplesden ‘3G’	3	-	1	2	-
Staplehurst Monarchs United FC	Jubilee Playing Field	-	2	-	-	-	-
Staplehurst Monarchs YFC	Jubilee Playing Field	Bethany School	-	6	4	2	1
Sutton Valance Athletic	Sutton Valance Mem. Grd.	Sutton Valance M.G.	1	-	-	-	-
Vinters FC	Valley Park School	Valley Park School	4	12	6	-	5
Club	Match venue	Training venue	Adult teams	Youth (11v11) teams	Youth (9v9) teams	Mini (7v7) teams	Mini (5v5) teams
Walnut Wanderers FC	Oakwood Park School	Oakwood Park GS	1	-	-	-
Weavering AFC	Mote Park	Mote Park	1	-	-	-	-
West Farleigh FC	Elmscroft Park	Elmscroft Park	3	-	-	-	-
Whitehawks FC	Swadelands School 3G New Line Learning Academy	Swadelands 3G	2	-	-	-	-
Yalding & Laddingford	The Kintons	Mascalls Academy	2	1	-	1	1
TOTALS	-	-	58	58	48	34	34

 

The key demand issues are as follows:

 

·                Team numbers: There are 57 adult men’s teams, one adult women’s team, 57 youth male (11v11) teams, one youth female (11v11) team, 38 youth male (9v9) teams, 10 youth female (9v9) teams, 34 mini-soccer (7v7) teams and 34 mini-soccer (5v5) teams that draw the majority of their membership from Maidstone.

 

·                Women and girl’s football: Football for women and girls is under-developed in Maidstone, with only one adult and one youth 11v11 team.

 

·                Club to team ratios: On average, football clubs in Maidstone have 5.5 teams.  This compares favourably with the national average of 3.3 teams per club, suggesting that clubs are better organised and more sustainable than elsewhere.

 

·                Charter Standard Clubs: Of the 45 clubs in Maidstone 16 have achieved the FA’s quality-assured Charter Standard status.  This is 33% which compares with the national average of 27%. In terms of teams, 89% (156 out of 175) of youth and mini-soccer teams play within a Charter Standard club in Maidstone, compared with the national average of 81.1%. This means that the benefits of belonging to an accredited club with formalised safeguarding procedures and qualified coaches is enjoyed by the majority of youth and mini-soccer players in Maidstone.

 

5.3.2     Expressed demand trends

 

Overall football participation by adults is falling across the country. The ‘Active People’ survey shows that participation has fallen from 3.15 million adult players in 2010/11 to 2.66 million in 2015/16. This is reflected in Maidstone where there has been a decline in adult demand in recent years. For example, the Maidstone and District Football League, which is the grass-roots Saturday competition now has 22 teams in two divisions compared with six divisions of 12 to 14 teams at its height in the late 1980s. Similarly, the Maidstone and Mid-Kent League which plays on a Sunday has reduced from 72 teams in the early 1990s peak, to 32 teams in season 2016/17. Conversely, football participation amongst young people is strong across the country aided in part by the increase in participation by female players.  Data from the FA and the survey returns from Maidstone clubs shows a strong and relatively stable position in the mini and youth leagues centred around Maidstone.  

 

·                The Maidstone Invicta Primary League (U7 to U11) has had a stable membership of around 220 mini-soccer teams in recent years.

 

·                The Maidstone Boys Primary League (U12 to U15) increased from 112 to 119 teams at youth level over the last four years.

 

·                The Maidstone Minor League (U16 and U18) has increased from 38 to 48 teams over the last four years.

 

5.3.3     Displaced demand

 

Displaced demand relates to play by teams or other users of playing pitches from within the study area which takes place outside of the area. Examination of the data on where Maidstone-based teams play their home games revealed that only three teams from Marden Minors are having to travel outside of the borough (to Tonbridge and Malling) to access pitches for home matches and training. However, 80% of respondents to the football clubs survey reported a difficulty in accessing local facilities, in particular youth and mini-soccer pitches. Only 58% of clubs reported that they always played at their preferred venue. Whilst there is no displaced demand at present, this position is likely to change in the longer term.

 

5.3.4     Unmet demand

 

Unmet demand takes a number of forms:

 

·                Teams may have access to a pitch for matches but nowhere to train or vice versa.

 

·                Pitches of a particular size or type may be unavailable to the community.

 

·                The poor quality and consequent limited capacity of pitches in the area and/or a lack of provision and ancillary facilities which meet a certain standard of play/league requirement.

 

There is some evidence of unmet demand, although consultation with local clubs and pitch providers indicated that this has less to do with the quantity of provision than:

 

·                Site capacity: Some larger clubs noted a lack of multi-pitch sites large enough to enable them to play at a single venue.

 

·                Accessibility: Two central Maidstone clubs complained about having to travel to other parts of the borough to access pitches.

 

·                Changing facilities: Poor or non-existent changing rooms and showers were cited by 29% of teams as being unacceptable.

 

·                Cleanliness: 39% of teams complained about dog fouling and litter.

 

·                Affordability: Several of the larger clubs indicated a lack of affordable training venues.  Some floodlit sites at schools around the borough, but these are perceived to be expensive particularly as most schools prefer to block book facilities.

 

5.3.5     Latent demand

 

Whereas unmet demand is known to currently exist, latent demand is demand that evidence suggests may be generated from a population if they had access to more or better provision. The Kent FA believes that there is no clear evidence of latent demand for football in Maidstone.

           

5.4         Football pitch supply in Maidstone

 

5.4.1     Introduction

 

This section summarises the detail of football facilities supply in Maidstone, including:

 

·                ‘3G’ football turf pitches.

 

·                Other artificial grass pitches used for football.

 

·                Grass football pitches.

 

5.4.2     ‘3G’ football turf pitches

 

The ‘3G’ football turf pitches in Maidstone are detailed below. All the pitches are on the FA’s ‘3G’ Pitch Register and can be used for training and matches where competition rules allow.

 

Site	Address	Size	Year built
Swadelands School	Ham Lane, Lenham ME17 2LL	105m x 65m	2010
The Gallagher Stadium	James Whatman Way, Maidstone ME14 1LQ	105m x 70m	2016
The Maplesden Noakes School	Buckland Road, Maidstone ME16 0TJ	100m x 60m	2008
Valley Park School	Huntsman Lane, Maidstone ME14 5DT	105m x 70m	2014
YMCA (Maidstone)	Melrose Close, Maidstone ME15 6BD	90m x 45m	2011

 

5.4.3     Other artificial turf pitches

 

The following pitches, whilst non-specialist football surfaces, have some football usage:

 

Site	Address	Surface	Size	Year built
Invicta Grammar School	Huntsman Lane, Maidstone ME14 5DS	Sand-filled	88m x 53m	2015
Maidstone Hockey Club	Armstrong Road, Maidstone ME15 6AX	Sand-dressed	97m x 60m	2011

 

5.4.4     Grass football pitches

 

Provision of grass pitches with regulation line markings and goalposts for organised football are as follows. Pitches shown in brackets are overmarked onto another pitch with resultant reductions in usage capacity. The dimensions of the pitches are as follows:

 

 

 

 

·                Available for community use and used:

 

Site	Address	Adult 11v11	Youth  11v11	Youth 9v9	Mini 7v7	Mini 5v5
Allington Primary School	Hildenborough Cres, Maidstone ME16 0PG	-	-	1	2	1
Barming Heath	Heath Road, Barming ME16 9LQ	-	1	-	-	-
Barming Primary School	Belmont Close, Barming ME16 9DY	-	-	1	1	1
Beacon Playing Field	Linden Road, Coxheath ME17 4RA	-	1	1	1	1
Bearsted FC	Honey Lane, Bearsted ME15 8RG	1	-	2	1	-
Bearsted Green	Church Lane, Maidstone ME14 4EF	-	2	-	-	-
Bower Grove School	Font Lane, Maidstone ME16 8NL	-	-	-	1	-
Chart Sutton Memorial PF	Wormlike Road, Chart Sutton ME17 3RS	1	-	-	-	-
Civil Service Sports & Social Club	Recreation Close, Maidstone ME14 5AZ	1	-	-	-	-
Cornwallis Academy	Hubbard Lane, Coxheath ME17 4HX	-	-	1	-	-
Elizabeth Harvie Field	Trapfield Close, Bearsted ME15 6TL	-	-	-	-	1
Elmscroft Park	Charlton Lane, Maidstone ME15 0PB	1	-	-	-	-
Gatland Recreation Ground	Fanta Lane, Maidstone ME16 8NL	-	1	1	-	-
Giddyhorn Recreation Ground	Poplar Grove, Maidstone ME16 0BY	-	-	-	1	2
Headcorn Football Club	Grigg Lane, Headcorn TN27 9LU	1	-	-	1	1
Jubilee Playing Field	Headcorn Road, Staplehurst TN12 0DS	1	1	1	1	1
King George V Playing Field	West Street, Hunton ME15 0RR	1	-	-	-	-
King George V Playing Field	Walnut Tree Avenue, Loose ME15 9RN	1	-	-	-	-
Kent Police HQ	Sutton Road, Maidstone ME15 9BZ	2	-	-	-	-
Lance Memorial Playing Field	Greenway Ct. Rd., Hollingbourne ME17 1QQ	1	-	-	-	-
Langley Recreation Ground	Horseshoes Lane, Langley ME17 3JY	1	-	-	-	-
Leeds Playing Field	Upper Street, Leeds ME17 1RU	-	1	-	-	-
Madginford Primary School	Egremont Rd., Maidstone ME15 8LH	-	-	-	1	-
Maidstone Leisure Centre	Mote Park, Maidstone ME15 8NQ	2	-	-	-	-
Mallards Way	Murrain Drive, Maidstone ME15 8XJ	-	-	1	-	1
Marden Minors FC	Pattenden Lane, Marden TN12 9QJ	1	-	1	-	-
Molehill Copse Primary Academy	Hereford Rd., Maidstone ME15 7ND	-	-	1	1	1
New Barming Pavilion	Church Lane, Maidstone ME16 9HA	-	-	1	-	-
New Line Learning Academy	Boughton Lane, Loose, Maidstone ME15 9QL	2	-	-	-	-
Oakwood Park Grammar School	Oakwood Park, Maidstone ME16 8AH	1	-	-	-	-
Parish Recreation & Sports Field	Lenham Road, Kingswood ME17 1LX	1	-	-	-	-
Parkwood	Longshaw Road, Maidstone ME15 9JD	1	-	-	-	-
Roseacre Junior School	The Landway, Bearsted ME14 4BL	-	-	1	-	-
Shepway Green	Cumberland Ave, Maidstone ME15 7JP	1	-	-	-	-
South Borough Primary School	Postley Rd., Maidstone ME15 6TL	-	-	1	-	-
South Park	Armstrong Rd., Maidstone ME15 6AZ	-	-	1	-	-
Swadelands School	Ham Lane, Lenham ME17 2LL	2	-	-	-	-
The Kintons	Vicarage Road, Yalding ME18 6DP	2	-	-	1	1
The Maplesden Noakes School	Great Buckland, Maidstone ME16 0TJ	4	-	-	-	-
The Orchard Ground	Castle Road, Maidstone ME16 0PZ	1	1	2	-	-
Ulcombe Recreation Ground	The Street, Ulcombe ME17 1DX	-	1	-	-	-
Valley Park School	Huntsman Lane, Maidstone ME14 5DT	3	-	3	-	-
War Memorial Playing Field	North Street, Sutton Valance ME17 3HT	1	1	-	-	-
William Pitt Field	Old Ham Lane, Lenham ME17 2LR	1	-	1	-	-
TOTALS	-	35	10	21	12	12

 

 

·                Available for community use and not used:

 

Site	Address	Adult 11v11	Youth  11v11	Youth 9v9	Mini 7v7	Mini 5v5
Bearsted Woodland Trust	Church Lane, Bearsted ME14 4EE	-	-	-	1	-
Bell Wood Primary School	Brishing Lane, Bell Wood ME15 9 EZ	-	-	-	1	-
Boughton Monchelsea Rec. Grd.	Church St., Boughton Monchelsea ME17 4HN	-	1	-	1	-
Coxheath Primary School	Stockett Lane, Coxheath ME17 4PS	-	-	-	1	-
Coxheath Recreation Ground	Stockett Lane, Coxheath ME17 4PY	-	-	1	2	-
Headcorn Primary School	King’s Road, Headcorn TN27 9QT	-	-	1	-	-
Kingswood Primary School	Cayser Drive, Kingswood ME17 3QF	-	-	-	1	-
Lenham Primary School	Ham Lane, Lenham ME17 2LL	-	-	-	1	-
Loose Primary School	Loose Road, Loose ME15 9UW	-	-	-	1	-
Maidstone Leisure Centre	Mote Park, Maidstone ME15 8NQ	-	-	2	1	-
Marden Playing Fields	Rookery Path, Marden TN12 9HL	1	-	-	-	-
Penenden Heath	Heath Rd., Maidstone ME14 2DA	1	-	-	-	-
Senacre Community Centre	Titchfield Road, Maidstone ME15 8FX	1	-	-	-	-
Senacre Wood School	Graveney Rd., Maidstone ME15 8QQ	-	-	-	1	-
South Park	Armstrong Rd., Maidstone ME15 6AZ	1	2	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	4	3	4	11	0

 

·                Not available for community use:

 

Site	Address	Adult 11v11	Youth  11v11	Youth 9v9	Mini 7v7	Mini 5v5
Archbishop Courtenay Prim. Sch.	Eccleston Rd., Maidstone ME15 6QN	-	-	-	1	-
St. Augustine Academy	Oakwood Park, Maidstone ME16 8AE	2	-	-	-	-
St. John's Primary School,	Provender Way, Maidstone ME14 5TZ	-	-	-	2	-
St. Simon Stock School	Oakwood Park, Maidstone ME16 0JP	-	2	-	-	-
Sandling Primary School	Ashburnham Rd., Maidstone ME14 2JG	-	-	-	1	-
Sutton Valance School	North St., Sutton Valance ME17 3NH	2	1	-	-	-
Sutton Valence Prep. School	Chart Rd., Sutton Valance ME17 3RF	-	-	-	2	-
TOTALS	-	4	3	0	6	0

 

5.4.5     Artificial turf pitch quality

 

The quality of all ‘3G’ football turf pitches in Maidstone was assessed from site visits by applying the Non-technical Visual Assessment criteria developed for use in conjunction with the ‘Playing Pitch Strategy Guidance’. The assessment generates an overall ‘score’ by evaluating the playing surface, fencing, floodlighting, disability access and changing provision. The scores equate to ratings of ‘Good’ for 80% or more ‘Standard’ for 79% - 51% and ‘Poor’ for 50% or below:

 

·                ‘3G’ football turf pitches:

 

Site	Pitch	Changing
Swadelands School	Standard	Standard
The Gallagher Stadium	Good	Good
The Maplesden Noakes School	Standard	Standard
Valley Park School	Standard	Standard
YMCA (Maidstone)	Standard	Standard

·                Artificial grass pitches:

 

Site	Pitch	Changing
Invicta Grammar School	Standard	Standard
Maidstone Hockey Club	Standard	Standard

 

5.4.6     Grass pitch quality

 

The quality of all formal grass football pitches in Maidstone was assessed from site visits during the playing season by applying the Non-technical Visual Assessment criteria developed by the FA for use in conjunction with the ‘Playing Pitch Strategy Guidance’. The criteria assessed are as follows. A percentage score and associated ratings are generated as an overall measure of quality:

 

·                The playing surface - This includes grass cover, pitch dimensions, gradient, evenness, length of grass, drainage and evidence of any unauthorised use.

 

·                The changing facilities - This includes the availability of changing rooms, kitchen and/or bar, the interior and exterior appearance, showering and toilet provision, medical room, disability access and parking arrangements.

 

·                Grounds maintenance - This includes the frequency of grass cutting, seeding, aeration, sand-dressing, fertilising, weed killing and chain harrowing.

 

The ratings for each grass football pitch in Maidstone are below. The percentage scores generated equate to ratings of ‘Good’ for scores of 100% - 75% (highlighted in green below), ‘Standard’ for scores of 74.9% - 50% (highlighted in yellow below), ‘Poor’ for scores of 49.9% - 25% (highlighted in red below) and ‘Unsuitable’ below 25%:

 

Site	Pitches	Pitch	Changing	Comments
Allington Primary School	Youth (9v9) pitch Mini (7v7) pitch 1 Mini (7v7) pitch 2 Mini (5v5) pitch	Standard Standard Standard Standard	-	A larger school site with no available changing for community users.
Barming Heath	Youth (11v11) pitch	Standard	-	‘Standard’ quality pitch with no on-site changing.
Barming Primary School	Youth (9v9) pitch Mini (7v7) pitch Mini (5v5) pitch	Standard Standard Standard	-	A larger school site with no available changing for community users.
Beacon Playing Field	Youth (11v11) pitch Youth (9v9) pitch Mini (7v7) pitch Mini (5v5) pitch	Standard Standard Standard	Good	‘Standard’ quality pitch with changing in the village hall.
Bearsted FC	Adult pitch Youth (9v9) pitch 1 Youth (9v9) pitch 2 Mini (7v7) pitch	Good Good Good Good	Good	A high-quality, well-maintained facility with a stadium pitch.
Bearsted Green	Youth (11v11) pitch 1 Youth (11v11) pitch 2	Standard	-	Pitches on cricket outfield. No changing facilities.
Site	Pitches	Pitch	Changing	Comments
Bower Grove School	Mini (7v7) pitch	Standard	-	‘Standard’ quality with no available changing for community users.
Chart Sutton Memorial Playing Field	Adult pitch	Poor	Poor	‘Poor’ standard rutted pitch with rusty goalposts and ‘poor’ changing.
Civil Service Sports & Social Club	Adult pitch	Standard	Good	Pitch at the higher end of the ‘standard’ rating. ‘Good’ changing.
Cornwallis Academy	Youth (9v9) pitch	Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality provision.
Elizabeth Harvie Field	Mini (5v5) pitch	Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality provision.
Elmscroft Park	Adult pitch	Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality pitch with remote changing facility.
Gatland Recreation Ground	Youth (11v11) pitch Youth (9v9) pitch	Poor Poor	-	‘Poor’ quality pitches with no changing
Giddyhorn Recreation Ground	Youth (9v9) pitch Mini (7v7) pitch Mini (5v5) pitch 1 Mini (5v5) pitch 2	Standard Standard Standard Standard	-	Key site for youth and mini play, with ‘standard’ quality pitches and no changing facilities.
Headcorn Football Club	Adult pitch Mini (7v7) pitch	Good Good	Good	‘Good’ quality pitches and changing provision.
Jubilee Playing Field, Staplehurst	Adult pitch Youth (11v11) pitch Youth (9v9) pitch Mini (7v7) pitch Mini (5v5) pitch	Poor Standard Standard Standard Standard	Good	Football Foundation funded site with ‘good’ changing facilities, but one ‘poor’ quality adult pitch amongst otherwise ‘standard’ quality pitches.
King George V Playing Field, Hunton	Adult pitch	Standard	Poor	‘Poor’ quality changing on a multi-sport site (also cricket and bowls).
King George V Playing Field, Loose	Adult pitch	Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality provision, with some evidence of dog fouling.
Kent Police HQ	Adult pitch 1 Adult pitch 2	Good Good	Good	‘Good’ quality, well maintained facilities.
Lance Memorial Playing Field, Hollingbourne	Adult pitch	Good	Good	‘Good’ quality, well maintained facilities.
Langley Recreation Ground	Adult pitch	Standard	Standard	Pitch and changing at the higher end of the ‘standard’ rating.
Leeds Playing Field	Youth (11v11) pitch	Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality provision.
Madginford Primary School	Mini (7v7) pitch	Standard	-	‘Standard’ quality with no available changing for community users.
Maidstone Leisure Centre	Adult pitch 1 Adult pitch 2 Youth (9v9) pitch 1 Youth (9v9) pitch 2 Mini (7v7) pitch	Standard Standard Standard Standard Standard	Good	‘Standard’ quality pitches, with ‘good’ quality changing in the Leisure Centre. Some car parking issues at peak times.
Mallards Way	Youth (9v9) pitch Mini (5v5) pitch	Standard Poor	-	‘Poor’ quality mini-pitch with no changing facilities. Poor road access.
Marden Minors FC	Adult pitch Youth (9v9) pitch	Good Good	Poor	‘Good’ quality pitches with ‘poor’ quality portacabin changing.
Molehill Copse Primary Academy	Youth (9v9) pitch Mini (7v7) pitch Mini (5v5) pitch	Standard Standard Standard	-	‘Standard’ pitches with no available changing for community users.
Site	Pitches	Pitch	Changing	Comments
New Barming Pavilion	Youth (9v9) pitch	Standard	Good	‘Standard’ pitch with ‘good’ quality new changing facilities.
New Line Learning Academy	Adult pitch	Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality provision.
Oakwood Park Grammar School	Adult pitch	Standard	Standard	Pitch at the higher end of ‘standard’ quality.
Parkwood	Adult pitch	Standard	Standard	Site shared with a Rugby Club
Roseacre Junior School	Youth (9v9) pitch	Standard	-	‘Standard’ pitches with no available changing for community users.
Shepway Green	Adult pitch	Poor	Standard	‘Poor’ quality pitch with litter and dog fouling.
South Park	Youth (9v9) pitch	Standard	-	Pitch at the lower end of ‘standard’ quality and no changing facilities.
Swadelands School	Adult pitch 1 Adult pitch 2	Standard Standard	Good	‘Hub Site’ with a ‘3G’ pitch and ‘good’ quality changing provision.
The Kintons	Adult pitch 1 Adult pitch 2 Youth (7v7) pitch Mini (5v5) pitch	Standard Standard Standard Standard	Poor	Pitches at the lower end of ‘standard’ quality, ‘poor’ quality changing in a cricket pavilion.
The Maplesden Noakes School	Adult pitch 1 Adult pitch 2 Adult pitch 3 Adult pitch 4	Standard Standard Standard Standard	Standard	Key site for adult football, with ‘standard’ quality pitches and changing facilities.
The Orchard Ground	Adult pitch Youth (11v11) pitch Youth (9v9) pitch	Standard Standard Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality provision, well managed by a Community Association.
Ulcombe Recreation Ground	Youth (11v11) pitch	Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality pitch on a cricket outfield.
Valley Park School	Adult pitch 1 Adult pitch 2 Adult pitch 3 Youth (9v9) pitch 1 Youth (9v9) pitch 2 Youth (9v9) pitch 3	Good Good Good Good Good Good	Standard	Key site for football with ‘good’ quality pitches and changing at the higher end of the ‘standard’ rating.
War Memorial Playing Field	Adult pitch Youth (11v11) pitch	Standard	Poor	‘Standard’ quality pitches with very ‘poor’ changing facilities.
William Pitt Field	Adult pitch Youth (9v9) pitch	Standard	Standard	‘Standard’ quality provision.

 

5.4.7     Summary of grass pitch quality

 

The number and percentage of pitches in each quality band is tabulated below. The summary shows that almost one-quarter of pitches are rated as ‘good’ quality, with fewer than one-in-ten being assessed as ‘poor’ quality.

 

 

 

 

Pitch type	Good		Standard		Poor
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Adult 11v11	9	25.7%	23	65.7%	3	8.6%
Youth 11v11	0	0.0%	9	90.0%	1	10.0%
Youth 9v9	6	28.6%	14	66.7%	1	4.7%
Mini-soccer 7v7	2	16.7%	10	83.3%	0	0.0%
Mini-soccer 5v5	0	10.0%	11	91.7%	1	8.3%
TOTAL	17	18.9%	67	74.4%	6	6.7%

 

The number and percentage of pitches of each type that are served by ‘poor’ quality or no changing facilities is tabulated below. Whilst youth and mini players frequently do not use changing facilities even where they are provided, it is concerning that more than one-third of pitches are served by ‘poor’ quality changing facilities. The adverse impact on user experiences makes it more difficult to recruit and retain new players, particularly women and girls.

 

Pitch type	Number	%
Adult 11v11	6	17.1%
Youth 11v11	4	40.0%
Youth 9v9	8	38.1%
Mini-soccer 7v7	8	55.7%
Mini-soccer 5v5	7	63.6%
TOTAL	33	37.1%

 

5.4.8     Grass pitch maintenance

 

Grass football pitches in Maidstone are provided and maintained by a range of organisations including the borough council, parish councils, schools, community organisations and those football clubs who own or lease the grounds they use. As a result, the quality of pitch maintenance is highly variable across the borough ranging from high quality, well maintained pitches at Bearsted and Valley Park School through to the very poor pitch at Chart Sutton. 

 

There is a great deal of informal use of public pitches by dog walkers and joggers and by groups of friends for kickabouts. Also, damage is caused at some open sites by unauthorised activities such as bicycles and golf.

 

Sport England Guidance in its publication ‘Natural Turf for Sport’ (2011), specified a need for a £5,000 to £10,500 per annum budget for undrained or pipe drained football pitches. This figure was increased in its ‘Protecting Playing Fields’ (2015) guidance, to £11,700 for an adult football pitch and £9,600 for a youth football pitch.  Consultation with pitch providers indicates that current expenditure is typically in the range of £4,000 to £5,000 per pitch, with several sites relying on volunteer labour to maintain standards.

 

 

5.4.9     Pitch hire charges

 

·                Grass pitches in Maidstone: Because there is a wide range of pitch providers hire charges vary across the borough. Prices also vary with regards to the size of pitch and the quality of changing.  Prices for a single booking are higher than for bookings on 10 or more occasions as the latter is exempt from VAT. The table below gives examples of current pricing and show that hire charges for Maidstone Borough Council pitches are generally higher than those levied by schools and parish councils.

 

Pitch Provider	Pitch Size and Description	Price per Match	Price per 10 or more Matches	Comments
Maidstone BC	Adult with Changing	£74.40	£64.80	Use of changing rooms is optional and has a standard charge of £16.80
Maidstone BC	Adult no changing	£57.60	£48
Maidstone BC	Junior/Mini with Changing	£39.60	£35.80
Maidstone BC	Junior/Mini Pitch No Changing	£22.80	£19
Valley Park School	Adult	-	£49	Includes changing
Valley Park School	Junior	-	£19	Includes changing
Chart Sutton Parish Council	Adult	-	£35	Includes changing
Marden Parish Council	Adult	-	£55	Includes changing
Headcorn Parish Council	Adult	£300 per month independent of level of use		Includes changing

 

·                Grass pitches in neighbouring areas: For comparison, the table below provides information on charging in some neighbouring local authority areas. For ease of comparison the table refers to pitches with changing rooms and showers. The table shows that pitch hire costs in the borough of Maidstone are in line with the charges made in neighbouring areas, so there are no cost factors to encourage imported or exported demand.

 

Pitch Provider	Pitch Size & Description	Price per Match	Price per 10 or more Matches	Comments
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council	Adult	£84	£70	All pitches have changing
	Junior	£33.60	£28
	Mini-soccer	£63.60	£53
Swale Borough Council	Adult	£67	£67	No block booking reductions
	Junior	£20	£20
	Mini	£15	£15
Canterbury City Council	Adult	£73.50	£61.25
	Junior 11 v 11	£27.60	£23
	Youth 9 v 9	£27.60	£23
	Mini-Soccer	£27.60	£23
Medway Council	Adult	£80	Block bookings only available to teams in local leagues.  Charges to individual clubs are made by these leagues
	Junior	£35
	Mini	£24.40

 

·                ‘3G’ football turf pitches: Hire charges for selected ‘3G’ football turf pitches in Maidstone and neighbouring areas are tabulated below. The data shows that pitch hire costs in Maidstone are broadly in line with the charges made in neighbouring areas, so there are no cost factors to encourage imported or exported demand.

 

Pitch Provider	Pitch Size and Description	Price per Match	Price per 10 or more Matches	Comments
Maidstone United FC	Whole pitch	£265 + VAT	Not available	Stadium pitch Includes changing
Maidstone YMCA	One-third pitch	£46 per match	£40 per match	Peak time charges
Swadelands School	Whole pitch	£65 + VAT = £78 per match	£65 per match	Includes changing
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council	Whole pitch	£64.80 per hour = £129.60 per match	£54 per hour = £108 per match	Includes changing
Kings Hill Sports Park, Tonbridge	Whole pitch	£75 per hour = £112.50 per match	Not available	Costs for adult team hire
Hayesbrook School, Tonbridge	Whole pitch	£80 per hour = £120 per match	Not available	Includes changing

 

·                Consultees’ comments on pitch hire charges:

 

-                 In responding to the club survey 72% of clubs felt that their current pitches offer value for money. This leaves a sizeable minority of 28% who think that charges do not provide good value.

 

-                 Local leagues indicated that the cost of hiring facilities is a factor in the decline of club numbers

 

-                 Club consultees spoke of the difficulty in booking pitches at Mote Park through MBC’s contractor Serco and the fact that booked pitches were not always available when teams arrived.

 

-                 School pitch bookings are often problematic for local clubs. Switchboards are not seen as user friendly and there is difficulty getting through to the person responsible for booking. 

 

5.4.10  Ownership, management and security of access

 

The ownership, management and security of access of all football pitch sites in Maidstone with community use and used is detailed below:

 

Site	Ownership		Management		Security of access
Allington Primary School	Kent County Council	Allington Primary School		Unsecured
Barming Heath	Barming Parish Council	Barming Parish Council		Secured
Barming Primary School	Kent County Council	Barming Primary School		Unsecured
Beacon Playing Field	Coxheath Parish Council	Coxheath Parish Council		Secured
Bearsted FC	Otham Parish Council	Bearsted FC		Secured

 

Site	Ownership		Management		Security of access
Bearsted Green	Maidstone Borough Council	Bearsted Parish Council		Secured
Bower Grove School	Kent County Council	Bower Grove School		Unsecured
Chart Sutton Memorial Playing Field	Chart Sutton Parish Council	Chart Sutton Parish Council		Secured
Civil Service Sports & Social Club	Civil Service Sports & Social Club	Civil Service Sports & Social Club		Secured
Cornwallis Academy	Cornwallis Academy	Cornwallis Academy		Unsecured
Elizabeth Harvie Field	Bearsted Parish Council	Bearsted Parish Council		Secured
Elmscroft Park	Maidstone Borough Council	Maidstone Borough Council		Secured
Gatland Recreation Ground	Maidstone Borough Council	Maidstone Borough Council		Secured
Giddyhorn Recreation Ground	Maidstone Borough Council	Maidstone Borough Council		Secured
Headcorn Football Club	Headcorn Football Club	Headcorn Football Club		Secured
Jubilee Playing Field, Staplehurst	Staplehurst Parish Council	Staplehurst Parish Council		Secured
King George V Playing Field, Hunton	Fields in Trust	Hunton Parish Council		Secured
King George V Playing Field, Loose	Fields in Trust	Loose Parish Council		Secured
Kent Police HQ	Kent Police	Kent Police		Secured
Lance Memorial Playing Field, Hollingbourne	Hollingbourne Parish Council	Hollingbourne Parish Council		Secured
Langley Recreation Ground	Langley Parish Council	Langley Parish Council		Secured
Leeds Playing Field	Leeds Parish Council	Leeds Parish Council		Secured
Madginford Primary School	Kent County Council	Madginford Primary School		Unsecured
Maidstone Leisure Centre	Maidstone Borough Council	Serco		Secured
Mallards Way Playing Field	Maidstone Borough Council		Maidstone Borough Council		Secured
Marden Minors FC	Marden Minors FC		Marden Minors FC		Secured
Molehill Copse Primary Academy	Kent County Council		Molehill Copse Primary Academy		Unsecured
New Barming Pavilion	Barming Parish Council		Barming Parish Council		Secured
New Line Learning Academy	New Line Learning Academy		New Line Learning Academy		Unsecured
Oakwood Park Grammar School	Oakwood Park Grammar School		Oakwood Park Grammar School		Unsecured
Parish Recreation and Sports Field	Broomfield and Kingswood Parish Council		Broomfield and Kingswood Parish Council		Secured
Parkwood	Maidstone Borough Council		Maidstone Borough Council		Secured
Roseacre Primary School	Kent County Council		Roseacre Primary School		Unsecured
Shepway Green	Maidstone Borough Council		Maidstone Borough Council		Secured
South Borough Primary School	Kent County Council		South Borough Primary School		Unsecured
Site	Ownership		Management		Security of access
South Park	Maidstone Borough Council		Serco		Secured
Swadelands School	Swadelands School		Swadelands School		Unsecured
The Gallagher Stadium	Maidstone United FC		Maidstone United FC		Secured
The Kintons	Yalding Parish Council		Yalding Parish Council		Secured
The Maplesden Noakes School	The Maplesden Noakes School		The Maplesden Noakes School		Secured
The Orchard Ground	Allington Community Association		Allington Community Association		Secured
Ulcombe Recreation Ground	Ulcombe Parish Council		Ulcombe Parish Council		Secured
Valley Park School	Valley Park School		Valley Park School		Unsecured
War Memorial Playing Field	Sutton Valance Parish Council		Sutton Valance Parish Council		Secured
William Pitt Field	Lenham Parish Council		Lenham Parish Council		Secured
YMCA Maidstone	YMCA Maidstone		YMCA Maidstone		Secured

 

Security of access for each type of football pitch in Maidstone is summarised below. It shows that just over 75% of football pitches have secured access:

 

Pitch type	Total pitches	Number secured	% secured
Full-sized ‘3G’	5	3	60.0%
Adult 11v11	35	31	88.6%
Youth 11v11	10	10	100.0%
Youth 9v9	21	12	57.1%
Mini-soccer 7v7	12	8	66.7%
Mini-soccer 5v5	12	8	66.7%
TOTAL	95	72	75.8%

 

5.4.11  The views of local stakeholders on pitch supply

 

Consultation with the FA’s Regional Facilities and Investment Manager and the Kent FA’s County Development Manager identified the following key issues in relation to Maidstone:

 

·                ‘3G’ football turf pitches: All ‘3G’ pitches in Maidstone appear on the FA’s National Register apart from the YMCA pitch and are therefore, available for competitive play. 3G pitches are perceived to be expensive to hire. The FA wishes providers to move to a ‘Match Day’ rate rather than an hourly hiring rate. Three Secondary Schools in Maidstone have invested in their own ‘3G’ pitches which are let to local clubs, but there is no secured community use of the facilities.

 

·                Grass football pitches: Maidstone is an active area for football with active Saturday and Sunday adult leagues and a thriving youth, junior and mini-soccer sector. Changes to the pitch requirements for the various age groups have generally been well implemented. The FA has concerns about falling standards of maintenance at local authority (borough and parish council) pitches. There are concerns about the inability of clubs to apply for funding due to a lack of tenure on their home sites

 

Consultation with FA-affiliated football clubs identified the following issues in relation to Maidstone:

 

·                Demand increases: MPE FC stated that ‘in general we are happy to use MBC pitches, but some of the private pitches we play away matches on are of a better quality. My concern is that as the number of teams in the league increases, this will put pressure on the availability of MBC pitches’.

 

·                ‘3G’ pitch provision: Vinters FC stated that ‘there is a need for additional ‘3G’ pitches. Maidstone BC's booking system does not work well’. Maidstone Tempest FC also stated that ‘there needs to be more purpose-built facilities, including 3G pitches and more focus on the adult game. Everything is focused on youth football, which is good, but most men’s teams now fold due to lack of players and funds and this is mainly because of the facilities’.

 

·                Borough Council pitches: Maidstone Tempest FC commented that ‘whilst we understand the challenges of operating and maintaining pitches, the overall standard is very poor. Pitches are generally not well taken care off, at least not for the price we are charged compared to privately owned pitches, which are much better maintained and cared for. However, the lack of available pitches elsewhere means many teams play at council-owned pitches and put up with it, so the council can charge what they want and leave the pitches as they are. There used to be many more pitches at Mote Park but there is now just 2 adult pitches, plus a few smaller pitches. We are grateful to the council for what they offer but it could be much improved’.

 

·                Pricing issues: Marden Minors FC commented that ‘the borough council gives the impression that they don’t want football on their parks with poor up-keep and over-priced facilities if any’. Maidstone Athletic FC also commented that ‘Maidstone's provision for local football has been in decline for years, to the extent that most teams in Maidstone now seek private hire rather than use the facilities that MBC provide. MBC do not maintain quality pitches, changing facilities or security to go with them, and charge way over the top for their use’.

 

·                Pitch shortages in Maidstone: Bearsted FC stated that ‘generally there are not sufficient facilities in Maidstone, hence we have to travel to places like Swadelands and Kings Hill that provide training facilities equitable to cost’. Maidstone Athletic FC also commented that ‘although we are essentially a Maidstone based club, we are currently having to travel to Lenham to play due to the poor standard of facilities in Maidstone’.

 

5.5         Geographical distribution

 

The geographical distribution of football in Maidstone is set out in the maps below. 15-minute walking and cycling time catchments have been marked to illustrate local level accessibility. The 15-minute driving time catchments are not marked, because for all pitch types there is comprehensive drivetime catchment coverage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.5.1     Adult grass pitches

 

5.5.2     Youth 11v11 grass pitches

 

 

5.5.3     Youth 9v9 grass pitches

 

5.5.4     Mini-soccer 7v7 grass pitches

 

5.5.5     Mini-soccer 5v5 grass pitches

 

 

5.5.6     ‘3G’ football turf pitches

 

 

The key findings are as follows:

 

·                Adult grass pitches:  There is comprehensive geographical coverage of the borough.

 

·                Youth 11v11 grass pitches: Areas to the south-west and north-east of the borough are the furthest from the nearest pitch, but all are within 15-minutes driving time.

 

·                Youth 9v9 grass pitches: Areas to the south-west and north-east of the borough are the furthest from the nearest pitch, but all are within 15-minutes driving time.

 

·                Mini-soccer 7v7 grass pitches: Areas to the south-west and east of the borough are the furthest from the nearest pitch, but all are within 15-minutes driving time.

 

·                Mini-soccer 5v5 grass pitches: Areas to the east of the borough are the furthest from the nearest pitch, but all are within 15-minutes driving time.

 

·                Full-sized ‘3G’ football turf pitches: Provision is concentrated in and around Maidstone, but with road links focused on the town, nowhere within the borough is beyond 15-minutes driving time of the nearest pitch.

 

5.6         The implications for football in Maidstone

 

Analysis of local supply of football pitches in Maidstone indicates the following:

 

·                Three adult football, three youth (11v11), one youth (9v9) and eight mini (7v7) pitches in the borough are currently available but unused, which suggests that there is some spare capacity.

 

·                Whilst youth and mini players frequently do not use changing facilities even where they are provided, it is concerning that almost 50% of pitches are served by ‘poor’ quality or no changing facilities. The adverse impact on user experiences makes it more difficult to recruit and retain new players, particularly women and girls.

 

·                Almost one-quarter of pitches are rated as ‘good’ quality, with fewer than one-in-ten being assessed as ‘poor’ quality. Notwithstanding this, there is widespread user criticism of the poor quality of pitches owned by the Borough Council and some evidence that the levels of expenditure on grounds maintenance are below Sport England’s recommended levels.

 

·                Just over 75% of pitches have secured community access, but conversely almost 25% do not and as a result access could, in theory, be withdrawn at any time.

 

5.7         Assessment of current needs

 

5.7.1     Introduction

 

To assess whether the current supply of pitches is adequate to meet existing demand an understanding of the situation at all sites available to the community needs to be developed.  This is achieved by providing a brief overview for each site, which comprises:

A comparison between the carrying capacity of a site with how much demand currently takes place there. The carrying capacity of a site is defined as the amount of play it can regularly accommodate without adversely affecting its quality and use. Demand is defined in terms of the number of ‘match equivalent sessions’ at each site.

 

·                An indication of the extent to which pitches are being used during their peak periods.

 

The site overviews identify the extent to which pitches are:

 

·                Being overplayed: Where use exceeds the carrying capacity (highlighted in red in the tables below).

 

·                Being played to the level the site can sustain: Where use matches the carrying capacity (highlighted in yellow in the tables below).

 

·                Potentially able to accommodate some additional play: Where use falls below the carrying capacity (highlighted in green in the tables below).

 

In line with FA guidance, the following assumptions have been made in relation to the number of weekly match equivalent sessions that can be accommodated by different quality pitches:

 

Pitch type	Good quality	Standard quality	Poor quality
Adult	3	2	1
Youth 11v11	4	2	1
Youth 9v9	4	2	1
Mini-soccer 7v7	6	4	2
Mini-soccer 5v5	6	4	2

                                       

5.7.2     Adult grass pitches

 

The supply demand balance is tabulated below. Spare capacity is highlighted by green shading, balanced usage levels are highlighted in yellow and sites that are overused are highlighted in red:

 

Site	Pitches	Users	Weekly capacity	Weekly demand	Weekly balance	Peak capacity	Peak demand	Peak balance
Bearsted FC	1	Bearsted FC	3.0	3.0	Balanced	1.0	2.0	-1.0
Chart Sutton Memorial PF	1	Coxheath & Farleigh FC Bearsted FC	1.0	1.0	Balanced	1.0	1.0	Balanced
Civil Service Sports & Social Club	1	Park Royal FC	2.0	1.0