Decision details

Recreation/Sports Quality Improvement – Binfield Football Club

Decision Maker: Executive Member for Culture, Delivery and Public Protection

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

To seek approval for the allocation of S106 funding (£30,000) to support improvements to outdoor recreational and sports facilities at Binfield Football Club, Hill Farm, Binfield.

To confirm which financial contributions secured from developers under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 will be applied to the project.

Decision:

       i.          The release of £30,000 of S106 funds to Binfield Football Club be approved as a conditioned grant to support improvement of the recreational and sports facilities at their grounds at Hill Farm Lane, Binfield.

 

      ii.          To draw the £30,000 from the four S106 agreements detailed within the table of Annex 1.

 

     iii.          To condition that payment of this grant will be subject to sufficient match funding being secured to ensure completion of all the improvements totalling £37,000 as detailed within the application documents in Annex 2.

 

    iv.          To condition that appropriate planning permissions are secured where required.

Reasons for the decision:

1.     Developer contributions are collected through S106 agreements to support “providing, expanding or improving open space, and/or outdoor recreational facilities (which may include the acquisition and/or improvement of land and/or buildings and/or carrying out or assisting in the carrying out of nature/landscaping conservation projects) within 3 kilometres of the Site.”

 

2.     The justification for requiring developers to supporting the improvement of open space and outdoor recreational facilities is given under point 8. Promoting Healthy Communities, The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which states that:

 

“Access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and recreation can make an important contribution to the health and well-being of communities.”

 

3.     The borough council has adopted a Parks and Open Spaces Strategy (2012) and this project is in accordance with delivering the following two priorities:

 

·        Enhance outdoor sport and play provision (including ancillary facilities).

·        Encourage greater community involvement and additional partnership working between agencies, groups and organisations.

 

4.     The borough council has adopted the Play, Open Spaces and Sports (POSS) Study which identifies that ‘Outdoor sport facilities are often a focal point for the community, functioning as a recreational and amenity resource in addition to a formal sports facility’.

 

5.     The project supports two aspirations in the Binfield Parish Council Strategic plan 2020-2023:

 

·        Community Wellbeing – events & activities to support mental and physical wellbeing across all sections of the community

·        Facilities - improve the range of spaces available to support the widest range of activities

 

6.     It supports commitments set out in the Government’s Integrated Communities Action Plan i.e. Binfield FC will work with sport bodies, such as Sport England, to support interventions that use sport and physical activity to build integrated communities and help address social isolation. This will include working with the English Football League (EFL) Trust to test the impact that Football Club Community Organisations can have on social mixing.

Alternative options considered:

1.     Not carrying out a project at Binfield FC could lead to funds being returned to the developers, if no other qualifying scheme was located through which to deliver enhancements in the time available.

 

2.     Not using s106 funding could result in a failure to mitigate the impact of development and a missed opportunity for providing, expanding or improving outdoor recreational and sports facilities.

 

3.     The S106 contributions available in the borough have been assessed in order to eliminate those lying outside the distance constraints of the developments as set out in the respective s106 agreements.

 

4.     Development monies amounting to £30,000 (index linked) are secured through four developments, which are between 1.2–2.7kms away, which is within the distance constraints set out in the legal agreements.

Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:

None

Wards Affected: Binfield with Warfield;

Financial Impact: No financial impact to Bracknell Forest Council. Positive financial impact to Binfield FC, who can encourage further club membership because they’re providing these new improvements to sports/recreation facilities.

Declarations: None

Subject to Urgent Proceedings: No

Making Representations: In writing to the Director: Place, Planning and regeneration

Other reasons / organisations consulted

Binfield FC consult their members on all initiatives and developments going on at the club through a structured communication strategy of meetings, minutes etc and these proposed developments are included within this process (see attachment)
As part of their meeting and comms strategies Binfield FC produce a priority list of development, improvement and maintenance projects. This list has been shared with borough and parish council members/officers, e.g. Simon Cridland, Ian Leake, Ally Wickham.

They also share their plans and projects with local community through local press and social media forums and blogs.

Consultees

Binfield FC members
BFC
Binfield Parish Council

Contact: Stephen Chown, Head of Natural Estates Email: stephen.chown@bracknell-forest.gov.uk Tel: 01344 351226.

Publication date: 23/10/2020

Date of decision: 23/10/2020

Effective from: 31/10/2020

Accompanying Documents:

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk