§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many applications each year since 1998 have been made by schools for permission to change the use of school playing fields and team game playing fields, detailing the decision in each case. [HL3789]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandSection 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires a local authority to obtain the consent of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills before either disposing, or changing the use, of any school playing field. Section 77 applies where the playing fields are used by a maintained school, or have been used for the purposes of such a school at any time during the preceding 10 years. Consent is not required, however, where the land in question, after the change of use, becomes used in connection with the provision, by a local authority, of educational facilities for a maintained school, or any recreational facilities. A local authority, therefore, may build permanent classrooms, install mobile classrooms or build an indoor leisure centre on playing fields without the need for consent.
The table below shows, for each year since 1998, the number of applications that would result in the loss of school playing fields which are capable of forming at least a small sports pitch of 2,000 m2, together with the outcome of those applications. The figures in brackets indicate the number of applications for a change of use where there was no disposal.
Year Number of applications Number of applications withdrawn Number of applications approved Number of applications rejected Number of applications not yet determined 1998 26(0) 3 21 2 0 1999 47(4) 9 37 0 1 2000 31(3) 2 29 0 0 2001 30(2) 5 23 0 2 2002 36(1) 10 22 0 4 2003 23(0) 3 13 0 7 2004 5(0) 0 1 0 4 Total 198(10) 32 146 2 18
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many applications for an easement in the minimum requirement for playing fields have been made by schools for each year since 1998, detailing the decision in each case. [HL3790]
9WA
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandThe Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 set out the minimum area of team game playing fields that local authorities should provide for schools. The minimum area of team game playing fields depends on the number and age range of pupils attending the school.
In certain cases, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills can agree to relax the minimum standards but only under circumstances set out in Section 543 of the Education Act 1996. Briefly, these circumstances are:
- (i) where it would be unreasonable to require conformity because of the nature of the existing site;
- (ii) where there is a shortage of suitable sites;
- (iii) in order to control public expenditure where the school is to move to a new site, and
- (iv) where other sports facilities are available to the school; for example, leisure and sports centres, all-weather pitches and sports halls, etc.
Schools that did not meet the minimum standard when the regulations were introduced were deemed to have an agreed relaxation to those standards. They must, however, apply for a further relaxation if they make any change to the size or layout of their team game playing fields. This means that even where there is a net increase in the size and range of sports pitches, schools still need to apply to have the standards relaxed if the new layout does not meet the minimum standards.
There were no central figures collected before 2000. The table below shows, by year, the number of applications to relax school playing field standards under Section 543 to the Education Act 1993 that have been approved since 2000. There is no need to record unsuccessful applications.
Year Number of applications 2000 17 2001 15 2002 13 2003 8 2004 1 Total 54