Community sport spaces and Sport England

That this House recognises the significant benefits that sport, recreation and physical activity provide to people across the UK; acknowledges the £107 billion contribution they make to the wider economy through improved health and wellbeing as well as reduced costs to public services and the NHS; expresses concern at the Government’s proposals to weaken planning protections for playing fields and to remove Sport England as a statutory consultee from the planning system; notes that these changes will reduce the weight given to public health considerations in the planning system and may negatively impact the quality and provision of community sports facilities; notes Sports England’s expertise on protecting such spaces, and that it has been actively involved in over 44 planning applications and strategic consultations in Somerset since April 2022; and urges the Government to support Sport England’s Protect Where we Play campaign and rethink its proposed planning changes for the benefits of local communities and the wider economy.