Parliamentary roundtable discusses protecting sport spaces

An all-party parliamentary group (APPG) roundtable has discussed the importance of protecting community sport and recreation spaces within the planning system.

Hosted in the House of Commons by the Sport and Recreation Alliance (SRA) and attended by MPs, peers and sport and physical activity sector representatives, the panel discussion featured contributions from Sport England, the LTA, The FA and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

The session was chaired by APPG Co-Chair, Baroness Amanda Sater, with input from several NGBs, as well as Fields in Trust and ukactive.

The roundtable was organised in light of Government proposals to remove a number of statutory consultees in the planning system, including Sport England. This has led to significant concerns amongst the sport and recreation sector that this would remove vital safeguards which protect playing fields and sports facilities from development and ensure continued community use.

Speaking on the panel, SRA Chief Executive, Lisa Wainwright MBE, said: “While we understand the government’s ambition to build more houses, we are deeply concerned the proposed changes to Sport England’s statutory role will neither significantly increase the pace of development nor lead to better outcomes for local communities. “This is why the SRA launched the Protect Where We Play campaign.”