Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Wellbeing and  Culture

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the findings and recommendations from the Playing Pitch Strategy as set out in section 4.6 and attached as appendix 2 are noted;

2.    the Playing Pitch Strategy is shared with all the organisations and partners identified in the action plan for review;

3.    authority is delegated to the Director for Community and Economic Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Economic Development, Wellbeing & Culture, to make any final amendments to the Playing Pitch Strategy.

4.    an over-arching physical activity and sports strategy and accompanying action plan, that will deliver the council’s vision and outcomes for physical activity and sports as set out in section 3, will be brought to Cabinet later this year.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Wellbeing and Culture said the playing pitch strategy is the next stage of work started by former Councillor Wilkinson to set an overall vision for sport and physical activities in Cheltenham. The aim is to enable everyone, regardless of location, ethnicity or gender, to benefit from the huge variety of sport and physical activities available across the town, helping them to live healthy and happy lives. He said the first detailed assessment concerned sports buildings and this report covers fields and pitches, using approved Sport England methodology and input from national and governing bodies of each sport and detailed analysis of their usage.  There is more work to be done, in particular around shortfall in some capacities and the need to improve specific pitches, and this will be brought back in the autumn.  The overarching strategy needs to address how to build and improve capacity, involve a wider cross-section of communities, and fulfil the vision of involving everyone in sports activities in the town. 

Members made the following comments:

-     the report is interesting and detailed but includes some anomalies and inaccuracies which the Member will email to the report author - in particular, the lack of reference to Cheltenham rugby clubs that don’t play in the borough, and concern that the excellent facilities at Cheltenham Tigers Rugby Club could become very overused;

-       a lot of pitches are situated in Cheltenham’s parks and greenspaces, supported by friends groups and volunteers.  Hopefully there will be funding from national organisations such as the Football Association to support their work;

-       it will be good to address and capture all the areas in need of investment, such as football pitches which already exist but are not fit for purpose.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Wellbeing and Culture thanked Members for their comments, and confirmed that further information needed to be fed into the refined report.  He said input from Members and the public would be welcome, providing detailed local knowledge on clubs and pitches as appropriate.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the findings and recommendations of the Playing Pitch Strategy as set out in section 4.6 and attached as appendix 2 are noted;

2.    the Playing Pitch Strategy is shared with all the organisations and partners identified in the action plan for review;

3.    authority is delegated to the Director for Community and Economic Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Economic Development, Wellbeing & Culture, to make any final amendments to the Playing Pitch Strategy;

4.    an over-arching physical activity and sports strategy and accompanying action plan, that will deliver the council’s vision and outcomes for physical activity and sports as set out in section 3, will be brought to Cabinet later this year.