Issue - meetings

That the proposed Physical Activity & Sport Strategy be approved.

Decision

That the proposed Physical Activity & Sport Strategy be approved.

Corporate objectives

Building strong and vibrant communities

Monitoring Officer/S.151 Officer comments

Monitoring Officer:

This is a high level strategy for the Borough presented for member approval and therefore the Monitoring Officer has no comments to make at this stage; however, the detailed action plans will need to be assessed in due course to ensure that all relevant equality implications are fully considered.   

Deputy S.151 Officer:

The proposed physical activity and sports strategy will be delivered within existing and future projected service budgets as outlined in the medium term financial strategy principles, and annual budget setting process.

Advice

Councillor Harden introduced the report to members. The aim of the overall strategy is to look at the direction of travel to make residents more active. In responding to the statements from the public, the Get, Set, Go project received a grant of £345,000 from Sports England which engaged 3,000 people in sport before the council even had a strategy. This is a good opportunity to get extra funding.

Councillor England referred to the scrutiny committee last week and said Mr Bullard provided a powerful contribution and gave the strategy a 2 out of 10. He said he was concerned that the scrutiny committee were asked to make comments on the first draft back in June yet this doesn’t seem to have been incorporated into the final draft.

Councillor Williams had asked officers to have another look at the minutes from that meeting and compare with the final draft and he was confident that some of the suggestions had been included.

Councillor Marshall asked if there was an idea of when the action plans would be drawn up and submitted.

Councillor Harden said there would a biannual report to the scrutiny committee.

Councillor England said if action plans were implemented then Dacorum borough Council would already have a strategy. A big decision on the provider of sport and leisure was made in January and implemented in April.

Councillor Williams said the change in sports provider had taken 15 – 18 months and was a change in management, not structures.

Councillor D Collins asked if this strategy would address children that leave school and do not continue to take part in sports.

Councillor Harden said yes, it will look at these aspects and work to develop projects like how we continue to keep people engaged in physical activity.

Voting

cal Activity & Sport Strategy be approved.