"Once built on, they are gone forever"
Sports playing fields and facilities across England could be built over on a large scale, sparking warnings of lasting harm to communities.
Sports stars and governing bodies say proposed government planning reforms threaten grassroots sport, health, and access to green space, particularly in poorer areas.
Former England footballer Jill Scott and Olympic gold medallists Mo Farah, Alex Yee and Matthew Pinsent are among 88 signatories to an open letter opposing the plans.
The letter has also been signed by the Football Association, the RFU, the LTA and UK Athletics, signalling rare unity across British sport.
Signatories say they are “deeply concerned” about reforms that could remove Sport England’s statutory right to be consulted on housing developments.
The proposals form part of government plans to meet a target of building 1.5 million homes across England.
The letter warns: “We are deeply concerned that proposed planning reforms could remove the statutory protections that help safeguard England’s playing fields and sports facilities.
“These spaces are not just playing fields – they are vital infrastructure for health and wellbeing, community sport, and children’s play.
“Playing fields are irreplaceable. Once built on, they are gone forever, and Sport England’s statutory consultee role is an important line of defence.
“Weakening this protection risks accelerating the loss of the very spaces that make grassroots sport and physical activity possible, at a time when participation is growing and demand has never been higher.
“This is about social justice. The people who need green space the most often have the least access.
“Without these protections, the health and wellbeing of communities will suffer.”
About 10,000 playing fields were sold off during the 1980s and 1990s, before statutory protections were introduced in 1996 and 2001.
Sport England figures show more than 1,000 playing fields were protected in 2021 and 2022 alone.
Campaigners warn that progress could now be reversed, unless a public consultation running until 13 January changes government policy.
Fields in Trust, which coordinated the letter, says almost half of Britain lives more than a 10-minute walk from a playing field.
The charity found that the poorest areas continue to lose green spaces at the highest rate through development or closure.
Scott, who is president of Fields in Trust, urged ministers to listen to concerns from across the sporting world.
She said:
“Too many communities risk losing these very spaces.”
“The playing fields where children first learn to play, the parks where families spend Sunday afternoons, the pitches for weekend kickabouts between friends.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without that green space in Sunderland, where I spent countless hours as a kid, and every child deserves that same chance.
“I urge the government to listen carefully. We’re not asking for the impossible.
“We’re asking them to protect what already exists, for the generations who will come after us.”
Earlier in December 2025, a spokesperson said: “There are already strong protections in place for playing fields, which we are proposing to keep and we are investing £400 million into grassroots sport.”
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