Sport England, the Football Foundation and four national governing bodies have reached agreement over a new strategic approach for the selection of artificial sports pitches.

New guidance drawn up by the governing bodies of football, hockey, rugby union and rugby league will help ensure that correct surfaces are installed in the right places and provide maximum value for investment. Each of the four organisations have committed to using the new approach, which has been drawn up after it was revealed that not all artificial surfaces are able to meet the needs of local communities.

Sport England has called on all developments involving the installation of artificial pitches to consult the guidance, which provides a four-step guide to which types of surface are appropriate for each sport and level. Hugh Robertson, minister for sport and the Olympics, said: "Getting as many people as possible to give sport a try is one of my top priorities so it's important that new facilities are multi-use and accessible."

Sport England chair Richard Lewis added: "Sport is at its strongest when partners tackle issues jointly. This guidance will help our stakeholders to make the right choice for their local sporting community when investing in artificial grass pitches."