Rochdale Built Facilities Strategy
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Rochdale Indoor and Built Sports Facilities Strategy 2019 – 2029 November 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3 2. Strategic Context ................................................................................................................... 6 3. Local Context....................................................................................................................... 19 4. Assessment of Need and Evidence Base – Sports Halls ........................................................... 48 5. Assessment of Need and Evidence Base – Swimming ............................................................. 63 6. Assessment of Need and Evidence Base – Health and Fitness ................................................. 68 7. Sport Specific Requirements & Opportunities ......................................................................... 78 8. Interpretation of Findings - Quantity, Quality, Accessibility and Availability ............................ 153 9. Strategy and Action Plan .................................................................................................... 166 APPENDICES Appendix A – Rochdale Performance Benchmarking Report Appendix B – Local Strategic Policy Review Appendix C – Sports Halls Facility Planning National Run Report Appendix D – Swimming Pool Facility Planning National Run Report Basis of Information It is not possible to guarantee the fulfilment of any estimates or forecasts contained within this report, although they have been conscientiously prepared based on our research and information made available to us at the time of the study. Neither WYG nor FMG as companies nor the authors will be held liable to any party for any direct or indirect losses, financial or otherwise, associated with any contents of this report. We have relied in a number of areas on information provided by the client and have not undertaken additional independent verification of this data. 1. Introduction Background 1.1 Rochdale Borough Council’s Built Sports Facilities Strategy sets a long-term vision for built facilities across the Borough that positions its contribution towards the wider strategic outcomes for the Borough. 1.2 In November 2018 Rochdale Borough Council (‘the Council’) appointed WYG Limited (‘WYG’) working in partnership with FMG Consulting (‘FMG’) to carry out this work, importantly this strategy is developed in parallel with the Council’s review of their leisure operating management agreement with Link4Life. 1.3 This strategic review of Sports facility provision comes in response to the changing landscape of providers and as an identified key action and shared purpose within the Boroughs recently developed strategic objective and outcomes framework. 1.4 This work seeks to provide an informed position of current facility supply and identify key issues and gaps in provision, for a strategic and reasoned approach to be taken when considering future provision. Scope 1.5 The development of the Built Indoor Sports Facilities Strategy (‘BISFS’) specifically addresses the following sports provision in line with the Council’s brief and following consultation: Swimming Pools; Sports Halls; Health and Fitness. 1.6 In addition, the specific sports of: Athletics; Indoor Tennis; Indoor and Outdoor Bowls; Squash; Gymnastics; Golf; Climbing; and a brief commentary on Cycling. Rochdale Borough Council Built Indoor Sports Facilities Strategy 2019- 2029 Page 3 1.7 The development of the strategy also considers: Government Strategies relevant to the scope of this work; Sport England Strategies: Towards an Active Nation 2016 – 2021 and the 2019 Strategic Outcomes Planning Guidance; The Council’s strategic outcomes development and Link4Life’s wider collaborative development with other Greater Manchester Leisure Trusts (GM Active), Greater Sport, and Health Authority’s and CCG’s; The Council’s leisure contract agreement review which include aspirations for its built leisure provision and work currently taking place on Rochdale’s Playing Pitch Strategy; The Facility Planning Model (FPM) data - Strategic Assessment of Need for Sports Hall and Swimming Pool provision in Rochdale; and Housing developments and population changes within the Borough and external to the Borough boundary that has the potential to impact on the built leisure provision. Objectives 1.8 The objective is the production of an updated strategy for Rochdale Borough Council providing the strategic context for built leisure facilities across the Borough that can be used to: Aid decision making by Councillors and Officers; Support external funding applications; Support developer discussions around CIL and S106 contributions; Support potential collaborative work with neighbouring authorities; Support working more collaboratively on a local and regional basis; and Link appropriately to Local Plans. 1.9 The strategy also needs to be realistic in its aspirations identifying actions capable of being implemented within the Council’s budgetary position and procurement regime, and those that would require significant external funding or put the Council at risk. Methodology 1.10 Our approach to the study has been developed utilising the process as set out in the Assessing Needs and Opportunities Guide (ANOG), the methodology for assessing indoor sports needs developed by Sport England, as set out in figure 1.1 overleaf. Rochdale Borough Council Built Indoor Sports Facilities Strategy 2019 -2029 Page 4 Figure 1.1 – ANOG Methodology 1.11 The remainder of the report is structured as follows: Report Structure Section 2 – Strategic Context; Section 3 – Local Context; Section 4 – Assessment of Need and Evidence Base - Sports Halls; Section 5 – Assessment of Need and Evidence Base – Swimming Pools; Section 6 – Assessment of Need and Evidence Base - Health and Fitness; Section 7– Sport Specific Requirements and Opportunities; Section 8 – Interpretation of findings; and Section 9 – Strategy and Action Plan Rochdale Borough Council Built Indoor Sports Facilities Strategy 2019 -2029 Page 5 2. Strategic Context Introduction 2.1 A headline review of key national, regional and local strategies has been undertaken as part of this section with a summary of the key implications for the built facilities strategy from the strategic documentation review. National Context Government 2.2 At a national level, the Government has set out a strategic vision for the nation in ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’ which sets out a framework and outcomes that can be translated locally against issues and opportunities for the Borough. Figure 2.1 below outlines the Government framework. Figure 2.1 - Sporting Future Framework 2.3 This framework lists 5 Core Outcomes: developing physical and mental well-being, individual development, social and community development and economic development. The model includes key outputs such as ‘more people from every background regularly and meaningfully taking part in Sport’. 2.4 To facilitate this, it is recognised that several actions will need to take place to drive behavioural change. This challenge is particularly relevant to the large segment of the inactive population residing in hard to reach groups in the Borough. Rochdale Borough Council Built Indoor Sports Facilities Strategy 2019- 2029 Page 6 Sport England 2.5 In May 2016, Sport England published its current five-year Strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ aimed at tackling inactivity. The new strategy sets out how Sport England will deliver against the five health, social and economic outcomes set out in the Government’s 2015 Sporting Future strategy. 2.6 There is a clear focus on tackling inactivity as the strategy recognises that more than one in four people in England (28%) do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week. There is a clear synergy here with Borough wide priorities for Rochdale, and it links well with the Council’s strategic objective that ‘all residents feel healthy and remain in a good state of health for as long as possible’. 2.7 The strategy for the Borough in terms of providing a healthier outcomes for its communities aligns with Sport England’s commitment to triple the amount of money spent at targeting inactivity with a c£200 million investment fund proposed over the next three years this could potentially translate into a funding opportunity for the Council. 2.8 A key driver for a successful funding bid to Sport England will be how the Council can demonstrate how it will tackle inactivity as the new strategy places much greater emphasis on groups who are typically much less active such as women, disabled people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. ‘The Sport England Strategy sees investment driven by local need’ 2.9 Sport England’s strategy promises continued investment for those already active but with the emphasis on sustainability and self-sufficiency, working closely with sports NGBs. Sport England’s Service’s Development Team are testing models and approaches to working with NGB’s to tackle inactivity through the Sport England Place Pilot and this work has proved to be successful in some deprived areas. 2.10 The strategy makes clear recommendations with an emphasis placed on working collaboratively locally to address elevated levels of physical inactivity and increase the number of active people. The Strategy focusses on investment driven by local need. 2.11 There is also