Epsom and Ewell is experiencing sustained and well-evidenced demand for sports facilities that significantly exceeds existing provision. This is particularly acute for indoor court space and high-quality pitches, at a time when participation in organised sport continues to grow across all age groups and abilities.
This pressure is not anecdotal. It is clearly identified in Council-commissioned evidence and reinforced by population growth, new development and the day-to-day experience of local clubs, schools and community users.
Population Growth and Increasing Pressure on Facilities
Epsom and Ewell is a densely populated borough with a growing population. According to the Office for National Statistics, the borough’s population increased by approximately 7.8% between 2011 and 2021, rising from around 75,000 to over 81,000 residents. More recent mid-year estimates indicate that the population continues to grow and is now approaching 83,000.
Population projections show that this growth will continue throughout the Local Plan period, driven by natural change and new housing delivery. This will place increasing pressure on community infrastructure, including sports and leisure facilities.
However, sports provision in the borough has not expanded at the same pace as population growth. As a result, existing facilities are already operating at or beyond capacity, with no resilience to absorb further demand. Without new provision, population growth will continue to outstrip available sports infrastructure, limiting opportunities for participation and negatively impacting health and wellbeing outcomes.
(Reference: Office for National Statistics – Census 2011 & 2021; Mid-Year Population Estimates)
Evidence of Insufficient Sports Provision
The Epsom and Ewell Interim Infrastructure Plan (May 2024) confirms that the borough currently has just:
- Four sports halls
- Thirteen outdoor courts
These facilities are already operating at, or beyond, practical capacity. This position was first identified in the Sports Facilities Assessment (Polszajski Lynch, September 2020), which highlighted existing shortfalls in both indoor and outdoor sports provision. Since that assessment was published, demand has increased further due to population growth, higher participation rates and a greater reliance on indoor facilities for year-round training and competition.
Despite this established evidence base, no additional community-accessible indoor sports halls have been delivered to address the identified need.
(Reference: Interim Infrastructure Plan – May 2024; Sports Facilities Assessment – September 2020)
New Facilities Already Operating at Capacity
Recent investment in school-based sports facilities demonstrates the scale of unmet demand rather than resolving it.
At Glyn School, a recently delivered 3G artificial pitch is already operating at full capacity, with no remaining availability for additional community use. Similarly, Epsom and Ewell High School has recently delivered a new sports hall, built to support a defined standard of netball court. Despite this welcome investment, the facility is already fully booked and operating at capacity for the level of netball it was designed to accommodate.
These examples clearly show that when new sports facilities are delivered locally, demand immediately absorbs the available capacity. This reinforces the Council’s own evidence that the borough is starting from a position of deficit rather than surplus.
Netball: Demand That Cannot Be Met Locally
Netball is the highest female participation team sport in England, with growing demand across junior, senior and mixed participation formats. National governing body guidance from England Netball highlights the importance of consistent access to appropriate indoor courts to support player development pathways, competition and long-term participation.
In Epsom and Ewell, this demand is most clearly demonstrated by the experience of The Downs Netball Club, a long-established club competing from grassroots through to Premier National League level.
The club currently:
- Operates 22 teams with nearly 200 members
- Hires three of the borough’s four available sports halls
- Uses all available outdoor netball court space
Despite this level of utilisation, there is no remaining sports hall capacity to meet existing demand. As a direct consequence, approximately 20% of training sessions cannot take place, often because booked sports hall space is reallocated for school use. Training and match play are fragmented across multiple venues, impacting player development, retention and progression.
Although the new sports hall at Epsom and Ewell High School provides a high-quality facility, it is already fully utilised by a large London-based netball club that has relocated into the borough, alongside eight County League netball clubs. This leaves little or no remaining capacity for local-level netball competition, particularly for junior and community-based teams.
(Reference: England Netball – Facility and Court Guidance)
Football: Increasing Pressure on Pitches and Club Facilities
Football participation across the borough is also increasing, placing sustained pressure on both grass and artificial pitches. The Interim Infrastructure Plan (May 2024) identifies pitch availability and quality as a growing challenge, particularly when considered alongside population growth and planned housing delivery.
Local football clubs face limited access to pitches, rising hire and maintenance costs, and a lack of permanent facilities such as clubhouses and changing accommodation. Without secure, long-term facilities, clubs are unable to plan effectively, invest in youth pathways, or grow participation sustainably.
Why Hook Road Arena Is the Right Response
Hook Road Arena is uniquely positioned to respond to this clearly evidenced demand. The site is allocated in the Epsom and Ewell Local Plan 2022–2040 (Regulation 19) as a location for a new sports hub, recognising its strategic importance in addressing borough-wide infrastructure shortfalls.
The Epsom and Ewell Sports Park does not duplicate existing provision. Instead, it delivers the additional indoor and outdoor capacity identified in the Council’s own evidence, relieving pressure on oversubscribed facilities and ensuring that sports infrastructure keeps pace with population growth.
Demand That Will Continue to Grow
Without new sports provision:
- Clubs will continue to turn players away
- Training and match opportunities will be lost
- Participation, particularly among women and girls, will be constrained
- New housing will place further pressure on already full facilities
The Epsom and Ewell Sports Park provides an evidence-led, policy-aligned and community-driven response to meeting local demand, creating capacity now and resilience for the future.