Organisations bidding for Sport England facilities funding will stand a better chance if they plan to co-locate with services such as GP surgeries, police stations and libraries, according to the quango’s property director.

Delivering a keynote speech at the third annual active-net recently, Charles Johnson said that the document – which is due to be published on 17 May – will emphasise the importance of building community hubs which merge health and fitness facilities with everyday amenities.

Johnson’s speech echoed comments made by Sport England chief executive Jennie Price during an interview with Sports Management’s sister publication Health Club Management, in which she highlighted the Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood hub in Warrington – which has incorporated a doctor’s surgery and library within a leisure centre – as the type of facility the organisation would prioritise funding for.

He said that while 2016 was a year of “transition” for Sport England following the publication of the government’s Sporting Future strategy last December, the organisation’s forthcoming blueprint was setting in motion targets for 2020.

“The new strategy won’t have all the solutions, but it will have the direction of travel,” he said.