To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008, Official Report, column 1044, on planning permission: playing fields, how many applications were (a) approved, (b) rejected and (c) withdrawn; and what percentage of those approved were considered to represent a significant change to sporting provision, broken down by region since 2001. (188013)

The information requested, broken down at a regional level, could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, a table showing the total number of planning applications nationally on playing fields on which Sport England were consulted for all years since 2001 broken down by numbers (a) approved, (b) rejected or withdrawn and (c) yet to be decided is given as follows. Many of these applications are from clubs/schools wanting to improve the quality of their sports facilities.