Name: Peter Durrans

Address: Planning Manager

Sport England - London Region

3rd Floor Victoria House

Bloomsbury Square

London WC1B 4SE

Tel:

Email: peter.durrans@sportengland.org

Date and time of comment left: 01-02-2008 12:48

Comment Type: Object to Proposal

Comment:

FAO Adam Flynn

Planning Department

London Borough of Harrow

P.O. Box 37, Civic Centre

Harrow

Middlesex

HA1 2UY

30 January 2008

Your Ref: P/4222/07

Our Ref: L/HW/2007/13608/N

Dear Mr. Flynn,

Harrow Leisure Centre, Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, HA3 5BD

Thank you for consulting Sport England on the above planning application, which is for a new leisure centre on the site of the skateboard park adjacent to the existing Harrow Leisure Centre. I apologise for the delay in responding.

Sport England normally welcomes proposals to provide new facilities for sport and active recreation but we are also mindful of the importance of retaining existing well-used facilities. In this connection, we have a number of major concerns about the current proposals.

1. The location of the proposed new leisure centre is an existing skateboard park. Users of the skateboard park have objected strongly to the loss of their existing facility and are sceptical about proposals for its eventual replacement, which are not yet available.

2. The site plan accompanying the current application indicates that a possible location for a replacement skate park is the adjoining Byron Recreation Ground. As this would involve a loss of part of the playing field, it would require further statutory consultation with Sport England. In the absence of further details, it is not certain that this relocation would comply with our policy for development on playing fields.

3. The site plan also indicates that the existing Harrow Leisure Centre is to be demolished when the replacement Leisure Centre is completed. However, the proposed new facility is substantially smaller than the existing one. As a consequence, the capacity for a range of sporting activities has been significantly reduced and this has generated a large number of objections to the application from existing users.

4. I have not been able to find any documents accompanying the application that compare existing and proposed (post construction and demolition) of the various sports facilities provided on the site. However, judging from the objection letters already received by the Council, the following reductions in provision are proposed.

5. Squash courts reduced from 8 to 2. This would have a serious impact on the operation of the club and the coaching it provides. It would substantially reduce the provision of public squash courts in LB Harrow and inevitably result in a reduction in participation levels for the sport.

6. Table tennis is played to a high standard in purpose-built specialist facilities in the existing leisure centre. Sport England provided funding for the table tennis centre which is well-used by the Wembley and Harrow Table Tennis League. I understand that no purpose built replacement facilities are proposed for table tennis. Presumably this event would have to compete with other activities to use the sports hall. This clearly represents a serious deterioration in provision for the sport and is unacceptable. The flooring and lighting of a sports hall is less suited to playing table tennis than existing specialist facilities and the limited available time would considerably reduce available capacity which would be reduce participation levels.

7. The existing 33m pool is to be replaced by a 25m pool. The learner pool will also be smaller than existing. The site plan also does not indicate what will happen on the site of the outdoor pool. These changes again represent a reduction in the water space provided on the site which is also regrettable.

8. Badminton courts would be reduced from 10 to 6 in the new sports hall. Again, this will have an impact on participation levels moving them in the wrong direction.

9. Other activities taking place in the sports hall, including basketball, five a side football and trampoline, would also have reduced capacity as a result of the reduction in size of the sports hall and loss of specialist sports facilities.

10. National planning policy guidance note PPG17 (Planning for open space, sport and recreation) states, in paragraph 1, that local authorities should undertake robust assessments of the existing and future needs of their communities for open space, sports and recreational facilities. It also states that existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land should not be built on unless an assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space or the buildings and land to be surplus to requirements (paragraph 10).

11. Sport England is not aware of any evidence to demonstrate that the sports facilities which would be lost as a result of the implementation of the current proposals are surplus to requirements. The objections made by current users appear to indicate that they are still much valued by the community. In the absence of such evidence, we consider that the Council should comply with PPG17 advice and not proceed with the current proposals. Sport England considers them to be damaging to a wide range of existing sporting interests and they would reduce opportunities for participation in sport and active recreation in the Borough.

For the above reasons, Sport England therefore objects to the planning application.

We also recommend that the London Borough of Harrow should undertake a review of its proposals with the objective of maintaining sporting opportunities on this site or their re-provision within the locality.

I would be grateful if you would inform me of the outcome of this application in due course. This is needed to update our database on planning application consultations.

Yours faithfully,

Peter Durrans

Planning Manager

E-mail peter.durrans@sportengland.org