West Lancashire Borough Council Draft Leisure Built Facilities Assessment
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WEST LANCASHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL DRAFT LEISURE BUILT FACILITIES ASSESSMENT Appendix 2 WEST LANCASHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL DRAFT LEISURE BUILT FACILITIES ASSESSMENT January 2015 WEST LANCASHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL DRAFT LEISURE BUILT FACILITIES ASSESSMENT CONTENTS Page Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Report structure ................................................................................................................ 2 Context ............................................................................................................................. 3 Indoor sports facilities assessment ................................................................................... 9 Sports Halls .................................................................................................................... 14 Swimming pools ............................................................................................................. 24 Health and fitness ........................................................................................................... 33 Consultation.................................................................................................................... 40 Cultural and other provision ............................................................................................ 42 January 2015 WEST LANCASHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL DRAFT LEISURE BUILT FACILITIES ASSESSMENT INTRODUCTION The following provides an assessment of built sports, cultural, arts facilities and the Ranger service within West Lancashire. The process has been supported by Knight Kavanagh & Page – Management Consultants (KKP) and reviews strategic options in light of current and future demand, alongside financial considerations. The overall review, which covers a wide range of sporting, cultural and play provision, has been subdivided into three assessment reports which underpin the Council’s new strategy for Leisure and cultural facilities. The three assessment reports cover: a. Indoor - sports, arts, community and the gallery; b. Play - outdoor play provision in parks and public areas; and c. Outdoor - this divides into ‘pitches & courses’ for sports that are primarily played during summer and winter seasons with evaluations being conducted ‘in season’. This assessment focuses on the ‘Indoor’ elements, it provides detail as to the built facilities that already exist in the Borough and is accompanied by an assessment of their condition and overall quality. It considers demand for facilities based on population spread, planned and projected growth and takes note of health and economic deprivation. Comprehensive research findings combine consultation, facility assessments and data analysis. Geographic information systems (GIS) have been used to examine patterns of existing use and isochrones (distance/time catchment zones) in order to illustrate/examine equity (or otherwise) of access to facilities. The review sits within the context of service change and must be viewed against a backdrop of the need for sustained financial savings; The need to balance access to facilities alongside financial savings can be seen as potentially conflicting aims. The appraisal includes private and public indoor facilities, community (asset transferred) facilities, educational provision and the Arts and Ranger services. The main focus is, however, on sports provision. It offers a robust assessment of the need for built sport and cultural facilities while identifying deficiencies and surpluses. The Council’s key objective, generally and specific to the study, is to provide opportunities for leisure and culture that, with other WLBC services, contribute to healthier communities. The recommendations and accompanying strategy include proposals for facility rationalisation, refurbishment, replacement and new build options. It presents a clear vision of what future provision should look like; mapping out a process from the current situation to where West Lancashire provision should be and how it will get there. It is consistent with the Council’s changing role in respect of public health and the requirement to deliver opportunities for healthier lifestyles which, in turn, lead on to positive health outcomes. Inevitably it is not possible to start with the proverbial ‘blank piece of paper’, as if no facilities already exist. However, in a strategic sense it is the role of the review to reflect on the current situation and Council ambition with a sustainable offer. The study provides a sound basis for decision making and strategy development; it is founded on a logical process of consultation and data analysis, the evidence from which leads on to a series of defensible strategic recommendations. January 2015 1 WEST LANCASHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL DRAFT LEISURE BUILT FACILITIES ASSESSMENT REPORT STRUCTURE Context - draws on the national sports policy context and the demographic characteristics of West Lancashire’s population to provide a backdrop to the assessment. This includes data on deprivation and ill health, the sporting and non-sporting characteristics of the Borough’s population, projected and forecast population totals, age specific trends, the range of existing facilities within West Lancashire and the direct economic impact of sport related business within the Borough. Facilities assessments - this examines supply and demand issues; it includes site visits to and assessment of facilities, mapping and analysis of the current distribution of participants and an assessment of the temporal and spatial accessibility of the current offer; it covers: Sports facilities Arts provision Community facilities Sports halls Chapel Gallery Resource centres Swimming pools and meeting rooms Health & fitness gyms (see below) In 2013/14 six facilities were transferred to the local community, thereby achieving savings for the authority and retaining resources locally; the facilities transferred are: Civic Hall (Engine Rooms); Ashurst Meeting Room (Taekwondo Development Council); Community Resource Centre at Birch Green (Ashton Artz for All); Community Resource Centre at Tanhouse (Tanhouse Enterprises); Community Resource Centre at Greenhill (Greenhill Community Hub); and Digmoor Resource Centre (Evermoor Enterprises). These facilities have been included in the assessment as has the Ranger Service. Consultation – explores the findings of three on-line surveys, covering the views of primary schools, sports clubs and parish councils: Primary schools were asked about the standard and availability of their own facilities, current community access to them and/or willingness to allow public access. Clubs focused on their use of facilities within and outside West Lancashire and the standard of the facilities being used. Parish councils were asked about the availability of their facilities for indoor sport. Strategy development – threaded throughout the above materials and catchment mapping is an assessment of the key criteria shaping proposals for future cultural and sporting facilities in West Lancashire. This incorporates key objectives of equity, quality and the necessary financial backdrop to sustainable services. It examines the principle of facilities being within a 10 minute drive time catchment, details the ability of existing provision to meet this standard and any shortfalls. The assessment also highlights the fact that provision and accessibility are about more than just geographic location and time of day, they also include factors such as scale of provision, standard and age of equipment, condition of changing rooms and other associated facilities etc. Recommendations – are drawn together and presented within the Leisure Strategy document. January 2015 2 WEST LANCASHIRE BOROUGH COUNCIL DRAFT LEISURE BUILT FACILITIES ASSESSMENT CONTEXT The first half of this section outlines national, regional and local policies pertaining to the study and which have an important influence on the accompanying strategy. It is followed by a review of relevant demographic data about the population to which these policies relate. Policy context - National Sport England: A Sporting Habit for Life (2012-2017) In 2017, five years after the Olympic Games, Sport England (SE) aspires to transform sport in England so that it is a habit for life for more people and a regular choice for the majority. Its six stated ambitions are built around encouraging participation, creation of opportunities, nurturing talent, facilities, unlocking funding opportunities and support for local communities. Sport England Strategy (2011/12 – 2014/15) The vision is to be a world leading sporting nation where many more people choose to play sport and create sporting habits for life. Its five strategic themes fall under the headings of: Maximise value from current NGB investment. Places, People, Play. Strategic direction and market intelligence. Set criteria and support system for NGB investment (2013-17). Market development. Sport England Youth and Community Strategy 2012 – 2017 This outlines how SE will invest over one billion pounds of National Lottery and Exchequer funding over to create a lasting community sport legacy grown from the grassroots level. Its aim is to ensure that playing sport is a lifelong habit, a regular choice for the majority and a specific target is to increase the number of 14 to 25 year olds playing sport - this in particular will prove very difficult (see projections).