Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Playing Fields: Community Access

Thursday 11 January 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Munira Wilson asked about the state of Udney Park playing fields in Teddington and requested support for the community's bid.
  • The Minister expressed support for increasing community access to playing fields, noting a 320 million investment by 2025 for new sports facilities.
  • Andrew Selous invited the Minister to open a new all-weather facility in Houghton Regis funded by multiple sources.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Munira Wilson Lib Dem Twickenham
Housing Environment
Context

There is a concern about the decline of Udney Park playing fields in Teddington, which have deteriorated over a decade due to failed development attempts. The community seeks to purchase the site for public use.

Question

Udney Park playing fields in Teddington have gone to rack and ruin over the past decade as successive developers have bought the site and failed to build on it. Now the site is back on the market, will the Minister join me, local sports groups and the local authority in backing the community's bid for the site? Will he also put in a friendly word with relevant Ministers on the bid to the community ownership fund?

Answer from Stuart Andrew

I commend the hon. Lady for her commitment to improving sports facilities in her local area, and I commend all the volunteers, like Jonathan Dunn, who do a tremendous amount of work. The Football Foundation and Sport England are always ready to discuss potential investments, and I would be happy to provide the hon. Lady with those contacts. Of course, I will raise this issue with my colleagues in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not confirm direct support or involvement with relevant ministers on the bid.

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Q2 Munira Wilson Lib Dem Twickenham
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The Government are committed to ensuring that every community has the facilities it needs for sport and physical activity, with £320 million being invested by 2025.

Question

What steps she is taking to help increase community access to playing fields.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

The Government are committed to ensuring that every community has the facilities it needs to make sport and physical activity accessible to all, with over £320 million being invested by 2025 to develop thousands of state-of-the-art community football pitches and multi-use sports facilities across the UK.

Answered
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Q3 Andrew Selous Con
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

A new all-weather facility on Tithe Farm Road in Houghton Regis is being funded by various sources and is much needed.

Question

The community sports area on Tithe Farm Road in Houghton Regis is about to get an amazing new all-weather facility funded by developer money, town council money, Central Bedfordshire Council money and Government money. Will the Minister come to open the facility? It is much needed and should be celebrated.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

How could I possibly resist such an invitation? It is always a great honour to open facilities in this role, and I am delighted that we are so busy that we are opening thousands of them.

Not addressed: The Minister did not confirm his attendance at the facility's opening.

How: Changing Subject

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