Policy information sourced from the Aylesbury Local Plan
I2 Sports and recreation
The council will support development proposals involving the provision of new sport and recreation facilities that are accessible by pedestrians and cyclists and public transport where available and have no unacceptable impact upon the following:
- visual, noise or other impact on public amenity including safety
- the highway network
- on wildlife and habitats
- the historic environment
- flooding or drainage
New housing development of more than 10 units or which have a combined gross floorspace of more than 1,000 square metres (gross internal area) will be required to meet the Council’s adopted standards in Appendix D to secure adequate provision of sports and recreation facilities increased capacity to meet the additional demand for sports and recreation facilities arising from new residential development. Facilities are required to be provided on-site except where off-site provision is acceptable according to the circumstances in Appendix D.
Accessible natural green space required through Policy I1 will be treated separately to formal outdoor sports areas, equipped play facilities and allotment provision, which may be located within or outside such accessible natural green space, on land that is in addition to the accessible natural green space required under Policy I1.
Conditions will be imposed on permissions or planning obligations sought in order to secure appropriate sport and recreation facilities reasonably related to the scale and kind of housing proposed. The recreational benefits to be obtained or provided by the Council by virtue of the obligation will be directly relevant to the development permitted and the needs of its occupiers and fairly and reasonably related to its scale and kind.
Any proposals involving the loss of existing sports and recreation facilities will only be accepted where any of the following criteria are met:
- An assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the sports and recreation facilities are surplus to requirements and their loss is not detrimental to the delivery of the Playing Pitch Strategy or a Built Facilities Strategy; or
- The development will significantly enhance the Open Space network as a whole and help achieve the Council’s most recently adopted Green Infrastructure Strategy. In some cases, enhancements could be provided at nearby locations off site; or
- The loss of sports and recreation facilities would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quality and quantity in a suitable location; or
- The developments is for other types of sports or recreational provision or ancillary development associated with the Open Space and the needs for which clearly outweigh the loss
Sports and recreation facilities being provided must have a long-term management and maintenance strategy agreed by the Council and shall set out details of the owner, the responsible body and how the strategy can be implemented by contractors.
The policy applies to all types of sports and associated built facilities required for their operation or facilities of a more community nature where sports can take place within. This includes sports halls, swimming pools, community centres and village halls, artificial grass pitches (such as for football), grass playing pitches (such as for cricket), climbing walls, stadia and facilities for outdoor and indoor tennis, outdoor and indoor bowls, athletics, golf, health and fitness, squash and climbing walls.
Formal outdoor sports areas providing facilities for football, netball, cricket, hockey, rugby and other sports should be treated separate to ANGSt so these areas can function to ensure financial sustainability. Facilities are usually hired for a fee and may include built facilities such as a pavilion or club house. Access is controlled and to maximise daytime use the facility should ideally be colocated/shared with a school, college, community hall, sports club or other facility
Policy information sourced from the Aylesbury Local Plan