Medway Local Plan (Regulation 18, 2023)

Embedding Sport England's Active Design in the new Local Plan with it’s 10 principles to our built and natural environments, we can create active environments that encourage people to be active through their everyday lives.
https://www.sportengland.org/guidance-and-support/facilities-and-planning/design-and-cost-guidance/active-design

Traditional forms of employment have been changing in the last 100 years, unfortunately the perception of what employment land is has not. The introduction of B8 distribution challenged local authorities in the 80’s and ‘90s as more of these uses came forward. Sport is often overlooked as an employer.

It is estimated that there is a total of 2,018 people employed via sport in Medway with an economic generation of £72.3m into the local economy. There are wider values as well in saving £90.4m in the health economy and generating £7.8m in wider spending with a further £61.9m in volunteering. Looking at statistics for Employee Jobs by Industry (2021) in Medway the figure is better than categories B,C,E,L and S. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157282/report.aspx

https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/partnering-local-government/tools-directory/economic-value-of-sport-local-model/

It is important to have a robust up to date evidence base for outdoor and indoor as per paragraph 99 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Medway has both a playing pitch strategy (PPS) (2019) and Sports Facility Strategy and Action Plan (SFS) (2017).

The PPS is coming to the end of its life and would not be considered robust next year. The SFS is considered to be out of date.

Sport advises that both these documents should be recommissioned in order to have a robust evidence base.

It is important to ensure there is a suitable formal informal sporting infrastructure available to support the ’15 minute’ neighbourhood communites This will in part be driven from the evidence base provided by playing pitch and sports facility strategies.

It is important to ensure there is a suitable formal informal sporting infrastructure available to support the regeneration areas. This will in part be driven from the evidence base provided by playing pitch and sports facility strategies.

It is important to ensure there is a suitable formal informal sporting infrastructure available to support the expansion in rural communities This will in part be driven from the evidence base provided by playing pitch and sports facility strategies.

Some of these sports could be equestrian, water sports, shooting, fishing and cycling and motorsports. Sports which are not easily accommodated in the urban settings.

It is important to ensure there is a suitable formal informal sporting infrastructure available to support the development in the green belt This will in part be driven from the evidence base provided by playing pitch and sports facility strategies.

Some of these sports could be equestrian, water sports, shooting, fishing and cycling and motorsports. Sports which are not easily accommodated in the urban settings.