Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Visitor Economy presented the report of the Director of Communities, Customer and Commercial Services.

In 2007, the council published its Sports and Leisure Facilities Framework (2007-2027). Nearly 15 years since the strategy was launched and despite the unforeseen changes and financial challenges faced by Local Authorities, many of its key recommendations had been delivered. Current council priorities, local drivers and the wider national sport and physical activity context had moved on and the need therefore existed to develop a new strategy for the borough.

Investment into leisure facilities and services to meet the needs of communities, leisure strategies and to ‘Protect, Care and Invest’ and to keep local residents active.  Facilities at Abraham Darby, Telford Tennis Centre, Telford Park and Telford Langley schools. Wellington, Oakengates, Newport, Horsehay, Telford Ice Rink and Telford Ski Centre have all been extended or refurbished and improved community access to a number of school sports facilities has also been secured in order to make a wider offer to the community from fun clubs to elite performance.

Alongside the improvements to the physical facility stock the council had invested in local policies to encourage, enable and support young people and disadvantaged groups to access high quality community leisure provision. In particular through its continued support and extension of an extensive leisure concessions policy and initiatives such as free swimming for under 18’s, recently extended to residents under 25, £1 swimming for the over 50’s, £1 children’s holiday activities and discounted gym memberships for concessionary groups and young people.

Telford & Wrekin Council was currently the only local leisure provider offering free swimming for U25’s and swimming for £1 in respect of concessionary groups and over 50’s. In 2019, 156,159 public swim admissions were recorded of which 64,385 were free and 42,699 were £1. Over 2,000 children were currently enrolled on the council’s Swim4Life lessons programme. One of the key priorities for this new strategy continued the theme of investment into our swimming provision by looking to deliver new swimming facilities in Dawley, providing a greater number of residents with the opportunity to walk to their local leisure facilities. 

This report summarised progress against the key priorities identified within the 2007 Framework and the rationale supporting the need for a new Indoor Sports & Leisure Strategy.

Members welcomed the report as it showed commitment to health inequalities and was a key part of the health and wellbeing strategy and fit with the objectives of the year of wellbeing which had recently been launched; the local unique leisure offer; income and revenue being invested in front line services; free for local families and care leavers and was used for education as well as holiday hunger programmes and gave wrap around care and they were proud of the in house services provided.

The Leader of the Conservative Group stated that there were a lot of positives with a diverse range of leisure facilities and he welcomed the extra facilities as long as the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105