Playing pitch strategy coverage: Core cities
KKP’s pre-eminence in delivery of high-quality playing pitch strategies has been reinforced by further major commissions. We deliver more PPS needs assessments and strategies than any other UK practice and have unrivalled coverage across the ten UK Core Cities having delivered at least one iteration for nine – and worked with all ten.
One reason for KKP’s high reputation is the comprehensive, inter-personal on the ground consultation we deliver. This enables the gathering of a substantially greater level of local insight and understanding than can be generated from an over-reliance on survey returns. This in turn enables us to generate a comprehensive strategy and action plan which is key to driving investment into playing pitch improvements (e.g. from Section 106 and planning gain).
Recent (2019) commissions include Glasgow and Cardiff where we have worked to adapt the Sport England Guidance to account for the different sporting and planning landscapes.
Our work quality is reflected by the volume of re-commissions and the follow-up work in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.
Birmingham – the groundwork began in 2014, when we were commissioned to identify new delivery models for local grassroots football in Birmingham on a project jointly commissioned by the FA and Birmingham City Council. The latest PPS was delivered, by us, in 2016.
Liverpool – we completed the City’s 2013 PPS as a pilot for the new PPS Guidance: An Approach to Developing and Delivering a Playing Pitch Strategy (authored by KKP). We recently completed the 2018 update to inform the City’s FA Parklife programme.
Manchester – we produced the City’s 2017 PPS and Action Plan working closely with partners to develop a vision and objectives linked to potential FA Parklife submission. This iteration follows our delivery of its 2010 and 2013 strategies.
Newcastle – having completed its 2015 PPS we were commissioned to apply the Strategy and Action Plan to strategic housing developments and in doing so help to inform production of Sport England’s new Playing Pitch Calculator tool. We updated the City‘s PPS in 2018.
Nottingham – after delivering its 2015 PPS we were commissioned to update it in 2017/18 in lieu of a potential ‘Greater Nottingham’ application to the FA’s Parklife programme (which included hubs in Gedling, Rushcliffe and Newark & Sherwood – for which we have also delivered recent PPS assignments).
Sheffield – subsequent to completing its PPS in 2012 KKP was commissioned by the City Council and the FA to test the impact of developing a football hub sites across the city. This study gave birth to the FA’s Parklife funding initiative which has been rolled out nationally.
Key stats:
- Total number of site assessments undertaken by KKP on Core City PPS projects 2,000
- Total number of football clubs consulted with in Core City PPS studies c. 1,750
23 April 2019