Sport England Facilities
Condition and refurbishment of public sector sports facilities. Update of 1995 study, a report for Sport England January 2003

This report shows that the national stock of sports centres requires some £550 million to be spent now to bring the condition up to a good and acceptable standard. Assuming this was spread over 5 years the extra expenditure per annum would be £110 million.

The study reported here is an update of a study first carried out in 1995 and relates to capital expenditure on the existing stock of sports centres owned by local authorities in England and built after 1900 (1945 for the 1995 study). The study had three main aims:

  • to establish the condition of this stock and compare it with the 1995 condition
  • to estimate the capital costs of bringing this stock up to a safe and acceptable standard
  • to estimate the capital costs of maintaining this stock to a safe and acceptable standard
Overview of facilities: Newham, Redbridge, Lewisham, Havering, Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Greenwich, Tower Hamlets, City
List of current provision, facility distribution (high/low concentration), capacity ratio (facility type per 1,000 population) and deficiency/surplus (in comparison with National average.
The Use & Management of Local Authority Sports Halls & Swimming Pools in England (1997)
This summary report presents the findings of a national survey carried out by Sport England which examined the use made of local authority sports halls and swimming pools and the different management approaches adopted by the centres.  The survey was carried out in November 1997 on behalf of Sport England by Public Attitude Surveys (PAS) and involved two elements: a survey of users (carried out at 155 centres across England); and a survey of programming and management practice (involving around 330 centres across England).
Bowls – Supply & Demand Study (2000)
The survey of indoor bowling facilities was carried out between November 1999 and January 2000 on behalf of Sport England by MEW Research.  The aim of the survey was to provide data to allow calibration of Sport England’s Facilities Planning Model in respect of indoor bowling facilities.  Therefore the survey was undertaken in areas of ‘best supply’, that is, in areas already well provided for by indoor bowls facilities. Such data, when applied to other areas, can help determine what is required to bring them up to ‘best supply’.
Survey of Indoor Tennis Facilities in Areas of Best Supply, NFO BJM, 2001

The aim of the survey of indoor tennis facilities was to provide Sport England with data for its Facilities Planning Model. As such the survey was carried out in three areas of ‘best supply’:

  • Hertfordshire
  • Dorset
  • Warwickshire.

Therefore the results presented in this report reflect the position of indoor tennis across these three areas only and are not nationally representative. Nevertheless, the results do provide an indication of patterns of usage and management practices at indoor tennis facilities generally.