David Lloyd Leisure

PMP worked with David Lloyd Leisure to provide needs assessments for planning applications. These recognize that the needs must be proven in order to comply with national planning guidance – PPG6 and PPG17. PMP used its Mapping the Future TM digital mapping and modeling, to show what level of facility provision would be needed to meet the needs of the specific catchment in question. Catchment was defined using sophisticated drivetime analysis; need was identified by looking at the demographic characteristics of the catchment population and applying participation rates derived from Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association research.

We then used our sports facilities databases to locate all competing facilities within the same catchment areas. By comparing need with the actual level of provision, we were able to demonstrate the unmet need for the facility. The first location where this approach was used was at Littlehampton, West Sussex. It resulted in a convincing planning case, which received permission from the local authority and avoided call-in by government office.

The new racquets, health and fitness club has now been built. PMP was retained to apply the same approach used for subsequent applications at Glasgow, Chelmsford and Norwich.