Agenda item

(a)  That the strategy for leisure contained in section 6 and Appendix A to the report be approved.

(b)  That the Assistant Director for Community and Skills be authorised to implement the next steps as set out in section 7 of the report, following consultation with the Commissioner for Community and Leisure, including:

  i.  specify, plan and implement refurbishment and extension of the Ice Arena to maximise its community use potential, reporting on progress to Cabinet;

  ii.  specify requirements for a new pool, identify a site and initiate feasibility, to report to Cabinet in October 2014.  The preferred option is the Centre site in Farnham Road, subject to feasibility testing.

The Assistant Director, Community & Leisure introduced a report seeking approval for a high level Leisure Strategy and also set out the next steps for delivering improvements in leisure provision in the Borough.

Levels of physical activity in Slough were amongst the lowest in the country and the Member/Officer Task & Finish Group had conducted a review of the evidence in order to focus the strategy on achieving health and wellbeing outcomes.  The vision was to get “more people, more active, more often” and the activities could take place in a variety of settings including parks and open spaces, schools and community facilities as well as the Council contracted leisure facilities.  The Strategy proposed a ‘dispersed’ approach to maximise community access and use of facilities such as those in schools, neighbourhoods, e.g. the multi-use games areas and potentially a community sports hub at Arbour Park.  The Strategy would link these facilities with revenue based programmes to promote physical activity.  It was felt that this approach would achieve better outcomes than concentrating investment in new facilities on a single site.

The Assistant Director informed the Cabinet that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee had considered the Strategy and made the following comments:

• The existing facilities and sporting clubs in Slough should be recognised and celebrated.
• The rationale for major investments should be clearly supported by evidence and fit with the agreed strategic objectives.
• Clear targets for the strategy should be set, monitored and reported.
• Facilities should cater for the whole community and should, for example, include activities in parks and open spaces.
• The Council should adhere to the timetable for implementation.

The Cabinet agreed with the comments from scrutiny; endorsed the Strategy and welcomed the new Sport England funded programmes in Slough which would begin over the summer and the initial results would be reported to Cabinet in further reports in the autumn.

Commissioners discussed the proposed implementation of this strategy, the first stage of which would be a £3.5m investment to refurbish the ice arena and extend it to give it a presence on the A4 Bath Road.  Provision of ice facilities were considered to be particularly effective in engaging key priority groups such as women and young people as identified in the strategy.  The main Montem leisure centre would be demolished and the remainder of the site would be available for redevelopment once alternative facilities were in place.  Other measures were planned, as detailed in section 7 of the report, which included opening a rowing and canoeing facility on the Jubilee River in September 2014 and progress towards a new swimming pool to replace the ageing facilities at the Montem site to be considered in a further report to Cabinet in October 2014.  The preferred option was The Centre on Farnham Road, subject to feasibility testing.  The specification for the leisure facilities operational contract would also begin early in 2015 and would be based on the principles of the Leisure Strategy.

Resolved –

(a)  That the strategy for leisure contained in section 6 and Appendix A to the report be approved.

(b)  That the Assistant Director for Community and Skills be authorised to implement the next steps as set out in section 7 of the report, following consultation with the Commissioner for Community and Leisure, including:

  i.  specify, plan and implement refurbishment and extension of the Ice Arena to maximise its community use potential, reporting on progress to Cabinet;

  ii.  specify requirements for a new pool, identify a site and initiate feasibility, to report to Cabinet in October 2014.  The preferred option is the Centre site in Farnham Road, subject to feasibility testing.