Agenda item

Active Communities Strategic Framework

Decision:

RESOLVED

KEY DECISION

That the Executive:

a) Approved the Active Communities Strategy;

b) Approved the Leisure Facilities Strategy;

c) Approved the Playing Pitch Strategy;

d) Delegated authority to the Assistant Director, Communities and Leisure in consultation with the Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism to take any actions necessary to further develop detailed action plans and investment plans which will support delivery of the strategies.

Reasons for Recommendations: To support the Council and its partners to prioritise activities which will increase physical activity levels, which in turn will help to improve health outcomes, reduce health inequalities, improve community connectedness and cohesion and promote a sense of pride in place. In addition to inform future investment plans which will assist the Council to secure developer contributions and other external funding to deliver the recommendations in the Leisure Facilities and Playing Pitch Strategies.

Alternative Options considered:

· The alternative option would be to not develop an Active Communities strategic framework and instead to develop separate Leisure, Leisure Facilities and Playing Pitch strategies in isolation of each other. The Facilities and Playing Pitch Strategies are legally required under the National Planning Policy Framework and so there is no other option than to produce them for North Northamptonshire.

· The option to develop a separate Leisure strategy is not recommended because a traditional leisure strategy would have focussed simply on the Council’s leisure service offer. It would not have taken a whole systems approach to increasing physical activity, working with our partners, our sports clubs and our communities and taking the broadest view possible of the sorts of activity and the environment and infrastructure which helps make being active the easy choice for our residents, workforce and visitors. This would have considerably limited the opportunities and impact of this strategic framework, not just on physical activity levels but on the population health and wellbeing and reduction in health inequalities outcomes for the residents and communities of North Northamptonshire.

· The Active Communities strategic framework, based on comprehensive data, evidence and intelligence, will inform such things as future partnership activity and feasibility studies which are required to secure external funding and developer contributions to enable investment into the North Northamptonshire assets and infrastructure. It will also ensure a co-ordinated approach to the Council’s corporate and Big 50 Vision and to the Integrated Care System strategic objectives.

Minutes:

The Chair invited Cllr Dorothy Maxwell to address the meeting. Cllr Maxwell spoke of the need for people to be active to avoid future health problems and welcomed the all-age element of the documents. Cllr Maxwell made reference to the need for improved sporting and leisure facilities in the former East Northamptonshire area, while activities such as sailing, volleyball and urban sports required promotion.

The Chair thanked Cllr Maxwell for her comments before inviting the Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, Cllr Helen Howell to present a report that introduced the North Northamptonshire Active Communities Strategic Framework.

It was heard that the Active Communities Strategy was the overarching document within the framework for North Northamptonshire and set out the active communities’ strategic outcomes and priorities for the next five years which would feed into and influence a number of other strategic plans set out by the Council.

Cllr Howell noted that the framework had been under development for approximately a year, the Council working with consultants, Max Associates to undertake a detailed and comprehensive programme of work. The framework comprised the Active Communities Strategy that aimed to get people more active and two National Planning Policy documents, the Leisure Facilities Strategy and the Playing Pitch Strategy that had been drafted following nationally defined technical methodology.

Members noted that an Active Communities Strategic Partnership had been established, chaired by the Chief Executive of Northamptonshire Sport, and including representatives from across the Council, leisure providers and other relevant stakeholders to oversee the delivery of the strategy and to deliver the Keeping Active priority of the new North Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy

Cllr Howell reported on the significant stakeholder and public engagement undertaken in relation to the strategy, with a focus on the shift from a traditional leisure strategy to one all about active wellbeing and enabling residents to make being active an easy feature of their everyday lives. Engagement had also focussed on the usage of the current leisure offer and barriers to participation. Outcomes identified within the strategy were outlined to the meeting and it was noted that detailed action plans were currently being co-produced with the Active Communities Strategic Partnership

Details of the Leisure Facilities Strategy were provided to the meeting, with it being heard that the aim of this strategy was to improve the health and wellbeing of residents by planning for the appropriate facilities to meet the needs of an increasing population. The strategy informed the Council on where and when to maximise investment opportunities to improve its leisure facilities, provided documented evidence of current use and future needs for sports/leisure facilities within the authority; focusing on the quantity and quality issues in relation to supply and demand until 2041.??

It was reported that development of this strategy included a detailed assessment of the Council’s leisure estate. The findings of this assessment indicated that some of the Council’s leisure assets were ageing and required investment and the associated action plan was summarised within the report.

Cllr Howell reported that the strategy and action plan provided the Council with the detailed evidence-base required for engagement with potential funding bodies to protect and enhance the leisure offer in North Northamptonshire, with examples of successful funding bids being detailed to the meeting.

It as heard that an investment plan for the Council’s leisure estate would be developed taking a number of different aspects into account alongside the recommendations in the strategy and details of these were provided to the meeting.

The Executive noted that the final strategy within the framework was the Playing Pitch Strategy which replaced outdated strategies from the former sovereign council areas. The new strategy had assessed the supply and demand of pitches across the Council area to identify ways that any shortfalls could be addressed to meet current and future demand. This strategy had been developed in line with Sport England’s Playing Pitch Strategy Guidance and included a full audit of pitches and demand across North Northamptonshire.

The action plan for this strategy provided a clear set of recommendations that were prioritised for each sport and site and would be used by all stakeholders involved in its development when looking at the future provision of outdoor sports facilities. It was noted that it would be used to identify where investment needed to be prioritised for each sport in order to meet any of the shortfalls that had been identified.

Cllr Howell offered her thanks to all those involved in producing the draft strategies, noting the lengthy production process and the valuable information contained within the documents.

The Chair welcomed the framework and associated strategies as setting the active communities agenda for years to come.

Cllr David Brackenbury noted that the documents before members were extremely comprehensive, with a significant level of work having gone into their production and impacting all Council directorates. It was heard that healthier outcomes for residents were beneficial for the Council, with a need to target areas of inactivity going forward. Cllr Brackenbury thanked all those involved in the production of the documents.

Cllr Gill Mercer spoke to welcome the report and commended all those involved in producing the strategies, noting the beneficial health outcomes from people being active.

Cllr David Howes spoke to specifically reference works at Desborough Leisure Centre and the need to unlock further provision for leisure facilities.

Cllr Scott Edwards also spoke to welcome the report and acknowledged the work that had gone into the production of the strategies. It was heard that evidence gathered as part of the production process would allow the Council to apply for grant funding for leisure facilities, with active lifestyles being positive for mental health.