Policy information sourced from the Lewisham Local Plan
CI3 Sports, recreation and play
Strategic Objectives:
A An open Lewisham as part of an open London,
D A greener borough,
G Healthy and safe communities,
H Securing the timely delivery of infrastructure.
A Development proposals should help to ensure that people of all ages and abilities have access to a wide range of opportunities for sports, recreation and play. They should maximise opportunities to provide new or improved community infrastructure, along with public realm enhancements, so that sports and recreation facilities and play spaces can be reached safely and easily throughout the Borough. Proposals for new provisions, and enhancements to existing facilities will be designed to ensure that it is publicly accessible and inclusive so that it positively contributes to providing a wide range of multifunctional environmental, social, public health and economic benefits. Where it is appropriate and reasonable, proposals will contribute towards improvements and enhancements that increase the accessibility and capacity of existing local (to the proposal) facilities.
Sports and recreation facilities
B Existing sports and recreational facilities should be retained. Opportunities to increase or enhance the accessibility and capacity of existing facilities, to meet future needs arising from growth, will be explored, assessed and where appropriate implemented. Development proposals involving the loss of such facilities will only be permitted where they comply with London Plan Policy S5 (Sports and recreation facilities). Applications will be assessed taking into account the Infrastructure Delivery Plan along with the Council’s Playing Pitch Strategy, Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyle Strategy and other strategies as appropriate.
Play and informal recreation
C Development proposals that are likely to be occupied or used by children and young people must increase opportunities for play and informal recreation, inclusive of the provision of new informal recreation spaces. Where located in areas with identified deficiencies in play space, new housing development must provide demonstrable improvements in the quantity and quality of play space.
D Development proposals for new housing must incorporate welldesigned and high quality formal play provision of at least 10 square metres per child. Provision should be delivered on-site and made accessible to all children in the development without being segregated by housing tenure. Off-site provision will only be acceptable in exceptional circumstances, where it can be suitably demonstrated that on-site provision is not feasible and there is existing play space, or new provision that will be secured, in proximity to the development that can be accessed safely and easily by residents of the age group it is intended for. Proposals for off-site provision, including new, or improvements to existing facilities, must demonstrate that they will meet the needs of the development, whilst continuing to meet those of existing residents. Where it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that off-site provision is acceptable this will be secured through planning obligations and/or legal agreement, with payments in lieu calculated using the formula in Table 9.1.
| FORMULA FOR CALCULATING PAYMENTS IN LIEU |
|---|
| X = ((A x B) – C)) x D 0.70 |
| X = Financial contributions (£) |
| A = Number of children generated by the development (child yield calculated taking into account bedroom size(s) and tenure mix) B = 10 square metres per child (play space requirement) C = Square metres of play space proposed by the development D = Average cost per square metre of play space |
E All play space and provision for informal recreation must be sensitively integrated into the site and neighbourhood, and be designed to:
- Ensure that public access is encouraged and not unreasonably restricted, and made free-to-use wherever secured as part of new housing development;
- Provide a stimulating and pleasant environment that promotes social cohesion, including by enabling users of different ages and abilities to interact as well as to move around and play independently;
- Provide opportunities for respite, such as benches or seating areas;
- Enable informal supervision through passive surveillance;
- Integrate natural features such as trees, landscaped play areas and other greening measures;
- Maximise the use of permeable surfaces and Sustainable Drainage Systems; and
- Where possible, site play spaces at the street or ground floor of development.
F Where large-scale public realm is provided as part of a development proposal, this should incorporate incidental play space to make the public realm more playable. Incidental play space should supplement formal play provision elsewhere in the Borough and provide additional opportunities for physical activity.
G Development proposals including new or enhanced play space must ensure the provision will be appropriately managed and maintained over its lifetime.
H Development proposals that will result in the loss of play space, whether existing or consented but not built, will be refused unless:
- Replacement provision of at least an equivalent amount and improved quality will be provided, either on-site or in proximity to it, within a reasonable walking distance for the intended age group; or
- It can be suitably demonstrated that there is no ongoing or future demand for the play space, with reference to the Lewisham Play Strategy.
For more information and policy context please see the Lewisham Local Plan