FAQ

FAQ categories: Access | Background | Data | Mapping | Redevelopment | SDM | Technical | Tools |

When was Active Places created and for what reason?

Active Places is essentially the brand name for a sports facility database. The national database was launched in 2004 and currently holds data on over 157,000 facilities located at over 39,000 sites for 15 different facility types (approximately 80% of where formal sport takes place), with each record being checked on an annual basis. (Counts accurate as of December 2019)

The original business case for Active Places came from the 2002 Cabinet Office publication Game Plan. This recommended setting up a facilities database to help ensure that facility provision is planned at the national and local level, and investment is going in the right areas and not leading to duplication of provision.

Sport England was given the responsibility to establish the database. Since 2004, the data has primarily been used to provide information on where to play sport to consumers and also deliver a number of services to assist local authorities and other facility providers in the strategic planning of sports facilities. The key website built upon the database is
a Business to Business, password protected website www.activeplacespower.com designed for Local Authorities, National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGB) and other partners to help them plan more strategically sports facility provision.


In addition to the above Sport England websites, active places data is accessible as open data (
https://www.activeplacespower.com/opendata) and is used by organisations including: Football Foundation and Football Association, Active Parternships e.g. Get Active London, and NHS Choices.