Agenda item

Report of the Leader

The Leader invited the new Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Wellbeing and Public Open Space to introduce the report, which had been approved by his predecessor.

To present the report, the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Wellbeing and Public Open Space read out the introduction of the report as published, which explained the background and recommendations.

He said the report received positive feedback at Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday night, with a lot of questions and comments.  The focus on football and the question of supporting more sports raised; the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Wellbeing and Public Open Space commented that this follows on from the recent Playing Pitch Strategy, and the benefits of drawing in outward investment from the Football Association and other levels, creating facilities that can be used for many sports and also taking football teams and matches off existing sites which were originally intended for other sports.  Also discussed was what communications can be put out to encourage people in Cheltenham to get active, in addition to the current Youth Activity Pass.

He said the report was a good starting point for the action plan to move forward, encourage investment and external funding, and improve and develop our own facilities. It is important to support both the people who play and love team sports, and those who enjoy other activities such as cycling, running and walking, and to do all we can to make provision and facilities better for the people of Cheltenham.    

Members all welcomed the excellent report and recommendations, thanking the Cabinet Member, his predecessor, and officers for their hard work, and made the following comments:

-       anything we can do to improve and encourage sport and sporting facilities is to be encouraged, as involvement in sport has so many benefits for both physical and mental health;

-       the focus on 3G pitches is welcome and a move in the right direction, although it is a sad indictment that there is currently only one artificial pitch available locally - the Cheltenham Tigers pitch, technically outside the borough.  It is widely used by many clubs from all over Cheltenham when their grass pitches are not available, and has even been used by visiting national teams as a camping base during world cups in Europe;

-       it would be good to highlight walking more in the next version of the strategy.  The council has opened footpaths around at least two parks in recent years – Naunton Park and Burrows Field – and these are welcomed by residents and well used by walkers, power walkers and joggers.  The council should continue to take walking seriously and to work with officers and the county council to improve the footpaths which criss-cross Cheltenham, including the reopening of Gustav Holst Way in Cheltenham parks, which has been closed for many years;

-       walking is an important physical activity, which can be enjoyed by and encouraged for people who are not otherwise involved in sports.  Our parks and greenspaces are unique, and many include outdoor gym facilities;

-       the Feel Good Pass and Youth Activity Pass are an excellent way to involve people without the time or necessary funding to otherwise get involved, and a way of leveraging further investment to enhance what the town already offers;

-       this report brings together a lot of earlier work, setting out what we need to do as a town going forward, with a clear action plan to encourage more funding opportunities and delivery of identified options to improve physical activity and sports, at the same time generating enhanced relationships with parish councils, schools, and other partners;

-       further engagement with young people and the Youth Activity Pass will help break down one identified barrier of cost.  It is concerning that being physically active can be a particular challenge for young females, and it would be interesting to know why this is and identify more community sports which encourage them to engage;

-       this inspiring report highlights the benefits of sport on physical and mental health, not least by generating friendships and opportunities.  The town is blessed with some great facilities, many of which are provided by the private sector, and it is important that we continue to work as we do with shared agreements with the private sector and schools, to make the most of these; 

-       we are also lucky to have some excellent clubs in the town, including Leckhampton Rovers, Charlton Rovers, Old Pats and Lakeside, which work hard and raise funds, involving many hundreds of young people, and the Cheltenham Youth Football League which involves thousands;

-       on the subject of playing pitches, it is good news that Pittville School has planning permission for a 3G pitch and sports hall, and important that any new development such as Elms Park delivers this sort of facility, as well as walkways through new estates;

-       in addition, Friends groups, such as Friends of Sandford Park, work hard, and have recently raised money for gym equipment, opening a whole new avenue of opportunities for all age groups; there is so much going on that people don’t know about and the more we can do to promote this to a wider audience, the better. 

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Wellbeing and Public Open Space thanked Members for their kind comments and contributions, and made the following points in response:

-       the shortage of 3G pitches was noted in the playing pitch strategy, as these are a much-needed facility, and working with private organisations to secure community use agreements is to be encouraged.  It is good to note that permission has been granted for Pittville School’s facility;

-       more focus on walking is noted – it is a valued part of people’s lives, and easy to take for granted the lovely parks, gardens and greenspaces we have in Cheltenham.  CBC has recently been awarded UK Shared Prosperity Fund grant for more paths, and the more external funding we can generate for projects the better. Friends groups and communities can work with the council to help make things happen and secure funding for projects that the council cannot do on its own.  

RESOLVED THAT:  

1.    the physical activity and sports action plan, attached as Appendix 2, is endorsed;

2. authority is delegated to the Director for Community and Economic Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Wellbeing and Public Open Space, to make any final amendments to the action plan as it is presented in its final designed format;

3.    the action plan will be used to establish a sports and physical activity steering group that will oversee the progress of the action plan identifying where partners can work collaboratively to support delivery.