SquashZAG

By Rod Gilmour
From Telegraph Squash

The government will finally unveil new guidelines to safeguard sports facilities this week after Telegraph Sport revealed last year that local communities were losing centres at an alarming rate. 
 
Last February Telegraph Sport launched its campaign urging the government to strengthen PPG17, the policy guidance on open space, sport and recreation. Campaigners had called the crucial planning law “flimsy” and “a national outrage” after facilities were either being threatened with closure or faced redevelopment in favour of housing or other local community schemes.

The full extent of the guidelines will be revealed on Tuesday and it remains to be seen whether developers will still have a stranglehold over many council-owned sporting facilities in the UK. The Department for Communities and Local Government says it will now be up to local authorities to ensure they make full use of the new guidelines.

Government oblivious to closures A DCLG spokesperson said: “Local planners have the tools they need to make informed decisions about priorities in their area and it is right that decisions on the requirements for sports facilities are taken at the local level.” The DCLG added that there would be “clearer planning rules on how councils plan for and protect sports facilities."

The news will be a welcome relief for facilities threatened by the loss of multi-sports such as squash, badminton and indoor tennis courts after hundreds of local authorities approved applications for housing, ‘wellbeing’ centres and other community initiatives in their place.

PPG17’s law also currently states that facilities should not be demolished unless an equivalent facility replaces it or is within proximity to the existing site. Telegraph Sport’s campaign highlighted many examples where this simply was not the case.

Campaigners will be urging the government to set up an independent lobby group to monitor threats to built sports facilities that fall from the radar. Sport England, the government quango, currently has no direct responsibility to safeguard facilities.

A DCMS spokesperson said: “Local authorities are best-placed to make local decisions about sports facilities. Sport England works closely with local authorities through the Facilities Improvement Service. This is a three-year targeted programme designed to offer support to local authorities to strategically plan for sports facilities.

“The Government would be concerned to hear about sports facilities that are in demand locally being closed down. Everyone has a right to high quality, accessible sports facilities. If a facility is closed but still in demand we would want local authorities to offer good alternatives so people can still enjoy sport.”

Telegraph Sport first revealed threats to 60 facilities a year ago – but with hundreds more at risk to closure. Gordon Kerr, a leading campaigner, believes that many more multi-sports facilities would diminish over the next decade if the current rate continued.

More stories at Telegraph Squash
  Closures: story so far
  Nicol David off to fine start
  Matthew closes world No 1 gap