East Suffolk Council
New policy adopted for 3G pitches in East Suffolk
To ensure proper maintenance and prevent microplastics from entering the environment, a new policy will be used to guide decision making for funding applications for new artificial grass pitches in East Suffolk.
At a meeting of East Suffolk's Council's cabinet on Tuesday 5 November, a new policy was approved which will help determine funding requests for new 3G artificial grass pitches on East Suffolk Council-owned land or those supported by Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or through other council funding.
The policy will require applicants to have a robust business plan to ensure the pitch is well used and generates sufficient income to enable good pitch maintenance, as poor maintenance is often the cause of microplastics ‘leaking’ into the environment. Well maintained artificial grass pitches can retain 98% of the rubber ‘crumb’ used within them. New pitches must also show a benefit to the local community.
The policy does not impact on planning permission for new 3G pitches or the management of existing pitches.
East Suffolk Council Leisure Artificial Grass Pitch Policy
Cllr Sarah Whitelock, cabinet member for Communities, Culture, Leisure and Tourism said: “It is essential that all our residents, especially young people, can take care of their mental and physical wellbeing and this includes access to good quality pitches for team sports. Since 2010, over 1,000 grass pitches have been lost in the UK, leaving fewer sports pitches available for people to use.
“We want to ensure East Suffolk residents can access sports pitches locally and 3G pitches offer more opportunities for use; a well-maintained 3G pitch can sustain up to 80 hours of use per week, compared to a good quality grass pitch which can sustain just 6 hours a week. However, the creation of 3G pitches must be balanced with environmental considerations. With the right measures in place as recommended in our interim policy, the majority of the microplastics used in 3G pitches will remain within the pitch and not cause harm to the environment.”
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has commissioned a report into emissions of microplastics, including rubber infill used in 3G artificial grass pitches, and this report is due to be published next year. The new East Suffolk policy is an interim policy which will be revised when the outcomes from the DEFRA report are known.