HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

APPROPRIATE THE PROVISION OF, RECREATION, ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE
FACILITIES WITHIN THEM.
Formal Recreation Facilities
9.7 The provision of formal outdoor recreation facilities for football, hockey, tennis and rugby is
technically above national standards, but as many playing hours are lost each season on grass pitches
through inclement weather the availability for many sports is reduced. For some sports artificial surface
pitches may have an advantage as they can support more intensive use, and there is an upward trend in
participation in sports such as indoor bowls, tennis and cricket. The Council's strategy of promoting a
network of local sports centres together with one large facility serving the Borough as a whole has yet to be
completed and, in particular, the Uxbridge area remains unserved. It is the intention to redress this
situation when resources can be made available and complete the upper tier of the network by providing
indoor sports facilities at Hillingdon House Farm, Uxbridge (see Chapter 15). The four existing indoor
public swimming pools in the Borough are all well located to serve the rest of the community's needs.
R3 THE COUNCIL WILL PROMOTE A NETWORK OF ACCESSIBLE LOCAL SPORTS
HALLS AND CENTRES THROUGHOUT THE BOROUGH. ACCORDINGLY IT WILL
REGARD PROPOSALS IN THE DEVELOPED AREA FOR BUILDINGS FOR INDOOR SPORTS
AND LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES AS ACCEPTABLE IN PRINCIPLE
PROVIDED:-
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
THEY ARE OF A SCALE AND TYPE INTENDED TO CATER FOR LOCAL
DEMANDS AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN A 1.6 KM RADIUS OF
THE SITE; OR
THEY ARE INTENDED TO SERVE A WIDER PUBLIC AND ARE LOCATED IN
TOWN CENTRES OR OTHER AREAS WHERE THEY ARE ACCESSIBLE BY
PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR ALL POTENTIAL USERS; AND
THEY ARE NOT DETRIMENTAL TO THE AMENITY OF THE SURROUNDING
AREA.
Safeguarding Existing Facilities
9.8 Pressures for recreational land, including allotments, to be released for development are expected
to continue. Such development has already had a detrimental effect in some areas which experience a
shortfall in provision or a low standard of existing facilities. PPG17 notes that “the Government recognises
the particular concern felt by many communities that open spaces with recreational value should be
protected from development and attaches great importance to the retention of recreational and amenity
open space in urban areas. Demand is concentrated there, and it is important that people - particularly
children and elderly people - should have access to open space close to where they live. Decisions on the
alternative use of recreational land and open space should be based on a long term perspective and take into
account the needs of future generations; as once built upon open space is likely to be lost to the community
forever. The Local Planning Authority should seek to achieve a reasonable balance between the need to
make adequate provision for development in urban areas and the need to protect open space from
development” (PPG17, paras 1, 7, 25 and 27). Appropriate arrangements will be made for the monitoring
of demand for sports pitches. Given the recognition in RPG3 that Boroughs are unlikely to be self
sufficient in the provision of playing fields, this should take into account demand from outside Hillingdon.
R4 THE LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY WILL NOT NORMALLY GRANT PLANNING
PERMISSION FOR PROPOSALS WHICH INVOLVE THE LOSS OF LAND USED (OR WHERE
THE LAST AUTHORISED USE WAS) FOR RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACE, (INCLUDING
PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE OPEN SPACE AND PLAYING FIELDS, PRIVATE OR SCHOOL
PLAYING FIELDS, PRIVATE OR PUBLIC ALLOTMENTS), PARTICULARLY IF THERE IS
(OR WOULD BE) A LOCAL DEFICIENCY IN ACCESSIBLE OPEN SPACE.
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan