Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Sport and Active Leisure Strategy

Cabinet approved for public consultation a Sport and Active Leisure Strategy designed to invite comment and challenge from the public and the Council's partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors. The strategy

http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9249.doc

 seeks to provide direction for sport within the Borough for the next five years and aimed to provide quality opportunities for participation in sport and leisure in order to meet the needs and aspirations of the entire community.

It was hoped that the strategy would lead to many positive outcomes, such as:-

• Increase in positive activities for young people
• Halting the year on year rise in obesity amongst children under 11 years
• Reduce health inequalities
• Improved access and quality of green spaces
• Improved personal well being of older people
• Real choice, control and equal access to facilities and services for older people
• Greater Equality of Opportunity
• Increased opportunities for young children/ young people in care (SCS)
• Reductions in anti-social behaviour/ criminal damage
• Increases in the % of 5-16 year olds participating in 5 hours of PE/ within the curriculum and OOSH
• Increase % of adults participating in at least 30 min's of moderate intensity sport and physical activity on at least 3 or more days per week (CPA/ NI8)
• Increased resident satisfaction with sports & leisure services within the borough
• Increase in the number of people volunteering in sport (CPA Culture Block/ LAA)
• Increase in the % of residents living with 20 min's of a quality accredited leisure facility
• An increase in the % of people participating in local authority sport/ recreation provision

Consultation on the strategy would take place with stakeholders and interested parties via the Renaissance Board through the Arts & Culture Partnership; presentations to Area Partnership Boards; arranged Drop in Sessions, and through consultation with the voluntary sector via Stockton Residents & Community Groups Association and voluntary sports bodies. Comments can also be submitted to Neil Russell, Leisure & Sports Development Manager. Email Neil.Rusell@stockton.gov.uk.

FREE Swimming initiative

As a contributor to the above strategy, Cabinet was also delighted to hear that since the introduction of the FREE Swimming initiative on 1st April 2009 in the Council's leisure pools (Splash at Stockton, Billingham Forum, and Thornaby Pool) nearly 3,000 additional swims had been recorded for the period April-May 09, as compared to the same time in 2008. The FREE Swimming initiative, which was available for all under 16's and all over 60's until 31st March 2011, had led to an initial 13% increase in swimming participation.

To participate in the scheme, members of the public must meet the age criteria outlined above and obtain a free Tees Active Leisure card, available from each of the above leisure facilities, or via the website http://www.teesactive.co.uk.

As a consequence of signing up to the FREE Swimming initiative, the Council became eligible to bid for a share of £25M available nationally for capital improvements to swimming facilities, and were successful in obtaining £300k towards the development of a movable floor at Billingham Forum and to develop additional family changing at Splash. Officers hoped to further capitalize on resources provided nationally by bidding in Round 2 to secure further improvements to existing facilities.

Economic Climate

Members were also updated with the latest local Economic Climate report, which contained a summary of both positive and negative economic changes in the last month.

A positive development within the engineering/manufacturing field had seen the Wolviston Group succeed in securing multi million pound work on London 2012 contracts and the construction of a new stadium for Brighton & Hove Albion. Elsewhere, occupancy levels at the Stockton Business Centre had increased by 3% to 78% occupancy; and One NorthEast had developed 'Talent Challenge', providing £1.4M funding to support people who had been made redundant from higher level/higher skilled occupations. Funding had also been secured by the Learning Skills Council to provide support via Further Education Colleges in the Tees Valley for people who have been registered on Job Seekers Allowance for longer than six months.

The number of people on Job Seeker Allowance in the Borough as at the of May 2009 was 6,211.

For further information on any of the above economic climate information, contact Richard Poundford, Head of Regeneration & Economic Development, tel. 01642 527024, e-mail Richard.Poundford@stockton.gov.uk

Council's service and financial performance for 2008/9

Finally, Cabinet received a report summarizing the Council's service and financial performance for 2008/9, which highlighted achievements, areas for improvement, consultation activity undertaken, complaints, commendations and comments and outturn against revenue and capital budgets.

The report http://www.egenda.stockton.gov.uk/aksstockton/images/att9251.doc revealed that performance against the achievement of the Council Plan objectives in 2008/9 was strong, with 79% of objectives achieved or on track. For further information, contact Julie Danks, Corporate Director of Resources, tel. 01642 526357, e-mail Julie.Danks@stockton.gov.uk