1. BACKGROUND

Article 6 of Law 16/2018, of December 4th, on Physical Activity and Sport in Castilla-La Mancha establishes that the Government of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha will manage the censuses and records related to sports matters in the Autonomous Community, as well as the sports facilities it owns.

Furthermore, Article 64 of the aforementioned law states that:

  1. It is the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Sports, with the collaboration of the General Administration of the State, provincial governments, counties, and municipalities, to prepare, approve, and periodically update a general census of sports facilities, their equipment, and functional characteristics, both conventional and non-conventional, public or private, where physical and sports activities can be practiced.
  2. Regulations will establish the conditions, channels of collaboration, and the requirements for the preparation of the census, as well as the criteria for the classification of the facilities.
  3. Owners of public or private sports facilities must provide the Autonomous Community Administration with all the necessary data for the preparation and updating of the census.
  4. The inclusion and updating of data in the census will be an indispensable requirement for holding official competitions and, where applicable, for receiving public sports grants or subsidies for the construction or renovation of these facilities.

Since 2005, there has been a census of sports facilities in our Community, which includes all public and private collective-use sports facilities, with the basic territorial unit being the municipality and the basic census unit being the sports facility.

The Directorate-General for Sports of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha intends to update the Sports Facilities Census through this web platform, with the collaboration of the involved public administrations, in order to verify the existence and condition of the facilities listed in the 2005 census, as well as the inclusion of new facilities and those not detected in the previous census.

2. OBJECTIVES

The Directorate-General for Sports of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha has observed the discrepancy between the registered facilities and the actual ones, highlighting the need for an update that would meet current requirements. For this reason, a new census of facilities has been carried out with the following objectives:

  • To maintain an up-to-date database of all sports facilities in the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, which allows for assessing their number and recording their main technical characteristics.
  • To establish the mechanisms for the collection, updating, exchange, and dissemination of information.
  • To carry out a statistical analysis and study of the characteristics and evolution of the sports facility park in the Autonomous Community, which will be published.
  • To provide statistics that enable decision-making for planning, management, and investment in sports facilities, through the Director Plan for Sports Facilities in Castilla-La Mancha, as a basic and essential tool in the organization of the Manchegan sports infrastructure system, taking into account its typology and qualification, the population's needs, territorial balance, and the universalization of sports practice in the Autonomous Community.

3. SCOPE

The Census is geographically structured by regions and municipalities.

A sports facility consists of sports and complementary spaces located in a common area and functioning in a dependent and homogeneous manner. The complementary spaces of the facility are directly related to the development of the sports activity. In facilities with activity areas, it is common for the complementary spaces to be the only constructed areas. In addition to sports and complementary spaces, sports facilities may have other services, referred to as auxiliary services.

For the purposes of this census and considering the basic characteristics of the sports spaces, three main groups of sports spaces can be differentiated:

  • Conventional: Corresponding to the more traditional typologies.
  • Singular: These have dimensions and characteristics adapted to each type. They are more specific spaces and generally have spatial requirements that make their distribution uneven across the territory.
  • Activity Areas: These are not strictly sports-related, but rather infrastructures or natural spaces where physical and sports activities are carried out (trails, marinas, shelters, airfields, etc.). The lack of defined limits and specific characteristics complicates their sizing and data collection.

The conditions that facilities must meet to be included in the census are: they must be for collective use, be properly signposted, and have been constructed or adapted to allow for the permanent practice of physical and sports activities, or be a well-recognized place for the development of such activities.

The following facilities have been excluded from this census: those for the private use of a family unit and potential practice spaces that do not meet the aforementioned requirements. Also, explicitly excluded are facilities without a permanent character, such as temporary adaptations, and those belonging to healthcare or hospital facilities intended solely for rehabilitation or physiotherapy. However, the latter have been included in the census if they can be used by workers or other users for sports purposes outside of medical-rehabilitation hours.

Also included in the census are gyms, other facilities in nursing homes and day centers, and the proximity facilities of parks, excluding only children's playgrounds.

4. CENSUS INFORMATION AND GLOSSARY OF TERMINOLOGY

Census

It is a set of operations aimed at collecting, elaborating, evaluating, and publishing data related to a whole, in a specific area and time.

Sports Facility

A collective-use space in which construction or some adaptation has been made to allow for the permanent practice of physical and sports activities, or which is widely recognized for the development of such practices.

Sports facilities consist of different spaces where physical and sports activities take place.

A sports facility is made up of sports and complementary spaces that are located in a common area and function in a dependent and homogeneous manner.

Sports Space

Spatial delimitation within a facility, equivalent to any of the types of sports spaces described in the CNID-2005 questionnaire interpretation manual, classified into conventional spaces, singular spaces, and activity areas.

Singular Sports Spaces

Spaces built for sports practice, which, although the practice may be regulated, present dimensions and characteristics adapted to each type. These are more specific spaces and generally have spatial requirements that make their distribution uneven across the territory.

Singular spaces are characteristic practice areas in facilities such as golf courses, ski resorts, race tracks, bike lanes, shooting ranges, etc.

Activity Areas

Spaces that are not strictly sports-related, such as infrastructures or natural spaces where physical and sports activities are carried out because they have been adapted or are commonly used for such purposes. The lack of defined boundaries and specific characteristics of these areas makes it difficult to size and collect data about them.

In activity areas, it is necessary to distinguish between "natural" spaces and spaces where construction or adaptations have been made to allow for the permanent practice of physical and sports activities (marking, signage, or adaptation installations). Spaces that do not meet these requirements are excluded from the census. These are classified into terrestrial areas, aerial areas, and aquatic areas.

Sports Complex

A set of sports facilities, usually grouped together, that operate independently from each other and share a common name.

Complementary Spaces

Spaces that support sports practice.

Some are general to all types of facilities, such as locker rooms, sports equipment storage, spectator stands, or public restrooms.

Others are specific to certain types of facilities, such as mountain shelters, marinas, airfields, etc.

In facilities with activity areas, it is common for complementary spaces to be the only constructed spaces, and they enable the performance of different activities. A single complementary space can serve more than one sports space: a locker room block may be shared by several multi-purpose courts, and spectator stands may be common to a track and a football field located inside it.

Auxiliary Services

Infrastructures that complement sports activities but are not directly related to sports spaces (e.g., parking, bars, playgrounds, offices, commercial services, etc.).

Conventional Spaces

Sports spaces built for practice, corresponding to more traditional typologies: courts, courts with walls, fields, longitudinal spaces, swimming pool basins, and rooms. They have established dimensional standards, although not all cases strictly conform to these standards.

Courts

Sports spaces with a rectangular shape, defined by the floor and perimeter delimitation. They usually incorporate the elements and markings for the activities that can be developed on them.

Courts with Wall

Spaces similar to courts but with one or more walls used for the development of the activity.

Fields

Sports spaces with a rectangular shape, defined by the floor or perimeter fence, usually incorporating markings for the activities that can be carried out on them. The area of fields generally exceeds 1,500 m².

Longitudinal Spaces

Sports spaces where the activity is carried out following a specific path, so length is a determining factor and predominates over width.

Swimming Pool Basins

Sports spaces where the activity takes place in water. Basins in an indoor facility are called covered pools.

Rooms

Sports spaces where activities are carried out in an indoor area that does not meet the dimensional requirements of courts.

Open Space and Closed Facility

An open space is a sports space that does not have a roof or whose roof is seasonal. A closed facility is a sports space with a perimeter enclosure.


Background in Sports Planning (1987/2000)

During the 1980s and 1990s, Castilla-La Mancha made progress in providing sports infrastructure through various investment objectives, although still without comprehensive, integrated plans:

  • 1987–1991: ensure that all towns could have access to basic sports facilities.
  • 1992–1995: continue providing basic facilities in small municipalities and expand major equipment (sports halls, Olympic pools) in towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants.
  • 1996–2000: serve large municipalities with more complex facilities (indoor pools, athletics tracks, multi-sport halls).

These programs represented a significant investment effort, but still lacked the structure of a true Master Plan for sports infrastructure.

Legislative Context (Sports Law 1995)

The approval of Law 1/1995, of March 2, on Sports in Castilla-La Mancha, marked a turning point in regional sports policy, decisively promoting sports development in line with the powers assumed under the Statute of Autonomy.

The Law established, among other aspects, a specific framework for the planning, programming, construction, use, and maintenance of sports facilities in the region:

  • Article 32. Regional Plan for Sports Facilities. Requires the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, after consultation with Local Corporations and the Regional Sports Council, to approve by Decree the Regional Plan for Sports Facilities (PRID), with a four-year term.
  • Article 33. Purpose of the Regional Plan. Defines the PRID as a tool to outline the basic sports infrastructure funded by public resources, determine its location and technical specifications, and establish a financing program.
  • Article 35. Basic regulations on sports facilities. Establishes rules on technical requirements, construction, operation, use, and maintenance of facilities, as well as safety, hygiene, and accessibility conditions. Municipalities must ensure compliance.

First Regional Plan for Sports Facilities (2001–2005)

As a result of this new legal framework, the Council of Government, in its meeting on December 12, 2000, approved the first Regional Plan for Sports Facilities (PRID), developed according to the criteria of the Order of October 22, 1999, which opened the application period for local entities.

This PRID, corresponding to the 2001–2005 period, marked the beginning of structured, homogeneous, and region-wide planning, consolidating the concept of a master plan and serving as a model for future programs.

Subsequent Development (PRID 2006–2010)

Subsequent plans were implemented, notably the one for the 2006–2010 period, which continued the work of planning and expanding sports infrastructure in Castilla-La Mancha.

This entire legislative and historical context reinforces the need to keep an updated Regional Census of Sports Facilities, serving as a reference tool for public planning, decision-making, and citizen access to transparent and consistent information.