11 Accepted

We recommend that within six months of this report being published the Government commission a...

Recommendation
We recommend that within six months of this report being published the Government commission a comprehensive national audit of sports and physical activity facilities, working with Sport England and sector partners. The Government should publish a timetable for the audit and report on progress within 12 months. (Recommendation, Paragraph 36)
Government Response Summary
The government refers to Sport England's existing Active Places database as a comprehensive national facility database and states they are working to improve its data collection and understanding of utilisation.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
The Government recognises that comprehensive data on sports facilities is crucial to ensuring communities have access to spaces to be active. Sport England manages and maintains the national sport facility database Active Places. At present, the database holds information on c.124,000 sports facilities in England, across c.43,000 sites. Active Places search and filter functions enable users to build detailed reports on the current facility stock by region and/or local authority. We are working with Sport England to improve data collection, including an option to build on existing systems and initiatives, such as Active Places, OpenActive and Moving Communities. Through these tools we are looking to develop a greater real time understanding of facility utilisation.
Addressee Bodies
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.3 yrs
Report published 20 Apr 2026