According to the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), figures produced by the Department for Education and Skills show that planning authorities have approved the sale of 195 playing fields since October 1998 alone. NPFA director Elsa Davies said, 'The Government tries to put a spin on it, but the facts are very stark and clear. It is utterly disgraceful that they are allowing the sale of school playing fields in this way.
'How can the Government on the one hand announce a strategy for school sports and on the other get rid of sports grounds?'
She said that far from reversing the Conservative government's policy of selling off playing fields, the present Government has cleared the way for more sales by removing the six-acre standard that local authorities have traditionally used to ensure adequate facilities. Local authorities have now been told by the Government to do their own 'needs assessments' to determine sports ground provision.
Mrs Davies said, 'What's to stop local authorities from deciding they only need three acres? We are angry that the Government is trying to eradicate a good and sensible standard which has existed since 1938 and been used by 80 per cent of authorities.'
She said that since 1999 there had been a 40 per cent rise in planning applications to develop former playing fields. During the past 20 years more than 6,000 sites across the country have been sold to create housing developments, car parks and supermarkets.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said he didn't recognise all the figures being quoted by the NPFA and that some of its figures related to planning applications. He said he was unsure if that was an accurate measure of whether school sports facilities were being lost, because some of these applications would be for astro-turf pitches or sports halls.