The Corporate Director – Communities submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to seek Cabinet approval to undertake a consultation exercise on proposals to make the Council’s provision of playing fields, outdoor sports facilities and parks pavilions more financially sustainable moving forward.

He explained that the Council is the main provider of outdoor sports facilities in the County Borough.  Therefore, the provision of these facilities, for example sports pitches and playing fields, is recognised as playing an important contributory part in helping to achieve healthy lifestyles and better levels of physical and mental wellbeing for the County Borough’s residents.

The Corporate Director – Communities added that, historically the Council has charged a fixed hire fee for any formal hire of its outdoor sports facilities. However, these fees did not go anywhere near covering the cost associated with providing and maintaining these facilities. Additionally, the quality of the facilities provided will vary to some extent based on factors such as league requirements, drainage facilities and frequency of use. The formal use of outdoor sports facilities is predominantly by boys and men and so there are potentially equality issues in terms of the current distribution of Council financial support. For example, sports played predominantly by women and girls, such as netball, do not receive similar levels of subsidy.

A list of parks pavilions, playing fields and outdoor sports facilities currently provided by the Council was included at Appendix A to the report.

The next section of the report summarised current subsidy levels and the difficulty that will arise with facilities subject of the report deteriorating in terms of their condition, should no investment be committed to these in the future. He added that the Council had limited resources to maintain such facilities under its current MTFS. The Corporate Director – Communities therefore explained, that it had been recognised that a formal policy change, with a potentially significant increase in charges, likely to be a necessary as a catalyst to prompt a greater up take of Community Asset Transfer (CAT) opportunities. This was a move being made by other neighbouring authorities, due to similar financial restraints that they were also facing.

He then confirmed that a consultation exercise would be undertaken, outlining certain proposals and options to be incorporated in this exercise, with a view to informing future policy and strategy with regard to the provision of, and charging for, playing fields, outdoor sports facilities and parks pavilions, and seek ways in which provision can be sustained without such a financial reliance on the Authority.

Appendix B to the report contained the current charges for the use of different sports facilities for users, including details of the different subsidy levels, while paragraph 4.2 of the report gave details regarding a proposal to consider extending the current contract of the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Officer. 

The next section of the report reminded Members, that there was a sum of £1m in the capital programme to support CAT of sports pavilions etc, as a way of investing in the buildings as part of any proposed transfer subject to business case.

Paragraph 4.5 of the report then outlined the observations of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the current proposals.

The Corporate Director – Communities concluded his submission, by advising Cabinet of the report’s financial implications.

The Cabinet Member – Communities, Cabinet Member – Education and Regeneration and Leader each in turn, advised of the difficulty the Authority was having from a resource perspective in continuing to adequately maintain the above facilities, and therefore, of the need to go down the route of Community Asset Transfer for the adequate future required maintenance and continued operation of these.

The Deputy Leader added that the recommendations of the report reflected the reality and extent of financial challenges local authorities were facing, and that he hoped the consultation process would be proactive, and assist in taking things further forward along of the lines being proposed, as opposed to having to face shutting some facilities.

RESOLVED:                 (1)     That Cabinet approved that a consultation exercise is undertaken on proposals to make the Council’s provision of playing fields, outdoor sports pitches and parks pavilions more financially sustainable moving forward. That the consultation exercise also be extended to include key National Sports Governing bodies and regulators, such as for example, the Football Association (FA) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). 

                                    (2)  That a further report setting out the results of that consultation exercise and any proposals to change the way in which the Council charges for and manages its playing fields, outdoor sports pitches and parks pavilions will be brought to both the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet in due course.

                                    (3)  That Cabinet having approved recommendations 9.1 and 9.2 of the report, noted that a business case will be made for additional funding from the Change Management Fund for the Section 151 Officer to consider and Corporate Management Board to approve, to extend the current contract of the Community Asset Transfer Officer to ensure that adequate resource is available to respond to demand from sports clubs and other organisations to requests for Community Asset Transfer.