CK Updates
Top sports stars fear disappearance of playing fields amid planning reforms
A host of top sports stars and governing bodies have expressed fears that playing fields across England could be built on and disappear if proposed planning reforms come into force.
Former Lioness Jill Scott, and Olympic champions Sir Mo Farah and Alex Yee are among those to sign an open letter saying they are “deeply concerned” by the potential removal of statutory protections for the facilities.
Other signatories included the heads of the Football Association (FA), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).
The government is considering stripping funding agency Sport England of its right to be consulted before a playing field is built on.
It is part of a plan by ministers to speed up planning decisions as it looks to build 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029.
But with a consultation underway, the signatories said: “Playing fields are irreplaceable – 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. ”
Sport England declined to comment, but this month said it protected more than a thousand playing fields across the country last year. Tasked with increasing physical activity, it has had to be consulted on planning decisions for the past 30 years after an estimated 10,000 playing fields were lost in the 1980s and early ’90s.
The letter has been written by Fields in Trust, a charity that works with local authorities and communities to protect parks and playing fields from development.
Its president, former midfielder Scott, said: “Bringing together so many people for this letter has been incredibly personal to me. Too many communities risk losing these very spaces. 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.”
The signatories – which also include Eilish McColgan, Sir Matthew Pinsent, Tessa Sanderson, and the heads of UK Athletics, British Cycling and Parkrun, are calling on ministers “to ensure that any planning reforms retain a meaningful mechanism to protect playing fields and sports facilities for future generations.
“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. ”
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “There are already strong protections in place for playing fields which we are proposing to keep and we are investing £400m into grassroots sport.”
BBC Sport has been told no decision will be made until the results of the consultation are fully considered. The government is proposing to remove the Gardens Trust and the Theatres Trust as statutory consultees as well as Sport England, which is expected to reduce more than 3,000 consultations annually.
This month, the government said there will need to be a sharp surge in housebuilding to meet its promise to build 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029.
Builders have warned the government will miss its target, after the number of new homes started fell from 207,000 to 139,000 after Labour took office – the lowest since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last week, Women in Sport said: “Now is not the time to be putting our playing fields and pitches at risk.
“Any loss of this space now would come at a critical moment, excluding more women and girls from sport and stunting the growth of one of the UK’s biggest success stories.”
It is among a number of sports bodies urging members to support a petition titled ‘Do not remove Sport England as a statutory consultee for planning applications’.
It has been signed by almost 16,000 people.
Gymnast Ruby Evans has won Wales’ first Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow with victory in the floor final.
Evans, 19, performed the final routine of the women’s programme and defeated England’s Abigail Martin into silver, with her team-mate Shantae-Eve Amankwaah securing bronze.
Evans left the arena in tears on Sunday after her disappointing sixth in the all-round individual competition, that after Wales finished fourth in the team event.
Now, after Welsh identical twins Abigail and Emily Roper won bronze medals within a couple of hours of each other on Monday, Evans has delivered gold.
It was the first victory for Team Wales in Scotland and a ninth medal alongside two silver and six bronze.
There is also a guaranteed podium position for boxer Connor Williams after he reached the semi-finals.
An amateur cricket match has made global headlines after a fielder was accused of cheating by clicking his fingers to get a wicket.
The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League has started an investigation into a second XI Division 2 game between Saltburn and Norton.
A viral video on social media appears to show a Saltburn fielder clicking his fingers as the ball passes Noman Shabir’s bat before being caught by wicketkeeper Josh Bowes. Saltburn appeal and the umpire gives Shabir out.
It has been suggested that the finger-clicking was designed to trick the umpire into thinking the batter edged the ball.
Saltburn won by 159 runs and are top of Division 2 by 17 points.
“The league have received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a Division Two game on Saturday,” the league said in a statement on X.
“A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.”
Last week Bowes took eight catches in Saltburn’s 22-run win over Shildon Railway. The men’s Test record for catches by a keeper in an innings is seven.
Bowes leads the league standings with 31 catches, 10 more than any other player.
Rory Cotterill, who captained Middlesbrough second XI during a 29-run defeat by Saltburn last month, responded to a social media post containing the video and alleged two further incidents of cheating by Saltburn in that match.
The original video of the incident has had more than three million views on X, with publications in Australia and New Zealand among those to report it.
The BBC has contacted the league and Saltburn. Norton declined to comment.
First Test, Tarouba (day three of five)
West Indies 311 (Hope 92; Ali 4-50) & 126-7 (Chanderpaul 35, Abbas 3-14)
Pakistan 282 (Masood 109; Greaves 5-27)
West Indies lead by 155 runs
West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves took five wickets without conceding a run in an incredible spell of bowling on day three of the first Test against Pakistan.
Greaves, who is playing in his 17th Test, claimed his maiden Test five-wicket haul to help dismiss Pakistan for 282 in response to West Indies’ first-innings total of 311.
The 32-year-old Barbadian’s spell – five consecutive wicket maidens – was all the more remarkable given he had bowled six overs earlier in the day for 27 runs without taking a wicket.
“When I came on captain Roston Chase just said ‘continue to be disciplined in what you are doing’ and to see if I can get some wickets for the team,” Greaves said.
“The ball nipped around and I got some reward. Anytime I get the ball in hand the team looks to me to be that solid player for them [and] try to dig us out of situations.
“To get five wickets for the first time in Test cricket, I’m really happy, but there’s still a lot of work to do in the game.”
Pakistan captain Shan Masood was Greaves’ first wicket at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad when he was bowled for 109 in the 64th over following a superb set-up.
Greaves had pushed the ball wide to the left-hander from over the wicket before he tailed a delivery back into Masood who played down the wrong line and inside edged on to his stumps.
Aamer Jamal had his middle stump uprooted in Greaves’ next over as the seamer speared one through his defences.
Greaves then trapped Ali Usman lbw before he had Mohammed Rizwan and Mohammad Abbas both caught behind as Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for just 38 runs.
West Indies reached stumps on day three on 126-7 in their second innings – a lead of 155 runs – to leave the match finely poised.
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CK Updates22 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Scotland’s Archie Goodburn on battling brain cancer
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CK Updates10 hours agoSaltburn-Norton match investigated over alleged ‘finger clicking’ cheating
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CK Updates16 hours agoWest Indies v Pakistan: Justin Greaves takes five wickets for none in incredible spell
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CK Updates4 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Gymnast Ruby Evans wins first gold for Wales