After an anxious eight month wait, last week on 17th August 2026, the Government finally published its response to their consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system and announced that Sport England will retain its statutory consultee status. Whilst there will be some refinements to their current role, Sport England will still be in a position to protect playing fields across the country for generations to come. To our great relief they will continue to oversee the overall integrity of playing fields and in the process, allay one of our biggest fears that local authorities might have been able to mark their own homework and allocate playing fields for housing. What this means in practical terms is that cases like Oakfield Playing Field will still fall under their remit.
This momentous decision has hugely positive implications for our schools, universities, clubs and community groups who depend on organisations like LPFF to provide them with somewhere to play and practise. We have been formally thanked by Sport England for our “sustained advocacy, expertise, and commitment in helping to deliver this positive outcome”. In its report on the consultation exercise the Government (via the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) reported that “public opposition was significant and 221 campaign emails were submitted via the London Playing Fields Foundation.” For their outstanding efforts, we would like to thank and congratulate all those clubs, schools, leagues and partners who joined our campaign to help retain Sport England’s statutory consultee role. We are also very grateful to our President, Vice Presidents and Chairman for taking part in a vibrant series of social media posts in the run up to the consultation deadline, urging stakeholders to lend their support. This achievement reflects the power of collaboration and the importance of having clear and compelling messaging, with us all recognising the vital importance of playing fields in widening, increasing and sustaining participation and creating more active communities.
Thank you again for your invaluable support throughout this campaign and for standing up for playing fields and the sports played on them. Let’s stay vigilant and united in our mission to provide a place to play sport forever.
Alex Welsh
LPFF Chief Executive
