Working closely with Sport England and the Football Foundation, we play a key role in protecting football facilities under threat of loss due to development.

We cooperate with Sport England, a statutory consultee on all planning applications affecting playing field land, to object to any proposal unless:

* an assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space, buildings or land to be surplus to requirements
* the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by on a like-for-like, or better, basis in a suitable location
* the development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the needs for which clearly outweigh the loss

We also work with Sport England and Essex’s local authorities to provide detailed feedback on football’s requirements when new developments are planned and developer contributions are to be negotiated for additional leisure facilities.

The Essex County FA currently play a key part in a host of Local Authority Playing Pitch Strategy Groups alongside our County Sport Partnerships, Sport England and other respective National Governing Bodies. For further details, contact our County Development Manager, Nick Emery, via nick.emery@essexfa.com or (01245) 393077.