Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what statutory requirements are placed on local authorities to produce a playing pitch strategy; and within what timeframe such authorities are required to produce such plans.
Tracey Crouch
Local planning authorities are required to follow national planning policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Sport England is a statutory consultee on all planning applications affecting playing fields, and demands that developers prove their applications will improve or safeguard sports provision. Landowners, including councils, are required to consult Sport England on any proposed development that would affect or lead to the loss of a sports playing field.
Sport England objects to all applications unless the developer can prove it will improve.
The latest figures, compiled by Sport England which works to safeguard playing fields for community use, show that 92 per cent of all resolved planning applications involving a playing field in 2013/14 resulted in improved or secured facilities.
