Playing fields a national disgrace

THREE-QUARTERS of Scotland's playing fields are in an "unacceptable" condition, according to the leading charity which cares for the country's green spaces.

Fields in Trust – formerly the National Playing Fields Association – is to apply for Lottery cash to protect and improve 214 fields across the country, on the back of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games bid.

It says the cash is needed to turn around the "intolerable" state of many of public playing fields, most of which lack proper drainage or decent facilities.

The group's findings are crucial evidence in support of Scotland on Sunday's campaign, "Fair Deal for Glasgow", which is demanding a substantial injection of Lottery cash to be awarded to Scotland as a legacy for the 2014 Games.

Scottish ministers claim the country's overall Lottery pot has been slashed by £150m because of the billions being spent on the London 2012 Olympics.

Funding for Glasgow's Commonwealth Games is already in place from the public purse, but politicians from across the spectrum are backing a special Lottery-funded pot to ensure a legacy. Fields in Trust has

submitted a document to the Scottish Government in which it lays out how that legacy fund should be spent.

The most recent audit of Scottish playing fields, carried out in 2006, found that 74% of natural grass pitches, 61% of synthetic grass pitches and 50% of tennis courts require replacement or significant upgrading.

Sportscotland will release a report this week showing there have been significant improvements since, with many of the unpopular red 'blaze' pitches phased out.

But Fields in Trust says that far more needs to be done.

Colin Rennie, manager of Fields in Trust Scotland, said: "Our concern is that three out of every four pitches is not fit for purpose. That is an intolerable figure for a nation hosting the Commonwealth Games. We want to protect and improve 214 playing fields by 2014 as a legacy for those games.

"There have been some improvements in the last two years, but in terms of the big picture, there hasn't been a fraction of the required investment which we need."

The 2006 audit – published by Sportscotland – found that many public pitches had inadequate drainage, which led to frequent cancellation of matches. Maintenance was often "inadequate", even on new facilities. Changing facilities were often in "very poor condition", with half requiring replacement or significant upgrading. Only in private clubs, or in schools which had recently been rebuilt, was the picture more promising.

Friends in Trust says that, with Lottery funding, it would help to upgrade pitches, parks and sports areas. It also suggests building and improving children's play areas, creating walking paths and more seated areas in communal areas.

Its document to the Government declares: "These 214 protected and improved playing fields will provide a tangible, practical, accessible and well-loved legacy for everyone throughout Scotland."

The extra Lottery funding would help to build further on improvements already underway, says Fields in Trust.

Sportscotland will release a report this week showing

that there was a net loss of just one playing field in Scotland in the first quarter of 2008, compared with a peak of 28 playing fields lost in 1998 and 25 in 2000. The report will also say dozens of unpopular mineral pitches have been replaced with grass or synthetic fields.

Glasgow, Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire have had the greatest increase in the number of synthetic pitches, with 60 artificial surfaces built in the past decade. Falkirk, Stirling and West Lothian have seen the most pitches disappear – 22 – without being replaced in the same period.

A spokesman for Sportscotland, which is consulted on any planning application to build on playing fields, said: "Across Scotland we are seeing improved playing fields delivering greatly enhanced usability and playability and we are very encouraged that in the last 15 months proposals for 36 new synthetic grass pitches have been approved."