CHAPTER 12: Open Space, Sport and Recreation

12.1

Introduction

Open space, sport and recreation facilities make an important contribution to the health and wider quality of life of residents and visitors to Wolverhampton and also help to create a vibrant economy. The Council aims to ensure that a wide range of open space, sport and recreation opportunities are provided within easy reach of all residents, given resource constraints. As part of the creation of a Green and Healthy City and a Caring City, the Wolverhampton Community Plan aims to:

• promote access to and uptake of recreational and sporting activities for everyone, regardless of age or disability;
• work towards providing 2.6 hectares of recreational open space for every 1,000 residents by 2010, through maximising the potential to create well-designed open spaces in areas with little open space and as part of major new developments;
• safeguard and improve parks, playing fields, allotments, natural green space and children’s play areas;
• create more and better places for children to play safely;
• open a new “state of the art” leisure complex in the City by 2005.

There are a variety of built facilities for sport and recreation in the City, including swimming pools, sports centres, gymnasiums, indoor tennis courts and community centres, as well as larger stadium facilities at Dunstall Park Racecourse, the Molineux Football Ground and Monmore Green Stadium. The Council, through its Sport and Recreation Strategy, seeks to provide new and improve existing sports facilities, particularly in areas of greatest deficiency, to ensure that all local people have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sports activities, at different levels.

The quality of the urban environment and its appeal to residents and visitors, is to a large extent dependent upon a network of quality open spaces. Open space gives people of all ages the opportunity to relax, socialise, keep fit, play and learn about nature and can also provide important habitats for wildlife (see Chapter 7: Nature Conservation). Wolverhampton is a highly urbanised, industrial area, with limited areas of green open space. The majority of open spaces in Wolverhampton are owned and managed by the Council, but there are also a number of privately-owned open spaces in the City, which are of value to local communities. Open space is often under pressure from a variety of users and demand for development land. It is important to strike a balance between providing land for important urban regeneration activities and maintaining a network of quality open spaces.

• Providing formal or informal areas or facilities for sport and recreation;
• Providing areas for children’s play;
• Providing allotment gardens;
• Contributing towards visual amenity or landscape value;
• Contributing towards historic value;
• Providing a place for holding community events;
• Contributing towards nature conservation;
• Urban forest;
• Forming part of the existing or proposed greenway network;
• Acting as a buffer between incompatible uses;
• Defining community boundaries;
• Redressing or avoiding a deficiency of open space.

Open spaces which are neglected, inaccessible or small may still have a function if they provide openness in an area of deficiency (see Policy R2) and could be enhanced in the future. Recreational open space, which is readily accessible to the general public, is of particular value to local communities and can fulfil a wide range of functions.

12.2

Open Space, Sport and Recreation Standards

Revised PPG17 on Open Space, Sport and Recreation (July 2002) requires Local Authorities to set robust local standards for open space, sports and recreational facilities in their areas, based on assessments of need and audits of existing facilities. It is recommended that these standards should be included in Local Plans. There has not yet been time to carry out a full assessment of needs in Wolverhampton, although a sports pitch assessment is currently underway. In the interim, the Council has adopted a range of definitions and minimum standards for provision of important types of recreational open space and sport and recreation facilities, set out in Table 12.1, which reflect both national guidance and local circumstances. These standards will be amended in the light of future needs assessments and audits and the new standards will be published in a Supplementary Planning Document. The Wolverhampton Sport and Recreation Strategy and the Wolverhampton Parks and Green Spaces Strategy, which are regularly reviewed and subject to community consultation, set out how the Council aims to improve provision and work towards meeting standards.

Map 12.1   Wolverhampton Park Areas

Map 12.1   The Wolverhampton Greenway Network

District Park and Neighbourhood Park Areas (see Map 12.1) have been adopted, which are based on minimum walking distances of 2.5 km and 400m respectively and take into account barriers such as main roads, canals and railway lines. These boundaries can be used to measure the degree of accessibility to facilities in different parts of Wolverhampton.

The accessibility of an open space, sport or recreation facility can also be determined by assessing the extent to which:

• it can be approached, entered and crossed safely and easily by pedestrians, including children, old people and the less mobile;
• it can be used by right or tradition by the public;
• any membership conditions governing use of the open space are inclusive and any charges made are affordable to the majority of potential users.

An audit of existing recreational open space has been carried out to identify current areas of deficiency in terms of the interim standards. Recreational open space which is outside the City boundary but within walking distance of Wolverhampton residents has been included as part of this assessment. Currently, every 1,000 Wolverhampton residents have access to 3.6 hectares of recreational open space, above the standard of 2.6 hectares. However, this total includes only 0.6 ha of accessible playing fields and other outdoor playing space (40% of the 1.6 ha standard) and 0.16 ha of allotments (compared with a standard of 0.2 ha). The Wolverhampton definition of recreational open space also includes natural green space (see also Policy N2) and canal corridors, whereas the standard of 2.6 ha, taken from NPFA guidelines, is designed to be applied to playing space only. A full needs assessment may, therefore, result in increases to some of these standards. Open space is also unevenly distributed between Neighbourhood Park Areas and varies in terms of quality, accessibility and function from area to area.

Allotments are an important part of the open space network, giving plot holders opportunities for outdoor activity and food production and providing an important wildlife habitat. Wolverhampton currently falls below the standard of 0.2 hectares per 1,000 residents set by the Thorpe Report of 1969 (Report of Departmental Committee of Inquiry into Allotments), by 8.5 hectares. Some Neighbourhood Park Areas have no allotments at all. The Council has a statutory duty to provide allotments, although in recent years there has been a decline in their use. All existing allotments, both publicly and privately-owned, are shown on the Proposals Map.

Allotments, and land where the last known use was for allotments, will continue to be strongly protected, taking into account local need and use, and enhanced, where resources and local amenity allow, in accordance with the Council’s Allotment Development Plan. Statutory sites (freehold land originally purchased or appropriated for use as allotments) cannot be taken out of allotment use unless the land is no longer needed for the purpose of allotments. In such cases, Government approval is needed and all proceeds must be used to enhance allotment provision

The Council will continue to protect and maintain children’s play areas, and will enhance and create new play areas, where resources allow, in accordance with the Council’s Play Area Development Plan and taking account of local need and amenity. Current standards of provision for children’s play areas, including multi-ball games areas, are set out in table 12.1 and the Wolverhampton Parks and Green Spaces Strategy. It is the Council’s aim that no child should have to walk more than 400m from home to reach an equipped play area and, to this end, will seek to ensure that new provision is located in areas where there is a deficiency. To reduce the possibility of noise and disturbance, it is considered prudent to preserve a buffer between children’s play areas and residential areas or roads.

There are limited resources available for the provision and maintenance of open space, sport and recreation facilities in Wolverhampton. It is important to target these resources on priority areas, which fall below standards in terms of quantity, quality or accessibility. The size of area used will vary depending on the catchment area of the particular type of facility concerned. Current priority Neighbourhood Park Areas in terms of the two major interim standards are listed below and shown on Map 12.1. Neachells Industrial Area is not included, as it is an industrial area. New priority areas will be defined in a Supplementary Planning Document following the completion of needs assessments and the setting of new standards.

Less than 2.6 ha recreational open space per 1,000 residents:

No Neighbourhood Park:

There is usually little potential to create new open space, sport and recreation facilities in priority areas, except via new developments (see Policy R7), so it is often more appropriate to improve the quality and accessibility of existing facilities, increase the range of facilities available or bring private facilities into public use through dual-use agreements (see Policy R8). Ensuring people feel safe to use facilities can also make them more valuable and effective. This is being addressed through the Council’s Crime Prevention Strategy for Parks and Open Spaces and design policies (see Policy D10).

12.3

Protection of Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities

Once developed, open space, sport and recreation facilities are likely to be lost to the local community permanently. Therefore, development which would reduce the size or value of any open space, sport or recreation facility will be strongly resisted, particularly in the absence of any up-to-date assessment of need. A needs assessment must be produced which demonstrates that the facility is surplus to requirements for its current or most recent use, and also demonstrates that the site is surplus for all other open space functions, unless the proposal includes the provision of an open space, sport or recreation facility for which there is an identified deficit. In exceptional circumstances where permission is granted for the loss of a facility that has not been shown to be surplus to requirements, some form of compensatory provision which is of at least the same value to the local community will be required. In most cases some form of community consultation will be required to establish local views about the value of the facility to be lost and the acceptability of any compensatory provision.

However, opportunities should be taken to relocate open space, sport and recreation facilities to more appropriate or accessible locations, providing the new facility is at least equivalent, in terms of size and quality and accessibility, to that lost. Such land swaps are particularly desirable where they will bring previously-developed sites where other forms of development are precluded (e.g. because of contamination) back into productive use.

Recreational Open Spaces to be Reallocated

Goldthorn Hill Allotments – 0.17 ha (H9)

Rolls Royce Playing Fields (excluding bowling green) – 2.5 ha (B3.26)

Recreational Open Space Identified for Land Swap

Thompson Avenue Open Space (H3)

Open Space within Bilston Urban Village (SRA)

12.4

Development Adjacent to Open Spaces

The character and function of open spaces can be harmed by insensitive development on adjacent sites. However, if such development is sensitively designed it can help to improve the accessibility, appearance and security of the open space, as set out in Policy R4. There are certain parks and open spaces, listed in Policy R4, which are surrounded by development and whose use is restricted by a lack of access points and open vistas, which would improve safety and amenity.

12.5

Sports Grounds

Playing fields are outdoor areas for formal sporting purposes which accommodate one or more playing pitches and other land which allows for proper use of the pitches. A playing pitch is defined as an area of 0.4 ha or more which is used for formal sports such as football, rugby, cricket and hockey. Sport England must be consulted on any planning application for development which will affect a playing field. Where a playing field is Council-owned or has been used by an educational institution at any time in the last five years and Sport England objects to its loss, the Secretary of State must be notified before planning permission can be granted.

As mentioned above, there are currently only 0.6 hectares of accessible playing fields and other outdoor playing space for every 1,000 residents in Wolverhampton, well below the minimum standard of 1.6 hectares. This provision varies across the City in terms of quantity and quality. A detailed audit and assessment of the extent to which this provision is able to meet the long term needs of local communities, given the growing demand for recreational land in the wider community, is currently being carried out. It is unlikely that enough new playing fields can be created in the future to reach the standard. However, there is potential to bring the large number of playing fields currently used solely by educational institutions into some form of public use via dual-use agreements (see Policy R8). Therefore a target of 0.8 hectares per 1,000 residents across the City is considered to be realistic within the Plan period.

Existing sports grounds, both public and private, will continue to be strongly protected to ensure that they are not lost except in very special circumstances. In such circumstances the Council, in consultation with Sport England and with reference to the Wolverhampton Sport and Recreation Strategy, will determine appropriate compensation for any loss and decide the function and location of replacement sports pitches and facilities. Permission will not be granted for development simply because playing fields have been allowed to fall out of use and become derelict.

A number of privately-owned sports grounds have been lost in recent years and those remaining are subject to intense development pressures. All known private sports grounds (including those which are publicly-owned but leased to private clubs) are identified on the Proposals Map. Fowler Street Bowling Green and Tudor Road Bowling Green are shown on the Proposals Map but have planning permission for redevelopment, subject to Section 106 agreements involving compensatory provision. The former Rolls Royce Playing Fields have also been rellocated for employment use (see above).

12.6

Greenways

Greenways are linear features of mostly open character, including footpaths, cycleways and bridleways, which act as wildlife corridors and attractive, safe off-road links between residential areas, open spaces, urban centres, leisure facilities and employment areas. They also give residents access to natural green space and the open countryside and provide opportunities for recreation. Greenways increase in value if they are linked to form a network which extends beyond the City boundary. The Wolverhampton Greenway network (see Map 12.2) includes the canal network, watercourses, disused railway lines and linear open spaces such as Valley Park.

Given the lack of open space in urban areas like Wolverhampton and the potential to contribute towards regeneration, the development of a comprehensive Greenway network is a priority in Wolverhampton. The Council and other agencies, including British Waterways, have already undertaken substantial work to enhance the network’s value for recreation and wildlife and increase its continuity and extent, by making use of existing linear features, such as disused railway lines and canals. Further work will be undertaken over the lifetime of the Plan, including extensions to the network, shown as “Proposed Greenways”.

12.7

Open Space Requirements for New Development

To maintain and improve the quality of life of people who work and live in Wolverhampton, it is important that all new developments include sufficient areas of quality open space and landscaping (see Policy D6). These green and open areas fulfil many functions, improving the appearance of the development, creating havens for wildlife and creating valuable amenity areas for residents and workers. Development proposals which do not include sufficient open space or landscaped areas will be refused. Specific open space requirements for housing developments are given in Policy H8 and Appendix 2, and those for employment sites are given in Policy B5.

12.8

Dual-use of Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities

The provision of new open space, sport and recreation facilities is not always feasible but, in some cases, increasing public access to existing facilities can help to meet local needs. The Council are seeking to work with commercial operators to make private sports facilities more accessible to the public and are encouraging greater dual-use of school facilities through a Strategy for Community Use of School Facilities.

12.9

New Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities

The Council’s Sport and Recreation Strategy stresses the need to develop new sports and recreation facilities in a sustainable and equitable way. To achieve this, it is important that core sports and recreation facilities are located within easy reach of local communities by a variety of types of transport. Special consideration should also be given to the social role of leisure facilities in regeneration and increasing access to such facilities for ethnic minorities, women, people with disabilities and older people. Policies in the Design Chapter will be relevant to the design of new open spaces and facilities.

Major sport and recreation developments which attract large numbers of visits, such as large leisure centres or football stadia, should be located in highly accessible locations within or immediately adjacent to Wolverhampton City Centre, Bilston Town Centre, Wednesfield Village Centre or any District Centre. Such proposals will be subject to Policies SH1, SH3 and AM6. Planning permission will not be granted for such development on a site outside a centre if this would undermine the role of the centre. Where sport and recreation facilities designed to serve the day-to-day needs of local people will attract people from a wider catchment, they should be located where they will be well served by public transport.

Sport and recreation facilities which have a negative effect on their surroundings, through generation of traffic and noise and light pollution, should be sensitively sited and designed, with measures undertaken to reduce any negative impacts to acceptable levels.

Synthetic turf pitches and their smaller counterparts, multi-ball games areas, make a valuable contribution to participation in sport, especially where there are a limited number of natural turf pitches available. Hard surfacing can accommodate higher levels of use and the introduction of floodlighting allows extended periods of activity. However, because of this intensive use, particular care must be taken in the design and location of such facilities to minimise light and noise pollution and other nuisances. Policies EP4 and EP5 detail controls on light and noise pollution caused by new developments. Also, the benefits of such provision should be balanced against the amenity effects of any resulting loss of existing green recreational open space.