Presentation by the Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Housing and the Senior Community Infrastructure Officer.
Three Member workshops have been held during September, to gather views on recommendations emerging from the Sports Facility review that was commissioned in 2021. The updated strategy will be the evidence base used by Development Management to determine an element of the Section 106 (S106) agreement for developments in the district.
The Senior Community Infrastructure Officer will present details of the revised strategy and seek the views of the Committee. Comments and feedback from the Committee will be considered prior to the draft strategy being presented to Executive at their meeting on 7 November 2022.
Decision:
Resolved
(1) That the Sports Studies be recognised as influential strategic documents and it be agreed that they should be used to seek developer contributions / influence capital bids / seek external funding.
(2) That it be agreed that the documents be shared with partners to ensure wider understanding / influence.
(3) That it be agreed that the documents are reviewed annually and Members kept abreast of key changes.
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed the Assistant Director of Wellbeing and Housing, the Leisure Contracts and Sports Hubs Officer and the Leisure Projects Officer to the meeting to give a presentation on the Playing Pitch Strategy.
The Committee was advised the Sports Studies comprised of the Built Facilities Strategy and Playing Pitch Strategy. The final Sports Study documents would be used to work with partners and other organisations on delivery models to improve and developsports facilities where needed, to ensuretheeffectiveprovisionofsport andleisure opportunitiesacross thedistrict. They would be used as an evidence base for the new Local Plan and provide the basis of future sports facility developed contribution costs.
The consultants who had undertaken the study recommended the development of sustainable new sites and investment in existing infrastructure. The Leisure Projects Officer gave an overview of the key recommendations for Kidlington, Bicester and Banbury and explained that the work still required final sign from Sports England and National Governing Bodies and confirmed that there would be an annual review process. .
In response to Members’ questions regarding future growth and the weighting and balance between current and future needs, the Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing explained that the District Council’s money for this work came from developer contributions unless the council made a capital investment, which had not been the case in recent years. It was therefore important to have an evidence base to inform the development of facilities for use by current and future residents.
During discussion, the Committee highlighted that smaller sports clubs should not be overlooked when seeking developer contributions as participants at the clubs frequently come from a wider area rather than just the town or village a facility is located in. The Committee also highlighted the importance of ensuring sites had suitable changing facilities for women and disabled people. The Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing that officers were having discussions with Banbury Town Council and Bicester Town Council regarding accessibility.
In response to Members’ comments regarding expanding the number of sports that facilities were provided for and where non-council facilities were provided, the Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing advised that developers could submit planning applications for sports sites which would be considered in line with planning policy. The council focussed on sports where there was most interest and residents would benefit from and was not seeking to set aside land for minor sports.
The Committee also discussed the rise of artificial 3G pitches to replace grass and, whilst noting that they facilitated year-round use of sites and therefore enabled residents to participate in activities year-round, there were environmental impacts in reducing the number grass sites.
In response to Members’ questions regarding the influence Town and Parish Councils could have in requesting facilities and the size of development that triggered contributions, the Leisure Projects Officer explained that the current threshold for residential developments to make contributions was 10 dwellings. Town and Parish Councils were consultees on planning applications.
Resolved
(1) That the Sports Studies be recognised as influential strategic documents, and it be agreed that they should be used to seek developer contributions / influence capital bids / seek external funding.
(2) That it be agreed that the documents be shared with partners to ensure wider understanding / influence.
(3) That it be agreed that the documents are reviewed annually, and Members kept abreast of key changes.