Choosing the right site

We'll require the local authority to have a suitable legal interest in the site – as the freeholder or hold a minimum 25-year lease (at the date of entering into a funding agreement).  

To protect the Foundation’s interests, the local authority must be able and willing for the Foundation to place a restriction on its registered title to the site(s) for the duration of a funding agreement (25 years).  

On a case-by-case basis, the Foundation will consider applications that include the acquisition of land for the purpose of developing a Hub. You must seek without prejudice consent from the Foundation before any land is purchased.  

Prior to submitting your EOI, we encourage early due diligence of a potential site(s) to check if there are any restrictions, rights or covenants that may limit development. 

The location of a site is a key factor in determining its long-term success.

You should be able to demonstrate that the identified site(s) has the ability to meet local known demand and supply factors identified in your Playing Pitch Strategy and Local Football Facilities Plan.  

We're looking for sites that can promote Sport England’s 10 Active Design principles. For example, sites need to be accessible by several types of transport, particularly walking and cycling. We're keen to support projects that co-locate community facilities to create multiple reasons to visit.  

The physical elements of a site, including its overall size, shape and gradient, will determine its feasibility for producing a quality and affordable Hub design. A steeply sloping site, for example, will add significant costs and lead to design compromises. We also know that positioning the building and pitches as close together as possible adds to the user experience, improves secondary income, and makes a site easier to manage and maintain.  

A typical double 3G pitch Hub with a pavilion building and sufficient car parking will have a footprint of 25,000m² (2.5 hectares). Each additional full-size 3G pitch would require c. 8,500m2 of land and generate a parking demand for c. 80 spaces.   

Desktop studies and informed discussion can quickly and accurately determine a site's suitability without incurring any costs. For example, it's important to identify and locate the existing services on a site - it can be expensive and time consuming to establish or re-route key utilities if they are not already in place. Your local authority’s corporate asset team should be able to advise what existing provision there is.  

Planning permission allows a local authority to control the scale, appearance, and location of a development. Each Hub project will need to secure full planning permission before the Football Foundation can make a final funding decision. We'll support this process, along with site feasibility and design, through our framework of technical consultants.  

As part of the EOI process, we encourage you to have early dialogue with the local planning authority to determine the potential suitability and any known risks for potential Hub sites.

The Football Foundation will consult with Sport England during the EOI assessment phase if a project would impact on, or result in, the loss of playing field or sports pitches.