SportsNation

Southampton Football Club has revealed plans to expand its St Mary's Stadium. The club has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Southampton City Council, which will also include the regeneration of the adjacent Waterfront area. The landmark collaboration aims to create a premier sports, leisure, and entertainment offer along the South Coast, benefiting residents, visitors, and the broader community. The MOU establishes a framework for joint planning and development, as Saints and Southampton City Council work together to transform the Itchen Riverside and St Mary’s Waterfront district into a vibrant, year-round destination. Both parties aim to enhance the area’s economic potential while promoting sustainability, social value, and accessibility. As well as the stadium expansion, the plans include a mix of commercial, leisure, residential, and accessible public spaces and sustainability and environmental initiatives aligned with Southampton’s Green City Plan. Read more: https://lnkd.in/engVm7ph Phil Parsons, Lorna Fielker #football #premierleague #sport #sportsconstruction

Nearly all (94%) of concluded planning applications involving a playing field each year result in improved or safeguarded facilities, according to data published by Sport England. Sport England has a role as a statutory consultee in local plans – which means that councils are required to consult the organisation on any proposed development that would affect or lead to the loss of a sports playing field. Figures released this week show that Sport England protected 1,007 playing fields between April 2022 and March 2023. Nick Evans, Sport England’s Director of Planning and Active Environments, said: “The figures demonstrate our unwavering commitment to protecting and enhancing playing fields. Playing fields are a vital resource that offer flexible opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity, providing wide ranging health and wellbeing benefits to communities across England." According to the Sport England data: 🟢 94% (1,007 out of 1,075) of concluded planning applications affecting playing fields resulted in improved or safeguarded sports provision 🟢 of the 140 applications where Sport England maintained its objection, 72 (51%) were either withdrawn by the applicants or refused planning permission 🟢 in 69% of the cases where Sport England originally objected to an application, further negotiations led to development being approved with improved or safeguarded sports provision. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRR4djST #sport #playingfield

After a stellar show in 2024, the water leisure industry will return for the 29th exhibition of SPATEX Ltd at the Coventry Building Society Arena in February 2025. We preview the event: educational programme, awards, exhibition and advice for commercial pool operators. BSPF - British Swimming Pool Federation, Certikin, Golden Coast, Institute of Swimming, I.S.P.E. The Institute of Swimming Pool Engineers, LEGIONELLA CONTROL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, Mariner 3S, Origin Aqua - Innovative water technology, Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG), RECOTHERM LIMITED, Royal Life Saving Society UK - RLSS UK, SPATA - Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association, STA (Swimming Teachers' Association), Suntrap Systems, Superior Wellness, The Water Management Society. Read more: https://bit.ly/3VQRWof

SportsNation speaks to Marina Logacheva, the disability sports lead for marketing agency, MATTA. As well as working with some of the world’s leading sports brands and organisations, the agency has recently focused on promoting disability sport. Read more: https://bit.ly/4isxhk2

This year’s SAPCA The Sports and Play Construction Association Technical Meeting was a historic one, as it was the first one held outside Loughborough University since the event’s launch in November 2010. The new surroundings at the East Midlands Conference Centre, which is part of the University of Nottingham campus, provided a fresh look for the one of the sports facility construction industry’s most popular gatherings. With a record number of 223 delegates in attendance, the 2024 edition was kicked off by former Microsoft technology leader, Allister Frost. Frost delivered a thought-provoking keynote on the importance of having a future-ready mindset. This was followed by a comprehensive programme of seminars and sessions discussing technical updates and sustainability issues. “Since its launch in 2010, the SAPCA Technical Meeting has grown to become crucial date on the industry calendar, providing an unparalleled programme of seminars and workshops on the most important technical topics of the day,” says Colin Corline, SAPCA’s Technical Lead. “Networking is also a big part of the event and it was great to see so many colleagues from across the sports and play industry, representing national governing bodies of sport and other key sector organisations." Read more: https://bit.ly/3Vr9M0J

ukactive has appointed three new Non-Executive Directors to its Board – Dr Sonia Adesara, Jordan Cummins and Claudette Elliott. Jordan Cummins joins as Non-Executive Director for growth. He currently leads the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) competitiveness department, where he helps political and industry leaders tackle some of the UK’s biggest economic and societal challenges. In his new ukactive role, Cummins will be tasked with supporting the organisation's growth and commercial strategy as part of the Vision 2030 strategy to grow the sector’s reach and impact. Dr Sonia Adesara, a practising GP, joins the ukactive board as Non-Executive Director for health. Adesara has campaigned to improve women’s healthcare and address health inequalities and previously worked in national health policy. She is the interim chair of the Fabian Society. On the ukactive board, she will help the industry body develop its health strategy and demonstrate to the government and its agencies how the physical activity sector can play a crucial role in reducing health inequalities. Claudette Elliott joins as a Non-Executive Director for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). A qualified social worker with more than 40 years’ experience, Elliott has worked in operational and senior management roles across health and social care. As an ukactive board member, Elliott will provide advice and support for ukactive’s EDI plans, helping the sector to address health inequalities within all communities across the UK. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ey2G6C2E Huw Edwards, Mike Farrar, #physicalactivity #fitness #wellness #health #wellbeing

UK Coaching CEO, Mark Gannon, talks to SportsNation about why a recent event at Buckingham Palace was an important reminder of the importance of coaching. Read more: https://bit.ly/4gkr7QX

Padel is booming across the UK and, in September, LTA announced its new strategy for the sport. One of the main focuses of the strategy is to grow and improve the infrastructure of padel. “The strategy will help take padel in Britain to the next level. The strategy and tactics that we’ve put in place will truly help to open padel up to many more people across the country, with more funding, facilities and coaches ensuring that the sport is accessible, welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring." - Tom Murray, Head of Padel at LTA. We also include a round-up of some recent projects, including: Bloom Heathrow London, Bolton School, CopriSystems, DESTINATION PADEL, Fordingbridge, Game4Padel, The Heron Country Club, PORTICO SPORT UK, Rocket Padel, Smart-Space Instant Buildings, Soul Padel, Turley. #padel #facilityinvestment #strategy Read more: https://bit.ly/4gHcAz9

More than 260 aquatic professionals came together in October for the STA (Swimming Teachers' Association)’s annual two-day conference and Aquatic Excellence Awards. Dave Candler Ali Beckman Greg Whyte OBE Zoe Cooper Read more: https://bit.ly/49twVVS

Richard Shaw, CEO of SAPCA The Sports and Play Construction Association, on why we don’t have to choose a winner between health outcomes and the environment: "We should look at how we can reduce all aspects of carbon footprints, but this must be done in a rounded and holistic manner. Without 3G pitches, there wouldn’t be a lot of grassroots football training going on anywhere in the country during the evenings between October and April." Read more: https://bit.ly/3Vu0roW