3 Setting Local Standards

3.1 Through the Open Space and Recreation Strategy and Action Plan 2007 and this SPD, the Council has developed locally devised standards, and will require developers to provide open space, indoor and outdoor recreation facilities in accordance with those standards. Now that the assessment of local needs and audit of provision are in place, locally-determined provision standards have been set. Paragraph 7 of PPG 17 states that local standards should include:

  • A quantitative component (how much provision may be needed)
  • A qualitative component (against which to measure the need for enhancement of existing facilities)
  • An accessibility component (including distance thresholds and consideration of the cost of using a facility)

3.2 Calderdale’s Pennine topography of hills and valleys makes it more appropriate to establish accessibility, rather than quantity standards, for many types of open space, sport and recreation provision. The exceptions are cemeteries and civic spaces where the existing quantity has been taken as the standard; also outdoor sports facilities where standards have been calculated in line with Sport England guidance set out in “Towards a Level Playing Field”. Consultation was carried out as part of the strategy development process to establish how far users were prepared to travel to different facilities. This information was used to help determine the accessibility standards. Calderdale’s quality standard is that sites must score 60% or higher on the qualitative site assessment. The assessment criteria were developed as part of the strategy process and are based on the Green Flag criteria.

3.3 The relative importance of these three elements will vary from one type of provision to another. For development control purposes, however, it is desirable for provision standards also to encompass:

  • A minimum acceptable size
  • A site area multiplier
  • Normalised capital, establishment and maintenance costs
  • Design guidelines

3.4 Clearly stated quality standards e.g. Green Flag, also provide a useful starting point in negotiations with developers over on-site provision and inform them of their likely commitments when preparing to apply for planning permission. There may be several different ways of meeting local needs. For example, there may be a need for additional pitches in an area, with several possible sites for new provision; as well as opportunities to increase the capacity of one or more existing pitches, by adding floodlights or providing a high capacity artificial surface. It is necessary to identify the various options before evaluating them in the context, not only of PPG 17, but also other relevant national or regional planning policy guidance. It will almost certainly be desirable to enhance some existing open spaces or sport and recreation facilities to increase their quality, value and capacity . These will be those spaces or facilities which:

  • Are critically important in avoiding deficiencies in diversity, accessibility or quantity, but
  • Scored poorly in the value or quality assessment

3.5 New provision will be required where there will be a planned increase in population and will be required:

  • In areas within the distance thresholds of each different type of open space or sport and recreation facility in the adopted provision hierarchy containing sufficient people to justify new provision; or
  • Where the level of existing provision fails to accord with the quantity standard

3.6 In these areas, using the adopted provision standards to determine the need for new provision, it will be necessary to identify any need there may be:

  • To promote new provision and make allocations where there are realistic opportunities to do so; and/or
  • To require developers to provide or contribute to new provision

3.7 The exact location, size, and type of open space to be provided will be subject to planning conditions or a planning obligation between the Council and the developer. Where a developer cannot provide the appropriate amount of recreational open space, sports or recreational facilities on site, the Council will assist developers in meeting their responsibilities by accepting a financial contribution in lieu of physical provision, to enable the creation, or improvement and maintenance, of alternative local facilities.

3.8 The Calderdale Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy and Action Plan adopted in 2007 includes the setting out of locally determined standards for open space provision. These standards will be used as the basis for negotiating open space provision either on or off-site with developers. The Strategy includes these objectives:

  1. Within a phased programme, improve the quality of all open spaces, sport and recreational facilities including their ancillary facilities.
  2. Use development opportunities and consult with local stakeholders to identify facility need and increase and/or improve the existing in line with the findings of the assessment reports.
  3. Develop a general framework to enable stakeholders, where needs have been identified, to implement development proposals.
  4. Where sites may be lost, through development or closure ensure that appropriate provision is made to meet the continued needs of residents through an assessment of needs.
  5. All partners and stakeholders to work together to provide usable, accessible and viable open spaces, sport and recreational facilities.
  6. Provide assistance and support to those facilities that have yet to meet Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005 (DDA) requirements and ensure that there is appropriate access.
  7. Ensure that there is a clearly identified community and recreational need for development of new facilities with minimal displacement of usage from others.
  8. Ensure that all new or replacement facilities are developed to meet minimum contemporary specifications.