In partnership with Sport England, the Esteem team are in the process of pulling together a playing pitch strategy on behalf of the Hull City Council.
Further to the work that Esteem have been undertaking with the Bude Road Playing Fields and Active Through Football funding bid, we’ve been approached to support the Council with refreshing their Playing Pitch Strategy in line with Sport England’s methodology and framework.
As a statuary requirement, the review will assess the condition of the 457 playing fields across 52 sites, understanding the current facilities and what is being used, and what needs adding or replacing to enable secured funding to be allocated accordingly.
Nikola Idle, Development Manager for Esteem, said:
“We’re applying our strategic planning knowledge and expertise to make a difference in this sector, with a vision to make sure there is adequate provision of high-quality playing pitches within Hull to serve the population and facilitate physical activity.”
“Particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, it became apparent how vital outdoor green spaces are and the difference they make to mental and physical health and wellbeing.
“This review will help the council to direct funding to the most appropriate areas and ensure the city’s playing fields remain in fantastic condition. The results will then determine the target priority list for investment and become a reference point for planning decisions in the future.
“We’re working closely National Governing Bodies, local playing pitch providers and Sport England to highlight any quantity or quality issues related to supply and demand, identifying maintenance standards, and accounting for geographically concentrated population increases.
“Understanding the needs of individual clubs is also crucial to this exercise, so we can align our strategy more closely with their aspirations for growth, amongst other considerations.”
Hundreds of sporting clubs across the city are being included in the review and are being encouraged to share their thoughts. This will support Local Planning Authority decisions for the protection of green spaces and will also support the planning team to ensure that there are adequate developer contributions to develop new or existing facilities.
Esteem has a long-standing relationship with Hull City Council, which over the years has seen a variety of developments and estates services support provided to the Council.
Featured image source: Photo by Daniel Norin on Unsplash