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Issue - meetings

Playing Pitch Strategy

 

 

Meeting: 02/11/2023 - Cabinet (Item 191)

191 Playing Pitch Strategy pdf icon PDF 222 KB

Purpose

To consider the findings and recommendations proposed by consultants commissioned to develop a Playing Pitch Strategy for the District and to approve the Strategy.

 

Recommendations

That Cabinet resolves to:

  1. Endorse the findings of the consultants and approve the Playing Pitch Strategy, including the key recommendations and site specific action plan;
  2. Authorise officers to work in partnership with other organisations to establish the feasibility and funding sources for the projects identified within the strategy and to prepare business cases, where opportunities arise, and bring them forward for consideration;
  3. Note that the resources needed to develop these partnerships and implement the action plan will be met from existing resources by reprioritising existing work.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Dale left the meeting before this item started.

 

The purpose of this report was to consider the findings and recommendations proposed by consultants commissioned to develop a Playing Pitch Strategy for the District and to approve the Strategy.

 

The Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture, Councillor Hodgkinson, introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

 

  • The report covered sports that were played on pitches in the winter (football, rugby, rugby league and hockey) and summer sports of cricket and polo.
  • It was noted that this report was a refresh which usually takes place every 3 years.
  • It was noted that the strategy was required to form part of the Local Plan to account for land use to meet current and future needs.
  • It was highlighted that at present there were sufficient pitches to meet demands across most sports, but that population growth might change this.
  • It was noted that the Council would collaborate with local organisations such as sports clubs and Town and Parish Councils to deliver on the action plan.
  • The Member thanked the officers and the consultants for their work.

 

 

The Overview & Scrutiny recommendations were then examined in addition to the responses published in the agenda supplement:

 

  • Recommendation 1 on the safety of 3G pitches – It was noted that only a part of the pitch would be affected, but that officers were consulting with Sport England on this. 
  • Recommendation 2 on bowling greens – It was noted that bowling was not considered a pitch sport and not part of the strategy. However, officers would consider other sports and whether they could be considered separately outside of the strategy.
  • Recommendation 3 on the Steadings development – It was noted that the pitches had not been created yet within the development but would be added in the monitoring phase.
  • Recommendation 4 on the use of Community Infrastructure Levy monies to fund sports facilities – It was outlined that Community Infrastructure Levy funding could be considered and that there were options for the Council and Town and Parish Councils.
  • Recommendation 5 on encouraging volunteers to support sports clubs - It was outlined that officers would work with stakeholders to encourage volunteers. 

 

There was a question about accessibility for individuals with disabilities and sports that cover all genders.

 

It was noted that the strategy was meant to include sports for all genders and that the Cabinet Member would ask officers consider the issue of accessibility for sports. It was highlighted that this would also be considered when those stakeholders were promoting sports.

 

Councillor Hodgkinson proposed the recommendations and Councillor Bloomer seconded.

 

RESOLVED: That Cabinet

 

1. ENDORSED the findings of the consultants and approve the Playing Pitch Strategy, including the key recommendations and site specific action plan;

2. AGREED TO AUTHORISE officers to work in partnership with other organisations to establish the feasibility and funding sources for the projects identified within the strategy and to prepare business cases, where opportunities arise, and bring them forward for consideration;

3. NOTED that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 191

Meeting: 31/10/2023 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 296)

296 Playing Pitch Strategy pdf icon PDF 243 KB

Purpose

To consider the findings and recommendations proposed by consultants commissioned to develop a Playing Pitch Strategy for the District and to approve the Strategy.

 

Recommendations

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises the report and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Cabinet meeting on 2 November 2023.

 

Invited

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture

Andy Barge, Assistant Director for Communities

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture introduced the item.

 

The purpose of the report was for Cabinet to consider the findings and recommendations proposed by consultants commissioned to develop a Playing Pitch Strategy for the District and to approve the Strategy.

 

The Cabinet Member explained that the strategy focused on sports which were played on sports pitches. The strategy set out how many playing pitches existed, and what the need was, including if improvements were needed. The Strategy would form an evidence base for the local plan, and included natural grass and artificial (3G) pitches for Football, Hockey, Polo and Rugby. The Cabinet Member thanked Officers for their work on the report.

 

Members discussed the report, raising the following points:

  • The emergence of new trends in sports e.g. women’s football and Cricket demand was mentioned, and whether this was incorporated into the strategy. The Assistant Director for Communities stated that the strategy had been developed with the best available information, which predated the increase in demand, but that if the demand was greater than provision, the Council could work with Town and Parishes and educational establishments to look at increasing provision.
  • Cllr Ian Watson stated that he had been working with Sir William Romney’s School and the Football Foundation, and that they had received a £1m grant for 3G pitches. A conversation about including this within the strategy would be had with the Assistant Director and Cabinet Member.
  • Members discussed 3G synthetic pitches, in light of recent European Union ban on ‘intentionally added microplastics’ onto the European market, which included rubber infill for 3G pitches. The Cabinet Member and Assistant Director highlighted that there was a ban on rubber infill but not a ban on 3G pitches. They stated that the Council was following Sports England guidelines, and that 3G pitches had benefits such as being able to be constantly utilised (unlike natural grass).
  • The Committee discussed whether consideration was given to bowling greens, as these weren’t in the strategy. The Cabinet Member stated that they would look into this.
  • Members discussed ways of ensuring developer contributions, including CIL and that the new playing pitches at the Steadings are included within the strategy.
  • The Committee were keen for the Council to encourage more volunteers to offer their help to local sports clubs for both training and administration.

 

RESOLVED: To recommend to Cabinet that:

 

1)    The provision of 3G pitches is reviewed to ensure that the provision is suitable and safe, in view of safety concerns about certain materials used in 3G pitches.

2)    Consideration is given to whether it would be appropriate to include the provision of bowling greens within the Playing Pitch Strategy.

3)    The new pitches planned at the Steadings development are factored into the Playing Pitch Strategy, if this has not already been done.

4)    Consideration is given to whether the use of Community Infrastructure Levy to fund sports facilities can be formalised in the Local Plan.

5)    The Council encourages more volunteers to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 296

 

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