Policy WS/CF: Community, sports, and leisure facilities

New or enhanced facilities 

1. Proposals for new or enhanced community, sports or leisure facilities will be supported if: 

  a. there is a local need for the facility, and it is located within the catchment area it is expected to serve, having regard to any relevant Council approved strategy document; 

  b. the facility is of a scale and nature appropriate to its location, with particular regard to the settlement hierarchy and the hierarchy of retail centres; 

  c. where a proposal is a main town centre use, the proposal complies with the sequential test approach and the impact assessment thresholds set out in Policy J/RE; 

  d. it would improve the range, quality, and accessibility of facilities, and encourage the social cohesion and inclusion of people of different ages and abilities; 

  e. where possible and appropriate, the facility has been co-located with other, complementary services and uses; and 

  f. where appropriate, they include high-quality, multi-functional spaces that are open to the wider community. 

2. In addition to the above, proposals for new or replacement city-wide or sub-regional community, sports or leisure facilities must also demonstrate: 

  a. evidence of need within the catchment it would support, and that it would complement and not undermine the viability of existing facilities; 

  b. that they would not have a negative impact upon the vitality and viability of the City Centre and other centres, including their evening/night-time economy;

  c. that they are provided in a sustainable location, including supporting sustainable travel; and 

  d. that, where possible, it includes facilities that are open to the wider community to enhance both accessibility and the range of facilities available. 

3. New education facilities should also comply with any relevant strategy approved by the applicable Education Authority. 

Protection of existing facilities 

4. Planning permission will be refused for proposals that would result in the loss of community, sports or leisure facilities or community services, such that the proposal would cause an unacceptable reduction in the range, quality and accessibility of facilities or services in the locality. 

5. The loss of a facility or site that was last in use as a community, sports or leisure facility will only be permitted if it is demonstrated that: 

  a. the proposal would deliver community, sports or leisure facilities or services of sufficient benefit to outweigh the loss; or 

  b. the facility/site would be replaced, providing an equivalent or better range and quality of facilities or services in a suitable, accessible location; or 

  c. there is an excess of provision in quantitative and qualitative terms of all the functions provided by the land or buildings to be lost, taking into account potential future demand and the impact on other facilities and planning uses in the locality. This should include consultation with local people and users, and, in appropriate cases, a marketing exercise for a sustained period in accordance with the guidance provided in Appendix G: Marketing, local needs assessments and viability appraisals. 

6. The loss or redevelopment of school sites and educational facilities for other uses will only be permitted if it can be demonstrated that they are not required in the longer term for continued educational use. 

Community, sports and leisure and facilities in

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

perform vital functions in promoting healthy lifestyles, social inclusion and the development of strong community identities. Therefore, it is important that new and replacement facilities support new and existing communities, respectively. These should also facilitate the growth of

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

by providing sufficient capacity to accommodate community needs and demands. The local community can highlight the facilities it values within its parish by applying for their inclusion on the Assets of Community Value (ACV) registers held by the Councils. 

The scale and nature of community, sports and leisure facilities can vary depending on their local context and the communities they serve. Therefore, different types of services and facilities may be required by urban communities when compared to more rural communities and village settings, which might be more sensitive to change. Illustrative examples of the different types of community, sports and leisure facilities that should be considered under this policy have been provided below, but these should not be considered exhaustive. 

Community facilities are those that help to meet the day-to-day needs of local residents. Community facilities may include: 

• Commercial, Business and Service uses in Class E (e) and E (f), including: 

         - Provision of medical or health services (except the use of premises attached to the residence of the consultant or practitioner). 

         - Creche, day nursery or day centre (not including a residential use). 

• Uses in Class F1 (learning and non-residential institutions), including: 

         - the provision of education. 

         - a public library. 

         - a place of worship or religious instruction (or in connection with such use). 

For the purposes of this policy, this does not include university teaching accommodation or associated residential uses. 

• Uses in Class F2 (local community), including: 

        -  a local retail unit selling essential goods. 

         - a community centre, public hall or meeting place. 

• The following sub-categories of Class C2 (residential institutions): 

         - hospitals, residential schools, colleges or training centres; and 

         - other uses that provide either a community service, facility or a public utility such as facilities for the emergency services, public toilets, laundrettes and court buildings. 

• Hot desking facilities located within dedicated spaces or within other community facilities can be used by residents who work remotely where they have difficulties working from home and/or would benefit from working in a shared space. 

Leisure facilities are cultural, entertainment and recreational facilities that provide space for recreation and engagement with the arts to both visitors and residents. Leisure facilities may include: 

• Leisure arts and culture uses (Class F1 and sui generis), including concert halls, performance venues and theatres, cinemas, punting stations, museums and galleries. Spaces that allow cultural activities to happen on a permanent or transitory basis. 
• Leisure entertainment uses (Class E(d) and sui generis) including informal leisure & sport entertainment, primarily indoors. Nightclubs, indoor 10-pin bowling centres, escape rooms/immersive experiences, snooker/pool halls and 10-pin bowling alleys. 

Sports facilities include indoor and outdoor sports venues that allow for supervised, organised or competitive sports. Sports facilities may include: 

• Class F2, E(d), and sui generis uses that allow for supervised, organised or competitive sports. Facilities include sports stadia, ice rinks, sports halls, boxing centres, badminton and squash courts, swimming pools (including outdoor), gymnasiums, indoor bowls centres, indoor tennis centres, and non-medical health and fitness centres. 

Some public services can successfully share facilities such as libraries, health facilities and meeting rooms. Such sharing of facilities can assist in the ensuring that a wider range of services is available to a community. The dual use of sports facilities and community spaces by the local community and the school population in village colleges is a successful part of the way of life in

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

that should be continued in new schools. Therefore, the Local Planning Authorities will expect new and replacement community facilities to be, as far as reasonable and where possible, multi-functional spaces. 

The co-location of facilities and services can provide significant benefits for residents and businesses. Co-locating services provides focal destinations for communities, increasing convenience for users and promoting site usage, and facilitating the creation of critical masses of linked services that can improve the sustainability of day-to-day life through the creation of linked trips. Co-location can also have significant economic benefits for businesses and organisations operating within these spaces as locations containing a critical mass of key services represent strategic locations that attract funding and consumers. Examples of successfully co-located facilities include those already built in Cambourne and the Trumpington Surgery at Clay Farm. 

Proposals for new and replacement facilities will be supported where there is a local need, particularly where existing deficits in community or leisure provision have already been identified. The Local Planning Authority will expect planning applications for new and replacement facilities to be accompanied by a local needs assessment. When considering planning applications for community, sports and leisure facilities, particularly proposals that aim to deliver city-wide or sub-regional facilities, the Local Planning Authorities will consider how proposals align with Council-approved strategy documents. 

Facilities with a city-wide or sub-regional catchment should be located within the most sustainable locations in the settlement hierarchy. The relocation of facilities that serve the whole city should be retained within the city, unless it is demonstrated that a site outside the city has high quality public transport accessibility and will be easily reached by Cambridge’s residents. Proposals should consider opportunities to include additional community and/or leisure facilities accessible to the public to increase the public benefit of such schemes. The Local Planning Authorities will also expect planning applications for community, sports, and leisure facilities of this scale to be accompanied by an Impact Assessment, which demonstrates that the facility will not negatively impact the vibrancy of designated retail centres and the vibrancy of settlements. 

The National Planning Policy Framework advises that plans should guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities and services, particularly where this would reduce the community’s ability to meet its day-to-day needs. Community assets such as community halls and public houses, both in urban and rural areas should be recognised for their importance in adding social value to existing and emerging communities. Where proposals will result in the loss of community, sports and leisure facilities, applicants should seek to replace facilities, either on site as part of development or off-site (where considered appropriate by service providers and this can be secured through planning obligations linked to the development). 

Alternatively, applicants will need to demonstrate, both quantitatively and qualitatively, that the facilities are surplus to requirements and that the proposal will not cause significant negative impacts on the vitality of other local facilities (such as through demand pressures created by displaced users of the lost facility). In most cases, this will require a marketing exercise for a sustained period of at least 12 months to demonstrate a lack of demand; exceptions to this requirement include the loss of educational and healthcare uses as the ongoing need for these facilities will need to be determined with the relevant Education Authorities or Health Authorities. The policy is applicable to existing facilities and sites last used for community, sports or leisure purposes to avoid situations where these facilities are lost through demolition without any planned replacement facility but they are still needed. 

As part of any planning application involving the loss or replacement of an indoor sports facility, consideration will be given to outputs from Sport England's strategic planning tools, such as the Facilities Planning Model and the Active Places Power website in assessing the impact of the proposed loss. Replacement leisure facilities must comply with the relevant sports design guidance and avoid any net reduction in leisure facilities. 

The combined areas of Cambridge District and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

: Topic Paper: Wellbeing and Inclusion

We will consider all comments while developing the next version of the

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.

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All comments must be received by 30 January 2026 at 5pm.