Sport and Recreation

5.6.1: The Plan's strategy aims not only to ensure that changes in land use happen within the overall context of caring for the environment, but that the Plan assists in improving the quality of life. Open space and sport, leisure and physical recreation facilities have important health benefits while also making the area more attractive for investment in housing and employment. Through land use planning policies, the Councils will seek to protect existing facilities and strategic areas of open space whilst promoting new and improved facilities throughout the area. The need for more local facilities and more detailed policies will be identified in the Local Plans.
5.6.2: Commercial leisure development such as ten pin bowling, bingo and multiplex cinemas are becoming increasingly popular and may draw people from a wide catchment area. NPPG8 indicates that such proposals should be assessed in a similar way to major shopping developments. This type of development should be located within or adjacent to existing town centres and the sequential test will be applied.
5.6.3: Stirling Council is currently preparing a Green Space strategy, which will derive local standards for open space provision. Both Councils will identify standards within Local Plans.

Local Plans will identify existing sport and physical recreation facilities together with strategic areas of open space which are to be protected from development. There will be a presumption against development of such sites unless the facility/open space is surplus to requirements or alternative facilities can be provided in the locality;
New provision will be supported, targeting wherever possible areas and facilities where unmet demand is identified, in accordance with the Plan's strategy;
Councils will use Section 75 agreements (or other appropriate legal agreements) to secure appropriate sport, leisure and physical recreation facilities as part of major developments; and
For commercial leisure development a sequential locational approach will be applied favouring sites within or adjacent to town centres.

5.6.4: The Councils have worked jointly with Sportscotland using their Facilities Planning Model in identifying the levels of demand for a range of sports throughout the area. This highlights that there is currently no specific need for a new regional sports centre. The sport hall facility at Stirling University is a regional facility and one which could be enhanced. Sport scotland are developing plans for the Scottish Institute of Sport and a number of Councils, including Stirling, are pursuing associated proposals.
5.6.5: There is an opportunity to improve and expand on the role of the Forthbank sports centre, adjacent to Stirling, to provide a major sports venue and facility for the area in accordance with Stirling Councils sports strategy. Accessible by public transport, this venue will incorporate a range of facilities.