The Government has announced plans for the removal of Sport England’s role as statutory consultee on planning applications.
Sport England said the purpose of the statutory planning remit is to protect playing fields and community spaces for sport and physical activity.
"Britain’s childhood obesity crisis is rising and low physical activity levels cost our economy £7.4billion a year, making it vital we protect the places that local communities can be active,” it explained.
"We support growth and exercise our powers carefully and quickly, ensuring local neighbourhoods are designed to help people live healthy, happy and active lives.
"We look forward to taking part in the Government’s consultation exercise and arguing the importance of protecting playing fields and places where local people can keep active."
Responding to the publication of the Bill, chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said: "We understand the Government’s priority around housebuilding and the need to stimulate growth.
"However, it is vital we balance this with the need to keep a nation moving – and the places and spaces that currently support sport and activity in our community.
"We therefore look forward to working constructively with Government through the consultation to seek to achieve these aims.
"History shows us that without effective action taken to protect playing fields, we will see vital facilities lost, particularly often in those areas that are already least well served.
"Once you lose a playing field or pitch, it's gone forever.
"With more than half our playing fields in this country within school grounds, and with a child obesity crisis and £7.4billion lost to the economy each year to inactivity, it's essential we get the balance right ensure any future legislation continues to protect the facilities base in this country."
In December 2024, it released statistics showing that in its
role as a statutory consultee, 94% of all concluded planning
applications involving playing fields result in the protection or
improvement of facilities.
It meant Sport England protected more than 1,000 playing fields between April 2022 and March 2023. The annual playing field statistics show it
protected 1,007 in the year to March 2023, continuing its commitment to
protecting and enhancing playing fields across England.
At the time, director of planning and active environments, Nick Evans, said: “The figures. . .once again demonstrate Sport England’s unwavering commitment to protecting and enhancing playing fields,” he said.
“Playing fields are a vital resource that offer flexible opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity, providing wide ranging health and wellbeing benefits to communities across England.
“It’s crucial we continue to protect these spaces to enable people, regardless of their background to be active in their local communities.”
Responding to the Government's announcement on Sport England's statutory consultee role, Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: "The Football Foundation, in supporting Sport England, plays a vital role in protecting and investing in community sports facilities. We believe every community should have a great place to play; and the individual, societal and economic value of these facilities is fundamental to the nation.
"We are committed to delivering government investment in grassroots multi-sport facilities. We also recognise and support the ambition of the government to drive economic growth through development but believe this should not be to the detriment of quality sport facilities and the nation’s ability to get active and healthy.
"Reform of the planning system should be focused on expediting the process, allowing for greater certainty for all developers, including the Football Foundation, as we seek to improve community sports facilities across England. We look forward to engaging in the consultation process in due course."
