Apply Sport England 10 principles of active design to the area

I would like to see the Sport England principles of active design used to improve the area. Kings Hedges was designed for walking so lends itself to being a good candidate for making it a truly active ward. The original idea for the area was well intentioned but the execution was poor, but the bones have potential.

Principle 1 — Activity for all

All environments should support physical activity equitably across all ages, 

ethnicities, genders, and abilities, enabling everyone to be active and build 

long-term active habits and behaviours. This is essential for the delivery of 

 all the principles of Active Design and is its foundational principle.

 - spaces should be accessible to all ages and abilities (safe pavements, good lighting, no barriers preventing access, clearly visible for a sense of safety via natural surveillance from surrounding buildings e.g. don't situate all play equipment in places that are secluded, equipment that's accessible for the disabled, public exercise equipment for adults, recreational walking and social gathering spaces outdoors). Things like cafes and public toilets can support people to be active in the area.  

Principle 2 —Walkable communities

Facilities for daily essentials and recreation should be within easy reach 

of each other by active travel means, making it more likely that people 

will make the journey by using active travel modes (defined in Theme 1). 

Good active travel connections should be provided to extend the range of 

services that are accessible while remaining physically active. 

- locate facilities, jobs and homes close to each other (there is a clear need for some kind of cafe, restaurant or pub in the area and for more sports facilities which currently people are leaving the area to access).

Principle 3 — Providing connected active travel routes

Encourage active travel for all ages and abilities by creating a continuous 

network of routes connecting places safely and directly. Networks should be 

easy to use, supported by signage and landmarks to help people find their way. 

- promote active travel by maintaining roads and pavements, gritting in the winter, etc.; connect active travel to good public transport links to useful places (such as supermarkets)

Principle 4 — Mixing uses and co-locating facilities

People are more likely to combine trips and use active travel to get to 

destinations with multiple reasons to visit. Places with more variety, 

higher densities, and a mix of uses also reduce the perception of distance 

when travelling through spaces. They also generate the critical mass of 

travel demand to better support public transport services. 

- For example right now if you go to the GP on Arbury Rd and you need a prescription you need to go elsewhere to pick it up. If you can only walk then you can go to Milton Road but people who have the option of driving will probably drive to Milton Tesco, where it's easier to park. If you're driving there anyway you may as well drive to the GP too - having services locally and co-located encourages people to use avirve travel. 

Principle 5 — Network of multi-functional open spaces

Accessible and high quality open space should be promoted across cities, 

towns and villages to provide opportunities for sport and physical activity, 

as well as active travel connections and natural or civic space for people to 

congregate in and enjoy. 

- if you look at the open spaces and play spaces in the area none of them are colocated with natural and civic spaces (e.g. the seating outside Campkin Rd shops is separated from the play area, Nuns Way, the Pulley and Woodhead Drive are located away from any other local facilities. Even Arbury Court has a completely separate play area to the shops and seating area. Colocating these things provides natural surveillance and allows people of different ages and backgrounds to mix, creating community. 

Principle 6 — High-quality streets and spaces

Streets and outdoor public spaces should be Active Environments in their 

own right. They should be safe, attractive, functional, prioritise people 

and able to host a mix of uses, with durable, high quality materials, street 

furniture in the right places and easy-to-use signage. High quality streets 

and spaces encourage activity, whereas poor quality streets and spaces 

are much less likely to be used to the same degree.

- areas for walking need to be more attractive and provide seating at appropriate points, street lighting needs to be adequate for safety

Principle 7 — Providing activity infrastructure

Infrastructure to enable sport, recreation and physical activity to take 

place should be provided across all contexts including workplaces, sports 

facilities and public space, to facilitate activity for all.

- there are very few genuinely public sports facilities in the area and public spaces provide physical activity for children (although not enough, badly located and of poor quality/maintenance) and nothing for adults. 

Principle 8 — Active buildings, inside and out

Buildings we occupy shape our everyday lives, both when users are inside 

and outside. Buildings should be designed with providing opportunities 

for physical activity at the forefront, considering the arrival experience, 

internal circulation, opportunities to get up and move about, and making 

the building an active destination.

Principle 9 — Maintaining high-quality flexible spaces

Spaces and facilities should be effectively maintained and managed to 

support physical activity. These places should be monitored to understand 

how they are used, and flexible so that they can be adapted as needed. 

Principle 10 — Activating spaces

The provision of spaces and facilities which can help to improve physical 

activity should be supported by a commitment to activate them, 

encouraging people to be more physically active and increasing the 

awareness of activity opportunities within a community.