54) Where playing fields on educational land are facilities to be made available for community use, the council's Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) (2024) recommends that a community use agreement is drawn up. This should set out how it is intended to operate and is to be agreed prior to planning permission being granted, covering such matters as hours of availability, management arrangements and pricing policy. The community use agreement should help secure well-managed and safe community access to sports facilities on educational sites. Proposals for community use of sports facilities will need to ensure that amenity impacts are appropriately considered and addressed.

Development that would result in the loss of open space or sport and recreation facilities (indoor or outdoor) will only be permitted where one or more of the following apply:

Proposals to qualitatively improve access to, and/or enhance existing open space should include:

it is ancillary to the function of the open space or facility and does not negatively affect the quantity, quality and ongoing use of provision

any replacement facility is of at least equal quantity and quality in a suitable location, and where this is proposed on site, will clearly outweigh the loss; or

it can be clearly demonstrated that the open space/facility is:

surplus to requirements; and

not suitable or viable for any other form of open space provision for which there is an identified demand and would not create or worsen an existing deficiency.

visual amenity;

climate change adaptation benefits;

recreational benefits;

accessibility of the open space network; and

ecological improvements including green infrastructure.