Issue - meetings

Due to the length of this report, in line with the Council’s commitments under the Carbon Reduction Strategy, only the covering report and executive summaries for the Playing Pitch and built Facilities Strategies have been included in the main agenda for this meeting.  The full report will be published in a separate supplementary pack for the meeting.

Members are asked to note that this item is due to be pre-scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at a meeting scheduled to take place on 1^st February 2024.  Any recommendations on this subject arising from this meeting will be reported to the Executive Committee in a separate supplementary pack.

The Development Services Manager presented the Playing Pitch and Built Facilities Strategies for Members’ consideration.

The Executive Committee was advised that, following approval of the Council’s Leisure Strategy in autumn 2022, there were two outstanding strategies that needed to be considered by Members; the Built Facilities and Playing Pitch Strategies.  The Playing Pitch Strategy reviewed access to playing pitches in the Borough.  A lot of information had been gathered from both local and national sources which had informed the content of the strategies.  In addition, Sport England had signed off the strategies prior to consideration by the Executive Committee.

Members subsequently discussed the strategies and in doing so noted that the Football Federation had contacted the Leader with regard to this matter and had expressed their eagerness for the strategies to be implemented.  Reference was also made to the positive contribution that participation in sports on playing pitches could have on the health of people living in the Borough.

During consideration of this item, reference was made to the potential for the strategies to have included information about play parks and concerns were raised about the future position of some parks in the Borough.  However, it was noted that this did not form part of the focus of these particular strategies.

RESOLVED that

1)          The Built Facility Strategy and the Playing Pitch Strategy are endorsed; and

2)          Delegated authority be granted to the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Leisure following consultation with the lead Portfolio Holder for Leisure to implement the following recommendations:

Built Facility Strategy: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9,11,12,13,14,
Playing Pitch Strategy: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 5.1, 6.1, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.3, 8.5