HC2: Open Spaces, Local Green Spaces, Sport and Recreation
The NPPF is clear that access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and recreation can make an important contribution to the health and well-being of communities. There is an expectancy that once identified, open spaces, allotments, playing fields and other recreational land will be preserved from development.
Open Spaces
The NPPF guards against the unnecessary loss of existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields. This is to ensure that sports and recreational provision are able to meet the changing needs of the community and are well integrated with the community in which they are located.
Open space in the Borough can be defined as publicly accessible land consisting of Urban Parks and Gardens; Natural and Semi-Natural Green Space; Outdoor Sports Facilities; Amenity Green Space; Provision of Places for Children and Young People; Education Fields; Allotments, Community Gardens and City Farms; Churchyards and Cemeteries; and Urban Civic Spaces. Public open space does not include private open space and land which has no public right of access such as domestic gardens, grounds around buildings, car parks, agricultural land and forestry plantations.
Local open spaces provide most of the Borough’s 1,300ha of green spaces. They therefore offer great value as places for people to participate in organised sport, play, informal recreational activity and appreciation of the natural environment, and the need to retain open space for these uses will continue to be important as the Borough’s population grows.
In addition to formally identified open spaces, the wider network of Green Infrastructure in the Borough and beyond provides the opportunity for outdoor recreation such as walking and cycling. Public rights of way (PRoW) have an important role to play in ensuring the health and well-being of Borough residents. Furthermore, the provision of high-quality local opportunities to walk and cycle will help to stop local residents from travelling for such activity. In order to provide high quality walking and cycling networks across the Borough, the Council has prepared the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan Plus (LCWIP+) Update. This plan explores opportunities to improve each network and their connectivity across and between towns as well as to better integrate cycling, walking and public transport networks in order to encourage multi-modal travel by identifying infrastructure improvements and future investments in these networks.
Local Green Spaces
The NPPF introduces the ability for local communities to protect green spaces of local significance by designating them Local Green Spaces in Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans. This designation would prevent new development being permitted on these spaces unless very special circumstances exist.
Criteria on what areas should be considered suitable for the Local Green Space designation are set out within the NPPF and relate to the proximity of the green space to the community it serves, its particular local significance and whether it is local in character.
The NPPF states that local policy managing development within Local Green Spaces should be consistent with policy for Green Belts. The local policies in this plan place strict controls over development within the Green Belt and only allow inappropriate development where very special circumstances can be demonstrated.
Local people and some Local Councils expressed, during public consultations, the desire to have some of the Borough’s green spaces designated as Local Green Spaces in accordance with the NPPF. The Council subsequently received and assessed the nominations for possible Local Green Space designation. All the sites put forward were tested against the NPPF criteria, having regard to the advice in the PPG. The sites that are considered to meet the criteria for Local Green Space designation are listed as Local Green Spaces in Appendix 2 of this plan.
It should be noted that green spaces protected by law, including areas of Common Land, Village Greens, Town Greens, allotment gardens, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and Local Nature Reserves were excluded from inclusion on the list of Local Green Spaces due to the level of protection already afforded to them.
Sport and Recreation
Sport England is the organisation which provides the strategic lead for sport in the country. The organisation fulfils the function as a statutory consultee for all relevant planning applications affecting playing fields land and provides design guidance for the development of sports facilities. Working within the provisions of the NPPF, Sport England encourages local planning policy to protect, enhance and provide for sports facilities based on robust and up-to-date assessments of need, as well as helping to realise the wider benefits that participation in sport can bring.
The Council has regularly updated its evidence base with regard to open space provision, playing pitch provision and indoor sports facilities. Previous updates took place in 2018, and have enabled the Council, alone and in conjunction with partners, to plan for and deliver a number of improvements to open spaces, playing pitch provision and sports facilities in the Borough. The Council have also updated this evidence base and have published a Built Facilities Needs Assessment and Strategy, and a Playing Pitch Assessment and Strategy (2025). The approach to this work has been endorsed by Sport England. The overall study has assessed the availability, quality, quantity, and accessibility of existing provision for identified sports facilities in the context of existing and future needs. The outcomes of the study have enabled the Council to adopt a strategic approach to the future provision, maintenance, and enhancement of sports facilities.
The Council’s most recent Basildon Playing Pitch Strategy and Action Plan (2025), the Basildon Playing Pitch Strategy Assessment Report (2025), Basildon Indoor Sports Strategy and Action Plan (2025) and Basildon Indoor Built and Sport Assessment Needs (2025) considered the quantity, quality and accessibility of open spaces, and playing pitches, in the Borough and advised on the approach that should be taken to each site. In particular it highlighted where open spaces should be retained for leisure and recreation purposes. They also set standards for the quantity, quality and accessibility of open space and identify the approach that should be taken to secure new playing pitch provision.
Whilst the Playing Pitch Strategy (2025) reflects the proposed level of growth set out in this plan, the Open Space Assessment (2010) did not assess the level of growth now planned for. However, it is clear that the projected growth in population is such that open spaces will become more important resources for the future rather than less, and therefore the ongoing protection of those open spaces identified in 2010 remains justified. It will however be necessary to consider the most up to date local Open Space Strategy/Playing Pitch Strategy when considering the appropriateness of proposals for the redevelopment of public open spaces, as these will contain the most up to date evidence standards. Public Open Spaces are listed in Appendix 1 of this plan.
Allotments
The Government recognises that allotments are valuable green spaces and community assets providing people with the opportunity to grow their own produce as part of the long-term promotion of environmental sustainability, health and well-being, community cohesion and social inclusion. According to Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908, local planning authorities including parish and town councils, have a duty to provide allotments where they perceive a demand for them in their area.
There are seven allotment sites across the Borough with over 500 plots. The Council manages three of these sites and the other four are run by allotment associations under a devolved management arrangement. Spatially, they are concentrated to the south and north-east of the Borough, with no provision in Billericay despite there being indicators of need. The Council will continue to lend its expertise to town and parish councils to assist in their efforts to secure allotment provision for their residents, as well as using the strategic housing allocations to secure additional provision for the growing population.
Playing Fields Associated with Education Facilities
The policy framework generally protects and seeks to enhance educational playing fields. The Government has also introduced programmes aimed at renewing school sites, upgrading facilities and encouraging schools to branch out their role to the community. The dual use of facilities outside of school hours is encouraged, including schools’ sports facilities with support from Sport England.
The Advice on Standards for School Premises (2015) confirms that all maintained schools and academies must provide suitable outdoor space to enable physical education in accordance with the school curriculum and to enable pupils to play outside. Whilst this is a separate consent framework to requirements under the planning system, there is a very strong policy presumption against the disposal of school playing field land whilst the educational primary use remains.
Any proposal which involves the loss of school playing field land must take account of the provisions of Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 which requires the agreement of the Secretary of State before planning permission is sought for development or change of use. It is a requirement that any proceeds from the disposal of the school playing field must be used towards specific projects to improve or enhance sports or educational facilities in the area.
School based playing field provision exists primarily to meet educational needs; however, it also has the potential to be used by the wider community where there is a policy or practice promoting such dual use, outside educational hours. The re-use of educational premises can help to meet modern expectations of the quality of provision and residents’ needs for such facilities, particularly in areas where access is otherwise limited. The Basildon Playing Pitch Strategy and Action Plan identifies existing provision of playing pitches on schools within Basildon Borough and recommends that these should be open for community use where practical. Community use already occurs at some of these sites and is particularly recommended on secondary school sites where it is not already occurring.
Private Open Spaces - Conditional Access
There are a range of private and voluntary club facilities within the Borough which offer a greater or lesser degree of community use for their activities. Sports clubs and other private facilities make an important contribution to open space provision in the Borough. The venues, activities, opportunities, and sports development work offered by various sports clubs are identified within the Playing Pitch Strategy (2025). Private sports clubs are extremely important in the provision of playing pitches for football, rugby, cricket and bowls greens offering opportunities for community sport and recreation.
Policy HC2: Public Open Spaces, Local Green Spaces, Sport and Recreation
1. The Council will protect and enhance the borough’s parks, public open spaces and playing fields (including Associated with Education Facilities), working closely with a range of stakeholders to address deficiencies in quantity, quality, and access.
2. Public open spaces should be safe and easily accessible through walking, cycling, and public transport for all users, and supportive infrastructure such as crossings, cycle parking, bus stops, and clear signage should be provided appropriately near the entrance of open spaces. To reduce car dominance, these should be provided in proximity to residential, commercial and social infrastructure.
3. Existing open space local green spaces, allotments, spor ts and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be built on unless the requirements outlined in national policy are met.
4. Development on open space not shown on the Policies Map, including amenity greens and amenity spaces with limited public access, will generally not be suppor ted, except where proposals accord with an agreed Council regeneration strategy, or include replacement space of higher quality to the open space that would be lost.
5. Development should not rely upon existing publicly accessible open space to contribute towards on-site communal amenity space and child play space. All major and strategic development should contribute to the delivery of sufficient new publicly accessible open space on-site which should:
a. meet the needs of current and any future residents
b. be of a high-quality that is accessible to all
c. provide multiple benefits, including recreation, food growing, SuDS, improvements to biodiversity and links to green infrastructure, as well as any blue infrastructure, on and adjacent to the development site.
6. The council will prepare and implement the playing pitch strategy to improve the quality, quantity, accessibility, and sustainability of playing pitch provision in the Borough. Unless onsite provision is specified within a strategic housing site allocation policy, all other residential developments will be expected to contribute towards off-site provision in accordance with the approach set out in the Playing Pitch Strategy.
7. The council will prepare and implement the built facilities strategy to improve the quality, quantity, accessibility, and sustainability of indoor sports facilities in the Borough. Unless on-site provision is specified within a strategic housing site allocation policy, all residential developments will be expected to contribute towards off-site provision in accordance with the approach set out in the Built Facilities Strategy.
8. The locations of existing allotment gardens are identified on the Policies Map with the notation HC5, and a schedule of these allotment gardens is included in Appendix 1. These areas are to be retained for use as allotment gardens, and opportunities to improve these spaces and create more plots through the delivery of strategic housing allocations will be pursued, having regard to other relevant policies set out in this plan.
9. Playing fields associated with education establishments are identified on the Policies Map with the notation HC6 and listed within Appendix 3. These will be protected from development, unless:
a. The development forms part of a planned programme of service and infrastructure replacement which will result in replacement playing pitch provision of equal or better quantity and quality on an alternative site nearby; or
b. The development is for education and/or sports provision, and opportunities to ensure the remaining pitch provision is of a high quality are incorporated into the proposals.
c. As part of the change of use or redevelopment of individual education facilities.
10. The locations of private open spaces with conditional access for primary users are identified on the Policies Map with the notation HC7 and listed within Appendix 1.
a. These will be retained for their primary sport or recreation uses, as well as occasional use to support agricultural diversification activities.
b. The development of essential facilities including changing rooms, toilets and car parking will be supported having regard to other relevant policies set out in this plan.
c. The principle of pitch relocation will apply to any proposal for development on allocated private open spaces, where such proposals would involve the loss of private pitches, in order to maintain the security of local playing pitch provision in the Borough. Private open spaces including ancillary facilities, should be replaced with an equivalent or better facility, in terms of quantity and quality, in a suitable location.
Reasoned Justification
The Local Plan policies will seek to achieve a net gain for biodiversity by retaining public open spaces and green spaces as well as providing new public open spaces including high quality green infrastructure built into the designs and masterplans of new development.
The NPPF offers the opportunity for local communities to protect green spaces of local significance by designating them as Local Green Spaces in Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans. Following the nomination of some local green spaces as part of the Council’s work on the local list of heritage assets, consideration has been given to including a specific list of Local Green Spaces within this plan which prevents new development being permitted on these spaces unless very special circumstances exist.
The NPPF recommends that local authorities should consider opportunities to support people to live healthy lifestyles including planning for an environment that helps promote active travel and physical activity. Good quality infrastructure encourages active travel and the use of public transport. Improved active travel corridors and access to public transport makes it easier for our residents and communities to use healthier travel choices which help prevent excess weight and obesity. All new and improved walking and cycling routes should be designed to ensure they are coherent, direct, safe, comfortable, and attractive.
The design and masterplanning of development proposals will embrace the role they can play in supporting healthy lifestyles by facilitating participation in sport and physical activity.
Community allotments, gardens and orchards provide learning opportunities about how to grow food and eat local fresh produce when it is in season. Allotments can help improve physical and mental health and wellbeing by being outdoors, and active, connected to nature and within a community and help achieve the aims of achieving healthy, inclusive, and safe places as set out in the NPPF.
An analysis of the need for playing fields associated with educational establishments will be undertaken on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the type of asset and any existing provisions. If no alternative provision is to be provided, permission will only be granted where an assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the facility is inappropriate for alternative community uses or is surplus to requirements.
Private open spaces provide an important community benefit, The retention of these open spaces is an important objective of the Local Plan which seeks to provide and maintain recreational provision to the whole community.
Alternatives Considered
No Policy – An alternative option would be not to provide a policy on open spaces, local green spaces, recreation, and sport. This would not facilitate the aims of the NPPF and Sports England in providing high quality open spaces (both public and private) with opportunities for sport and recreation, new and enhanced open space to meet community needs, designate green space of particular importance to the community, or opportunities to preserve or enhance allotments. Therefore, this is not a reasonable alternative.
Absolute Retention - A second option is to provide stronger protection and insist that all existing areas of open space and green space are retained in perpetuity. However, this may result in the persistence of areas of open space and green space which are undersized, impractical, difficult to put to an effective recreational or other use and not cost effective to maintain at public expense. In these circumstances open space and green spaces are more likely to become unsightly, neglected and disused. It would also reduce opportunities to improve local recreational facilities if these are offered by new development.
