A new guidance document designed to help local deliverers of sports facilities has been published by Sport England.

The Assessing Needs and Opportunities Guide for Indoor and Outdoor Sports Facilities aims to provide users with a recommended approach for undertaking a “robust assessment” of the needs for indoor and outdoor sports facilities in their local area.

While primarily aimed at local authorities, the guide can be used by sports governing bodies, clubs, schools, facility providers, and developers, who may be looking to undertake an assessment of need for a particular purpose – such as informing an investment decision or the development of a planning application.

Sport England property director, Charles Johnston, said: “We believe that providing the right facilities in the right places is key to maintaining and getting more people playing sport. The new guide will help give a clear understanding of what facilities are needed in an area and ensure those responsible for the development and investment in sports facilities have sound information on which to base their decision.”

The guide outlines an approach that will help local authorities understand and identify the current and future needs of sports facilities while also taking into account the range of providers, the importance of education, private and voluntary sector provision and, under the duty to co-operate, cross boundary supply and demand issues.

For more information and to download a copy of the guidance, click here.

The new guidance - background info

• The new guide, in part, replaces the previous guidance Assessing needs and opportunities: a companion guide to PPG17 for sport and recreation, and reflects the requirements of paragraph 73 in the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework.

• The guide has been developed so it can be applied to a range of sports facilities and complements Sport England’s playing pitch strategy guidance, forming part of the wider guidance available to those assessing needs of local sports provision.