Agenda item

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 funds were available.  The strategy was dated from 2007 and he felt that if this was looked at again with the updated strategy would the result have been the same.  He asked if the timetables could be looked at as there was only 14% of availability on some sites for swimming sessions with the other percentage taken up with lessons, clubs, private lessons and lane swimming.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat/Independent Group expressed support for the additional swimming which had been achieved through the budget and welcomed the free swimming for the under 25s and the £1 swimming for the over 50s and any additional facilities within the Borough.

In response to the Leader of the Conservative Group’s concerns, the Leader of the Council clarified the figures with regard to the free and £1 swimming offer within the Borough together with the indoor leisure offer and the positive reaction received from Public Heath England.  He looked forward to the commitment by the Council to open the new swimming pool and the offer for young people of access to multiple gym provision and swimming provision for less than £5 per week and that all Members should be behind this first class provision.

RESOLVED – that Cabinet

a)    note the successful progress made in respect of the previous strategy and endorse the proposals for a new strategy to reflect current andfuture community priorities and to actively contribute towards improved levels of physical activity and public health across the borough;

b)   Delegates authority to the Director: Customer, Community & Commercial Services. In consultation with the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Libraries & Culture to finalise a brief and procure the services of consultants to produce an Indoor Sports Strategy for the borough; and

c)       Delegates authority to the Associate Director: Policy & Governance to negotiate and execute any necessary contractual agreements required.