DRAFT LEISURE STRATEGY 2015 - 2025 · DRAFT LEISURE STRATEGY 2015 - 2025 7 period, up to 2025....

WEST LANCASHIRE BOROUGH COUNCILDRAFT LEISURE STRATEGY 2015 - 2025

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APPENDIX 1

DRAFTLEISURE STRATEGY 2015 - 2025


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Contents Page No

Introduction 3

Purpose and vision.Strategy outline and context 4

MethodologyWest Lancashire population characteristicsSports participation rates

Assessment of facilities 9Built sports provisionPlaying pitchesPlay provisionArts serviceCountryside sites , Parks, Green Spaces and AllotmentsCycling provisionSport and Physical ActivityTransferred assets

Key Messages 18

Key Aims 19

Key Action Timetable 20

Supporting documents:Assessment Material

Facilities assessmentPlay area assessment

Additional supporting documents,West Lancashire Playing Pitch Strategy 2015

Draft Leisure Strategy 2015 - 2025www.westlancs.gov.uk


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Introduction Photo to be added.

By

Script to be added


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PURPOSE

This strategy covers the decade from 2015–2025 and encompasses the Council’s(WLBC) built sports facilities, arts and ranger services, a community centre, play provisionand playing pitches. It provides strategic direction for Leisure and Cultural Services andreplaces the Council’s existing strategies for culture, play and playing pitches (all 2004).

It outlines key aims and actions that should be planned for and which have the capacity toprovide a quality and sustainable service in the current financial context. The existence ofan agreed strategy will be particularly important as existing contractual arrangements withWest Lancashire Community Leisure Trust (for the management of leisure centres) willcease in 2020. The strategy addresses issues such as the age and condition of currentfacilities, capital investment and future demand levels.

The Council’s commitment is:‘New priorities to be inserted’

CONTEXT

Policies

As a key policy document the strategy sits alongside the Open Space, Sports andRecreational Strategy 2006, and the Provision of Public Open Space in New ResidentialDevelopment SPD (July 2014) and supported by the previous work undertaken in 2009,on the Open Space Study and Playing Pitch Strategy

This overall framework is complemented by physical activity action plans for the SchoolSports Partnership, Lancashire Sports Partnership and West Lancashire Health andWellbeing Partnership.

Health impacts

The importance of culture and leisure in helping to improve quality of life and health haslong been recognised.

Participation in cultural and physical activity has been linked to features ranging from selfconfidence and mental health and wellbeing to educational performance in schools andperformance at work. The impact of avoidable ill health that may be attributed to physicalinactivityi has also been translated to an estimated increase in National Health Service(NHS) costs by the British Heart Foundation research group at Oxford University. Theannual cost for West Lancashire has been estimated at £2,060,321; this represents£1.92m per 100,000 people and is 5.4% above the national rate.

Increasing access, reducing funding.

The Council’s Business Plan (2015-2018) sets out its objectives in the context of furtherreductions in government grant funding which all local authorities face. This targets acombination of improved economy and efficiency, reshaped service provision, re-allocation of resources to higher priority areas, partnership work, additional incomegeneration and innovation e.g. community transfers.

Despite this challenging economic climate, over the past decade access to sport andleisure facilities provided by the Leisure Trust has improved as a consequence of


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investment and longer opening hours supported by an increase in staff numbers, from102 (87FTE) to 122 (101FTE) (+20%). The number of visits to the sports and leisurefacilities operated by the Leisure Trust has also increased from 886,878 in 2004 to1,054,770 in 2013 a rise of 19%

These service improvements have been achieved while reducing the net service costs tothe authority by approximately £0.240m per annum. The leisure trust arrangement alsoprovided for a capital investment programme of £3.4m to be delivered over the 15 yearperiod of the contract.

Over the last three years the Council has maintained and enhanced its leisure andcultural services offer despite financial pressures, by working in partnership with theprivate and community sectors and through significant capital investment. However thenext three years will see further and ongoing reductions in government grant funding.This, inevitably, leads to the need for decisions to be made about future approaches.

It does not assume that all services will necessarily be delivered by the Council;Community Asset Transfers over recent years have, for example, demonstrated thatalternative delivery models can prove not only affordable but also deliver quality services.

METHODOLOGY

The strategy that follows sets out a series of ‘actions’ designed to deliver quality andsustainable cultural and leisure services in the above context. It is based on researchundertaken and more detailed assessment reports1 produced by managementconsultants, Knight, Kavanagh and Page (KKP); covering

Built sports and leisure facilities – sports centres, swimming pools, health and fitnesssuites, arts provision and community transferred assets (2014).Play facilities – reviewing the quantity, quality and accessibility of facilities (2014).Facilities audits and consultation undertaken in 2014 and 2015.Playing pitches – football, rugby, cricket, hockey, bowls, artificial grass pitches (AGPs)and a range of other team sports (2015).

The built sports facilities and the play facilities assessments are available as separateappendices to this strategy. The assessment and strategy for playing pitches is alsoincluded in a separate Playing Pitch Strategy document. These documents are informedby consultation with a range of key contacts.

In-depth reviews were conducted for each of the above as part of a facilities planningexercise to assess demand and sustainable provision for an authority of WestLancashire’s size and nature. This also encompassed consideration of the Borough’surban and countryside parks and the Ranger Service. The analyses included facilitieswithin all sectors (public, private and educational) and a wide range of factors including:

Standard of existing and planned provision (based on site visits to audit their age,condition, capacity, planned improvements or changes to existing provision).West Lancashire market analysis – considering the size, age, health, deprivation andother key characteristics of the local population.Demand for use, membership patterns etc.The views of local schools and sports clubs.

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Current availability and accessibility of facilities, including catchment zone analysis.

The analysis could not include consideration of the exact resources that will be availableto fund the leisure strategy in future year’s consequently further consideration will need tobe given to the decisions that will need to be made to balance the budget.

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

The starting point in any assessment of leisure provision is to firstly understand thepopulation it is to serve. This includes its:

Current scale, age, gender, distribution and other demographic features.Future population numbers and characteristics.Economic factors such as employment rates and benefits dependency.Nature and levels of deprivation.Health and wellbeing.Existing levels / frequency of sports participation and main sporting interests.

This information, combined with data on provision and the typical times / distances thatpeople are prepared to travel to use a facility/service, is applied to assess current andfuture market demand. KKP produced a detailed profile of the Borough’s populationcharacteristics drawn from nationally recognised sources such as the Office for NationalStatistics (ONS), NOMIS, Sport England and Experian. This provides a valuable backdropwhen assessing current provision and future plans: several examples are shown belowand the full profile is included in the accompanying assessment report.

Population size, age and distribution

The population of West Lancashire isc.111,000ii, and main settlements are inSkelmersdale, Ormskirk and Burscough. TheBorough is predominantly rural/semi-rural innature (see figure 1).

Although the age structure is distributedrelatively evenly across most cohorts, payingdue regard to the natural effect of ageing,West Lancashire has:

a lower proportion of 20-34 year olds(WLBC = 14.9%, North West = 19.3%).more 55-64 year olds(WLBC = 21.7%, North West = 20.0%).

This data suggests lower demand fromyoung adults – who are often regarded as themain sports participation group - and youngfamilies. People aged 55-64 years are likelyto have higher disposable incomes and areoften still physically active.

Projected population levels indicate a continued fall in the number of 16-24 year olds(-12.9%) and an increase in the numbers aged 65 and over (+25%) during the strategy

Figure 1: Population density: WestLancashire super output areas (SOAs)


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period, up to 2025. Consequently, careful consideration has been given to the pitching ofsports and physical activity offers by age, gender and location.

Economic activity, unemployment and average earnings

Three quarters (76.4%) of WLBC’s 16-64 year olds are in or seeking employment, this ismarginally below the national average, 6.7% of these are unemployed - below thenational average of 7.5%. The medianiii figure for full-time earnings in 2013 (£26,302) wasabove the rate for the North West (£25,126) and slightly below its Great Britain equivalent(£26,941).

Health and overall deprivation

The picture of a population that, in overall terms, is close to the national average is alsoshown by the Department for Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) ‘Indices ofMultiple Deprivation’ (2010). In overall terms, 22.5% of West Lancashire’s populationresides in areas covered by the three most deprived population bandsiv compared to anational average of just under 30%. Health indicators are, however, noticeably worse;39.3% of the Borough’s population is classed as being within the three cohorts with thehighest levels of health deprivation, compared to 30% nationally (see figures 2 and 3).

Figure 2: Index of multiple deprivation Figure 3: IMD Health deprivation

Obesity

Health problems such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer are widelyrecognised to be associated with obesity. Consequently, the prevention of obesity is seenas a major public health challenge, as is the role that sport and physical activity can play.While adult obesity rates in West Lancashire are below national and regional averagesthe situation is worse for children. Rates increase from 8.5% of 4 year olds to 21.6% of 10year olds; by the time they reach Year 6 more than one in three (36.9%) young people inthe Borough is either overweight or obesev.


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Sports participation - rates

Sport England’s Active People Survey indicates that, of West Lancashire’s residents:

1 in 3 (32.5%) adults take part in at least 1 x 30 minutes moderate intensity sport perweek; this is below national (35.7%) and regional (35.8%) averages.1 in 5 (19.1%) are members of a sports club; this is also lower than national (21.5%)and regional (21.4%) averages.1 in 16 (6.1%) takes part in competitive sport at least once a year – this is half thenational (12.6%) and regional (11.6%) averages.

Population segmentation

Knowing which segments of the population are the most dominant in any areahelps direct provision and programming, although it is also important not to ignoreother needs. Sport England’s model divides the population into 19 marketsegments and provides an insight into their sporting interests and behaviour. Thisdata helps develop better understanding of participation and specific activities inthe context of life stage. It may also be linked to the projected increase in olderpopulation groups (see earlier).

The three largest groups in West Lancashire are described, by Sport England, as‘settling down males’, ‘comfortable mid-life males’ and ‘early retirement couples’.Others which form a noticeably higher proportion of the Borough’s population,than national equivalents include ‘empty nest career ladies’, ‘comfortable retiredcouples’ and ‘older working women’. Conversely, there are fewer ‘fitness classfriends’, ‘competitive male urbanites’, ‘sport team drinkers’ and supportive singles’.

The fact that the main sports, for almost all segments, are keep fit/gym, swimmingand cycling suggests that demand will be significant for each of these. What canbe discerned is the slightly reduced emphasis in certain areas e.g., marginally lessdemand for football and athletics (or possibly specific types of football andathletics) and slightly more demand for keep fit, swimming and cycling.

Segment, description and its top three sports nationally

Settling Down Males Tim 7,960 WestLancashire

Sporty male professionals (26-45), buying house and settling down with partner.9.33%

7.25% North West

Cycling (21%) Keep fit/gym (20%) Swimming (15%) 8.83% England

Comfortable Mid-Life Males Philip 7,822 WestLancashire

Mid-life professional (46-55), sporty males with older children and more time forthemselves.

9.17%

8.67% North West

Cycling (16%) Keep fit/gym (15%) Swimming (12%) 8.65% England

Early Retirement Couples Roger & Joy 7,102 WestLancashire

Free-time couples nearing the end of their careers (aged 56-65).8.32%

6.49% North West

Keep fit/gym (13%) Swimming (13%) Cycling (8%) 6.77% England


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ASSESSMENT OF FACILITIES

Built sports provision

Sports halls, swimming pools and health and fitness facilities were assessed through theanalysis of need relative to quantity, quality, accessibility and availability. In relation toprivate sector and new/refurbished public sector provision.

Twelve of the Borough’s sports halls are 3+ badminton courts in size. Ten are oneducation sites and have shared use with the public. Although the quality of provision atschools is generally good, access tends to be limited and daytime use is mainly restrictedto pupils/students. Although Sporting Edge (at Edge Hill University) currently has a goodquality four court sports hall and is to open a new eight court hall in 2015, as with othersuch sites, public access will be limited to specific times.

As virtually the whole (95%) of West Lancashire’s population can reach a WestLancashire sports hall within 10 minutes (drive time), technically there is no shortfall inexisting provision meeting current levels of demand. However, pay and play access forthe general public is limited as use at the majority of school/university site programmetime is allocated to their own use or that of clubs and associations with which they haveestablished relationships. Furthermore, the quality of the two venues at which ‘pay andplay’ is available, Burscough Racquets & Fitness Centre and Banks Leisure Centre, ispoor and opening hours at Banks are restricted.

Swimming is popular in West Lancashire and there is strong demand for all water basedactivities including lessons. There is no indication of unmet demand; 88.5% of WestLancashire’s residents are resident within 10 minutes’ drive of a West Lancashire publicor school/ university swimming pool.

There are nine pools within West Lancashire; the two main public facilities are the NyeBevan Pool in Skelmersdale and Park Pool in Ormskirk both of which have main andlearner pools, (four in total). Additional provision at Tarleton Academy allows somecommunity access and the University is developing a replacement six lane, 25m pool(scheduled to open in 2015). The remaining three pools are located in private health clubsand as such are not deemed to be (economically) available to all residents.

In terms of health and fitness, West Lancashire has 966 fitness ‘stationsvi’ located across13 sites; seven of which are registered members clubs. Leisure Trust fitness facilities arelocated within a 10 minute drive of 91% of residents; if private sector facilities are includedthis accessibility figure rises to 98.4%. Banks Leisure Centre, Burscough Racquet andFitness Centre, Nye Bevan Pool and Park Pool provide a total of c.250 stations. As aconsequence accessibility in the Borough’s three main towns is good. Pay and playaccess is available at the four Leisure Trust managed sites plus Lathom School andSporting Edge (University).

Trust provision, however, tends within the buildings managed, to have been ‘fitted in’ toavailable spaces. It does not reflect modern design or standards and as a result thequality is average. Associated changing room provision is either below average or poor.This is a progressively weakening position when set against a demanding set of privatesector benchmarks leading to progressively higher customer/member expectations.

Access to built sports provision in neighbouring authorities has not been assessed as partof the background research.


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Playing pitches

This audit of 167 pitches and outdoor sports facilities within West Lancashire provides thefoundation for the Borough’s Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) and is in keeping with theguidelines laid out by Sport England. Within West Lancashire it covers:

87 grass football pitches.13 grass cricket pitches.9 senior rugby union pitches.2 hockey pitches.22 artificial grass pitches.

25 bowling greens.2 rugby league pitches.5 golf courses.4 archery ranges.facilities for Gaelic and American football.

Each pitch was assessed to evaluate the quality of its playing surface and its carryingcapacity; how many games it can accommodate before potential overuse. Face to faceconsultation with key clubs and an on-line survey of all other clubs gave users theopportunity to be directly involved in the process and the accessibility of facilities wasassessed as part of a facilities mapping exercise. Current and future levels of demandwere calculated based on a combination of age specific population projections and teamformation rates for each of the sports/activities in order to determine under/over provisionof facilities.

Examples of the key findings for each of the main sports covered by the assessment areshown below (see main report for full audit).

Football – grass pitches

Just over 90% of grass pitches are available, at some level, for community use. Half ofthese are of good quality and a further third are considered to be standard. One in six(17%) is of poor quality. Around 160 teams play on the grass pitches and calculationssuggest there is currently a theoretical unmet demand for two teams (one Mini 5v5, oneYouth 11v11).

35 teams travel out of the area to play mini and youth level football in the HightownLeague (Sefton), this is largely due to the central venue basis on which it operates. This,to an extent, reduces demand for pitches within West Lancashire. Conversely, sparecapacity within the Borough totals 40.5 matches, 35 of which are on adult pitches. Fivesites are overplayed, most on school pitches.

There is a shortfall of provision to cater for current and future demand on youth 11v11and mini 5v5 pitches and youth 9v9 format when developed further is expected to besimilarly underprovided for.

Cricket

There are 13 grass cricket pitches accommodating 63 teams at senior, junior anduniversity levels. All are available for club/community use and three are rated as good, 10standard and two of poor quality. Five are overplayed, while the others have sparecapacity, although only four of these are available at peak times and not all of the pitcheswith spare capacity would be considered suitable for higher level Saturday leagues. Twopitches at Abbey Lane Playing Fields are temporarily unavailable.


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Rugby Union

Nine senior rugby union pitches are located across eight sites and seven pitches areavailable for community use. Only one of two mini pitches is available for community use.The majority of senior pitches are located at education sites with four at club sites. Sixpitches are assessed as poor quality, three are standard quality and one is good.

Edge Hill University fields three teams which play midweek fixtures. There is sparecapacity at Ormskirk School and Sporting Edge at the weekend, yet there is overplay atOrmskirk RUFC and Up Holland High School. Although in total there is minimal net-overplay there are insufficient pitches to fully service current and future demand. OrmskirkRugby Union Football Club has a vibrant junior section with over 400 participants, thissection is expanding and demand at this site is steadily outgrowing the local provision.Ormskirk RUFC currently utilise space at Coronation Park, Churchfields for junior trainingsessions.

Hockey

Two artificial grass pitches (AGPs) in the Authority area are suitable for competitivehockey and have sand filled surfaces. There is one community hockey club and Edge HillUniversity fields three senior teams which play in midweek BUCS leagues.

Ormskirk School’s pitch is of standard quality while the facility at Sporting Edge has beenassessed as good and has FIHvii certification. Each has spare capacity at different pointsin the week and the Borough is adequately provided for with regards to AGPs suitable forhockey to meet current and projected future levels of demand.

Artificial grass pitches

There are 22 Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs) in West Lancashire, 18 are 3G surfaces andfour are sand based. One is compliant with the World Rugby 22 standard and one is FIHcertified; both located at Sporting Edge. West Lancashire College has aspirations tocreate a full size, floodlit 3G on site that is also available for community use. It is in talkswith Lancashire FA to explore funding and planning opportunities for this development.

Availability of pitches during the peak period is generally good and where they are oneducation sites pitches are usually available after school and at weekends. All full size 3Gpitches operate at capacity for midweek football training but most have spare capacity formatches at weekends.

Two of the pitches are good and the remainder are of a standard quality. The carpet of anAGP usually lasts for around 10 years and none require imminent replacement; mosthave more than five years lifespan remaining.

The FA estimates that one full size AGP can service 60 teams; on this basis and giventhe current number of teams playing competitive football (171) the Borough is deemed toneed three full size 3G pitches to cater for current football demand; it actually has four.The more detailed assessment of demand included in the PPS assessment report, whichtakes account of the geography of West Lancashire, calculates that, taking geographyinto account, the appropriate number for the Borough is four pitches.

Half of the football clubs which responded to the consultation exercise expressed ademand for additional training facilities and a third specified 3G pitches as a requirement.


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In summary, supply and demand analysis (including FPM findings) indicates that WestLancashire is currently well served for hockey but that 3G pitches are at capacity forfootball training.

Bowls

The 25 bowling greens in West Lancashire are located across 23 sites. Ownership isroughly split with a third being located at clubs, a third at pubs and a third owned byparish councils or WLBC. The number of greens in West Lancashire has decreased inrecent years. They have been lost at Comrades Club, Hare & Hounds, Bull & Dog, StAnne’s Parish Centre, Royal Oak, Becconsall Arms and Rigby Arms.

The distribution of bowling greens is not even throughout the Borough and theSkelmersdale & Up Holland area has only two while 11 are located in the Northern areaand 12 in the Ormskirk, Aughton & Western area.

While the quality of greens in West Lancashire is good, there is a general perception thatprivately/club owned and maintained greens are of a better standard than those at pubs.The audit suggested that four greens showed evidence of overplay.

Membership levels at the majority of the 30 clubs using bowling greens in WestLancashire have either remained static or decreased in the last three years. Although themajority expect to increase numbers in the future, none have stated that they would havemore teams if there were more greens.

There are plans to develop two new greens beside Ormskirk Cricket Club, one crowngreen and one artificial. A green at the Windmill Inn is under threat as the site may besold for development.

In overall terms, West Lancashire is well served for bowling greens at present, althoughclosure of greens at pub sites is a key issue and any potential future closures would leadto increased pressure on Council greens and/or loss of teams.

Archery

The four clubs in West Lancashire shoot at a combination of education and rural farmingsites, both outdoor and indoor. They have a total of around 165 members with clubsranging in size from 10 to 82. Club shooting tends to take place twice per week at eachclub although it is not uncommon for those with indoor facilities and key-holder privilegesto allow members to shoot more frequently. The clubs charge varying membership fees,provide a mix of junior, senior and family memberships and all provide learner and tastersessions at different points in the year.

The club use for archery at Council facilities is located at Abbey Lane; this site isparticularly suitable for the sport, its size and location ensures that club members canhave uninterrupted use during club sessions in a safe location. It is also used eachAugust for an archery Clout Tournament event which includes the Lancashire ArcheryAssociation (LAA) Championship and Open (Tassel) event.

Rugby League

Despite the Borough’s proximity to Wigan and St Helens, there is limited demand in theBorough for rugby league. Although there are two senior pitches, there is only one cluband this plays at the University. The pitch at Sporting Edge is dual use (with football) and


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is of good quality while the other, used for training purposes by a Wigan based team andfor junior matches, has drainage problems and is overused.

Gaelic football and American football

There are student clubs at Edge Hill University for both Gaelic and American Football.Participation is currently focused on coaching, skill development and social play ratherthan competition, although a number of Universities play matches on grass rugby pitches.The Gaelic Football club currently plays on the water based AGP and the AmericanFootball club plays on one of the small sided AGPs at Sporting Edge. The provision atSporting Edge has recently been extended and provides additional facilities for bothfootball and rugby freeing up space for additional hours of use for both Gaelic andAmerican Football. Provision at Blaguegate AGP in Skelmersdale has been used fortraining purposes for American Football, with options for development for further trainingand social play.

Golf

There are five golf clubs in West Lancashire; with the exception of Beacon Park they areall privately owned. Sport England recommends a 20 minutes drive time catchment forgolf courses, on this basis the current supply in West Lancashire is sufficient forresidents. The Borough is also bordered by several top class courses. West LancashireCommunity Leisure has recently closed its driving range at Beacon Park due to a lack ofdemand/income but has plans to develop the leisure offer at the site and these include anew 9 hole par 3 course and junior facilities.

The golf course at Beacon Park is available for members and non members offering payand play rates, together with competitions and club tournament events. The Course is toa Donald Steel layout and provides good competition play with enough character andfeatures for a variety of playing ability. The inclusion of a new 9 hole par 3 course willprovide additional facilities for both senior and junior development of the game.

Play provision

There are 91 play facility sites in West Lancashire, nearly all of which are rated as beingof high value. They are evenly and adequately distributed. Council owned sites areconcentrated in the urban areas of Skelmersdale, Ormskirk and Burscough. Parishcouncil owned provision, as might be expected, tends to serve the more rural areas. Mostprovision is identified as either LAPs (40%) or LEAPs (37%) - classified as follows.

LAP - local area for play: small landscaped areas designed for young children.Equipment on such sites is specific to age group in order to reduce unintended users.LEAP - local equipped area for play: designed for unsupervised play and a broaderage range of users; often containing a wider range of equipment types.

Other forms of provision such as youth/casual facilities, providing for young people, areless well catered for although some LEAP sites also provide supplementary forms of playequipment (e.g., youth shelters, skate-parks, multi-use games areas, outdoor basketballcourts or outdoor gyms) that cater for older age groups. Provision for youth is generallyonly available at sites located in the three larger settlements of Skelmersdale, Ormskirkand Burscough. There are minor catchment gaps in provision to the north of AppleyBridge and, for older age ranges, between the Aughton Park and Ormskirk areas.


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Larger play sites with a greater range and diversity of equipment have stronger appealand attract a broader mix of users who are willing to travel further to access such sites.Consequently, diverse equipment on key sites is an essential component of a playstrategy.

Developer contributions are likely to be the main source when providing any new forms ofplay sites or equipment in West Lancashire. The assessment report, which accompaniesthis strategy, provides a basis for negotiation with developers to secure contributions forthe provision of appropriate facilities and their long term maintenance.

The Council’s supplementary planning document (SPD): Provision of Public Open Spacein New Residential Developments sets out requirements for developer contributions inrelation to play provision. This should take the form of off-site developer contributions, fora significant number of developments, in order to up-grade and supplement existing playfacilities in the nearby vicinity. Additional on-site provision may be needed in locationswhere the nearest existing play area is deemed to be too far away. This should help tosecure a balance of provision by preventing the creation of too many sites classified asLAPs and promoting the development of LEAPs through which fewer, bigger, better formsof play areas focus on equipment aimed at young people in the older age ranges.

Arts Service and Community Centre

The Borough gallery and arts programmes are delivered by staff based at the ChapelGallery, Ormskirk which was opened in 2001 together with the existing OrmskirkCommunity Centre. Part of the rationale for the Council’s investment is regeneration andits role in helping to provide facilities and arts focused events aimed at attracting visitorsto the town centre; in 2013 the Gallery attracted c.39,000 visitors to events and activityprogrammes. The arts team delivers a development and education service; at present thisincludes workshops on-site, an artists in schools programme and a weekend arts club.

A second floor gallery would increase programming flexibility markedly and a funding bidis currently being prepared to provide this and to improve disabled access.

The entrance to the gallery and community centre is offset behind the former chapelbuilding; access to the second floor is restricted. The layout and design of the facility isnot easy to navigate however the facilities have been modernised internally and thecontemporary feel of the exhibition space, shop and café are a unique feature of thefacility.

Regular clientele visit the gallery either for events or to visit the café and purchasebespoke art work and items from the shop. Internal surveys indicate a high satisfactionrate for visitors and events.

Results from the Citizens Survey in 2010 indicated that the gallery has a high level ofrepeat visits.

Countryside Sites, Parks, Green Spaces and Allotments

Countryside sites, parks and green spaces provide venues for activities such as walking,cycling and running and are highly regarded by local residents.

The Ranger Service provides patrol, health & safety, events & site management,education and conservation initiatives for ten countryside sites and three urban parks. Itsmain office is at Beacon Country Park, the largest of West Lancashire’s countryside


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recreation sites.. Coronation Park also has a dedicated ranger resource and a communitybase.

The ten countryside sites managed by the Council are:-Beacon Country ParkTawd Valley Park.Fairy Glen.Hunters HillPlatts Lane Lake.

Ruff Wood.Dean Wood.Chequer Lane Lake.Abbey Lakes.Cheshire Lines TPT.

The three formal urban parks are:-Coronation Park Ormskirk,Stanley Coronation Park SkelmersdaleRichmond Park Burscough.

Beacon Country ParkWith average estimated visitor numbers of 130,000 per annum Beacon County Park is thelargest of countryside sites overlooking Skelmersdale and incorporating Beacon Park golfcourse. Beacon Country Park and Coronation Park Ormskirk have both achieved andretained a green flag award for several years.The Country Park hosts the annual Green Fayre held at the end of July which attractsover 10,000 visitors to the two day event, the fayre is a celebration of the countryside andcountryside life and is part of a full annual programme of events and activities.

The site has a number of accessible footpaths, disabled parking and off road motorisedwheelchairs available.

Tawd ValleyFollowing the course of the River Tawd the valley of open grass land and establishedwood runs through the heart of Skelmersdale, new developments to include cycle wayand improve footpaths through the Tawd valley will improve access from and to the towncentre with particular links to West Lancashire College, two secondary school sites andresidential properties bordering the area.

Fairy GlenThe secluded area of the Glen provides an ideal home for a variety of wildlife. Designatedas a biological heritage site for its ancient woodland of oak, birch, ash and elder. Popularwith local residents, school groups and ecologists. A steam and waterfall provide asheltered area for wetland plants and flowers.

Hunters HillHunters Hill is the newest of the Councils countryside sites, opened in 2007. The formerquarry was reclaimed and transformed into an area of woodland, shrubs and rock facesby creating new footpaths, wheelchair access, seating and picnic areas.

Platts Lane LakeLocated to the south of Burscough Platts Lane Lake provides an area of woodland, wetmeadow and reed-beds surrounding a fishing lake. An important wildlife habitat providingfacilities for amphibians, water beetles and dragonflies.

Ruff WoodRuff wood has access points around the site and provides an ideal area for walkers andgroups looking for secret features hidden in the woods, a number of sculptures feature inthe woodland area. Popular area for locals and schools. Located near to Edge Hill


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University and used by students for ecology studies and as a backdrop to media and artsstudents using the woodland for filming.

Dean WoodThis is an ancient semi-natural woodland which follows the course of the River DeanBrook between Up Holland and the River Douglas at Gathurst

Chequer Lane LakeThe fishing lake is open all year and provides fishing platforms around the lake, picnicand seating areas are provided and a new play area is due to open late 2015

Abbey LakesAbbey Lakes provides facilities for course angling fishing and is leased to a local fishingclub. The surrounding area provides a woodland screen around the site and encouragesa number of wetland birds to congregate on the lake.

Cheshire Lines Trans-Pennine TrailThe Cheshire Lines path forms part of the 146 mile Trans-Pennine trail. The six mile linkthrough West Lancashire provides a route for walkers and cyclists between Southport andMaghull. The path is used by walkers and cyclists along a secure route free from roadtraffic and predominantly bordered by trees and fields.

The three formal Urban Parks managed by the Council are:-

Coronation Park, OrmskirkThe Council’s main urban park consists of 20 acres of mixed parkland in the centre ofOrmskirk. The formal part of the park includes bandstand, landscaping and beddingdisplays, bowling green, and war memorial. Three children’s play areas cover the agerange from toddlers to teenagers, and include multi use games area and a skate park.More informal attractions include a duck pond, wildflower area, outdoor fitness equipmentand open grassland areas for picnics and games. All of these attractions are linked by anextensive network of accessible paths and a cycleway.

The Council’s urban park ranger is based at this site, and organises a wide rangingprogramme of public events throughout the year, as well as supporting a Friends group tohelp manage the park.

Richmond Park, BurscoughBurscough’s main urban park consists of 6.2 acres of open grassland, a picnic area, abowling green, play areas and a multi use games area. Changing rooms and acommunity building are used by the local football club, and outdoor fitness equipment isavailable for those looking to get fit. A Friends group work with the park ranger toorganise events and contribute to the development of the park

Stanley Coronation Park, SkelmersdaleA 2.2 acre green recreation site in the centre of Old Skelmersdale comprised of a playarea and multi use games area, a bowling green and a community pavilion, picnic areasand open grassed area, and outdoor fitness equipment.

Green Spaces

The Council also manages a wide range of other green spaces including informalgrassland and woodland areas. Input to the green spaces is generally limited to groundsmaintenance functions, although, when funding is available, development schemes are


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implemented. Recent schemes include improvements at Westhead Playing Field,Nursery Avenue, Ormskirk, and St Helens Road Park, Ormskirk.

Allotments

The Council has a responsibility for the provision of allotments in the un-parished areas ofthe Borough. Our allotment provision involves 6 allotment sites providing a total of 96individual plots which are:-

Houghtons Road, Skelmersdale 26 plotsLiverpool Road, Skelmersdale 19 plotsTower Hill, Ormskirk 16 plotsClucas Gardens, Ormskirk 11 plotsOwen Avenue, Ormskirk 11 plotsRichmond Avenue, Burscough 14 plots

All of our sites have some level of devolved management to allotment societies with theexception of Clucas Gardens which is directly managed by the Council. Other allotmentsites are available around the Borough managed generally by Parish Councils. Allallotment sites are fully occupied with waiting lists indicating a significant demand,especially in Skelmersdale where the current list exceeds 50.

Cycling Provision

There are approximately 25km of designated cycle routes in the Borough, 22 km of whichare off road. The Cheshire Lines Path is a section of the Trans Pennine Trail, and theLancashire Cycle Way is an on road leisure route meandering around quiet lanes in theBorough. Cycling is also permitted on the Leeds and Liverpool canal towpath whichcrosses the Borough.

Ormskirk and Skelmersdale have cycle networks although links to and between towns inthe Borough is limited. The bridle path network in the Borough is limited with only a smallnumber of designated bridleways, but some short sections of bridle/cycle paths havebeen developed on parks and green space sites including Beacon Country Park,Coronation Park and Hunters Hill.

Cyclo cross racing is catered for at Beacon Country Park and a mountain bike course hasbeen developed at Bickerstaffe Jubilee Quarry.

Cycle parking is provided at most leisure buildings and a recent cycle hire service hasbeen promoted with hire facilities available at Edge Hill College, Ormskirk Bus Station, 2caravan parks, Burscough Wharf, and the Ship Public House in Lathom.


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Sport and Physical Activity

Physical inactivity is a significant, independent risk factor for a range of long-term healthconditions affecting society today. An active, healthy lifestyle can be shown to haveassociations with positive outcomes and costs individually, socially and for the widereconomy (see figures 4 and 5)

Figure 4: Physical inactivity cycle and typical characteristics.

Figure 5: Physical activity cycle and typical characteristics.

The Councils ‘GP Referral Scheme’ supports the delivery of better health and wellbeingfor the West Lancashire adult population. The service seeks to improve health outcomesand reduce health inequalities. This is achieved by the co-ordinated delivery of lifestyle


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programmes including exercise/physical activity, and weight management and walkingscheme.

Exercise Referral Service:

The ‘gym based’, group exercise scheme runs over a 12 week period offeringassessment, a tailored exercise programme, monitoring/follow-up and reassessment.Referrals have a variety of health conditions and partners continue to refer cardiac andcancer rehab patients.

Weight Management programme:

Working with partners, the ‘Food for Thought’ scheme is a seven week programmedesigned for overweight clients with BMI’s over 25 to help change eating habits througheducation, activity and behaviour change techniques. The key outcome measure for theweight management interventions is a reduction in excess body weight ( BMI).

Walking Scheme:

The ‘Health Walks’ provide and encourage participation to promote independent walking.Considering adult obesity rates in West Lancashire are below both national and regionalaverages (2015) - the scheme forms an integral part of the physical activity and healthyweight pathway. A variety of weekly walks across the Borough are led by the CouncilsGP Referral Officers. Walks are ‘open to all’ and partners regularly refer patients from ageconcern, mental health, cardiac rehab etc.

Transferred assets (Community Centres)

As part of the Council’s Business Plan 2011-15, six community hubs and enterprisecentres which provide opportunities, primarily for young people and the elderly, weretransferred to the community. Artz for All at the former Birch Green Community ResourceCentre (CRC) provides a high quality performance studio that is extensively used byyoung people for performance art classes and programmes while the Ashurst Centre hasa dedicated matted facility for Taekwondo.

Ormskirk Civic Hall which holds tea dances, shows by comedians, music gigs and boxingnights was transferred to the Engine Rooms which have plans to invest in the venue thatis ‘tired and dated’.

Three community centres (CRC’s), Digmoor, Tanhouse and The Greenhill have all beentransferred to community organisations which developed from the former voluntarymanagement committees or former volunteer committee members.

All of the above have indicated a successful transition to community ownership withincreased community engagement, and a wider utilisation by individuals and communitygroups.

The transfer of management to third sector organisations and community groups needs tobe considered as one option for the delivery of other leisure and community services.


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KEY MESSAGES

Population Profile Increasingly ageing population with predicted growth areas in gym, cycling and

swimming and less demand for football and athletics

In relation to health deprivation the Borough is slightly below average withparticular concentrations of health deprivation in Skelmersdale, Banks and parts ofOrmskirk

High proportion of young people who are overweight or obese.

Built Sports Provision Ageing Council sport and leisure provision tends to be in outdated buildings that

do not reflect contemporary standards or expectations.

Strong and developing private sector, University and West Lancashire Collegeprovision

No theoretical shortfall in existing provision

Public access to school based facilities tends to be limited during daytime hours

Playing Pitches Good overall provision that is eased by 35 teams from West Lancashire, at mini

and youth level, playing in leagues outside of West Lancashire – this reflects ashortfall of provision for the under 16 age groups.

Conversely there are some areas of overprovision e.g. adult pitches inSkelmersdale, some areas of latent demand e.g. junior football (Burscough), juniorrugby union (Ormskirk) and cricket.

Access to artificial grass pitches at school sites is good outside normal schoolhours

Play Provision Even and adequate distribution of sites, majority of a good standard some smaller

sites require rationalisation

Arts Service and Community Centre Niche facility with relatively low visitor numbers, with possible scope for further

expansion.

Countryside Sites, Parks Green Spaces and Allotments Strong and popular aspect of the Council’s Leisure and Culture offer with

investment over recent years

Generous provision in the current climate

Cycling Provision Limited provision of leisure routes


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Lack of connectivity between centres of population

Rural nature of Borough provides good potential for leisure cycling

Sport and Physical Activity Need for co-ordinated programme to increase physical activity in young people

Good adult GP Referral Scheme delivered despite financial limitations

Restricted staffing/operating times limits GP Referral Scheme

KEY AIMS FOR 2015-25 SUBJECT TO RESOURCE AVAILABILITY

The challenging financial position facing the Council in future years means thatopportunities for income generation, efficiency and reshaping of services will have to beconsidered to balance the budget. Within this context the following are the Council’s keyaspirational aims for leisure and cultural services:

Built Sports Provision Address and rationalise present stock of ageing built sports provision to provide

facilities which meet contemporary standards. This must be based on anaffordable model of delivery that reflects the Council’s financial position while alsoproviding sustainable gym/swimming provision to service anticipated needs

Playing Pitches Address relative over and under provision of playing pitches in different parts of

the Borough and for different age groups and assess maintenance regimes toensure good quality provision

Play Provision In relation to play provision continue to pursue “fewer, bigger and better” using

Section 106/CIL monies, prioritising lower quality yet high value sites, andrationalising lower value sites

Arts Service and Community Centre Move the Arts Service and Community Centre to a more commercial footing or

reshape the service in the current climate

Countryside Sites, Parks, Green Spaces and Allotments Maximise external funding, use of devolved management, income

generation/sponsorship and the use of volunteers and volunteer organisations inrelation to the Council’s countryside sites, formal parks and green spaces

Cycling Provision Continue to develop cycling provision in the forms of routes, tracks and trails and

also as part of West Lancashire’s transportation delivery and partnerships

Sport and Physical Activity Work with partners to develop and expand the GP Referral Scheme and develop

sports activities for young people and increase participation in physical activity aslinked key elements of education, health and leisure strategies


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KEY ACTIONS Timetable

Aim Action EstimatedTimescale

Partners (Lead)

Built Sports Provision Establish a Project Team led by the Head of Leisure and Cultural Services withrepresentatives from Finance and Legal, supported by the Procurement Executivewith an external Specialist Adviser to undertake the procurement of a newpartnership arrangement from 1 April 2020 which would include significant capitalinvestment for the built sports provision as outlined in (a) to (d) below, includingoptions for securing capital investment.

(a) Skelmersdale

In the context of the Partnership Agreement with HCA and St Modwens and thefinances available, minimising revenue cost wherever possible, development ofa new sports centre in Skelmersdale replacing Nye Bevan pool.

(b) OrmskirkIn the context of the impact of the new Sporting Edge facilities and the financesavailable, potentially replace Park Pool in the future, or consider closure.

(c) Burscough

In the context of the finances available and market appetite potentially updateand refurbish and enhance as appropriate the sports facilities at BurscoughRacquets and Fitness Centre in order to secure its medium term future.Depending on the impact of the new sporting edge facilities, consider the optionof enhancing the facilities at Burscough if Park Pool closure is considered.

2016-2020 WLBC, Private Sector,Health partners, ParishCouncils, Sport England,National Governing Bodies(NGB’s).


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(d) Banks

In the context of the finance available and market appetite potentially update andrefurbish and enhance as appropriate the sports facilities at Banks SportsCentre in order to secure its medium term future or consider closure.

Playing Pitches Address under provision of football pitches at youth and junior levelContinue to pursue partnership arrangement for the management of juniorfootball pitches and facilities at Abbey Lane.Investigate the conversion of some adult pitches to junior/youth provision,particularly at Blaguegate, SkelmersdaleContact local clubs to seek to develop a partnership arrangement for themanagement of Chequer Lane Playing Fields

Address quality issues on playing pitchesInvestigate all leased playing pitches to ensure quality management ofprovisionReview maintenance regimes to continue to ensure good quality provision atBlaguegate and Liverpool Road, SkelmersdaleLiaise with clubs to investigate devolved maintenance responsibilities onplaying pitchesSubmit appropriate bids to Sport England etc for funding

2015-2018

2015-2018

WLBC, Junior and seniorleagues, FootballFoundation, Sport England,NGBs , Parish Councils

Play Provision In the context of the policy and the finances available, continue to identify,protect and enhance sites which help to serve analysis areas identified ashaving catchment gaps, working closely with other play site providers such asparish councils to ensure that areas lacking in certain types of provision aretargeted.

2015-2020 WLBC, Parish Councils,private sector developersand grant funding.


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In the context of the policy and the finances available, continue to identify andacknowledge areas with provision surpluses and consider how sites in theseareas might be adapted to meet other identified open space or youth provisionneed, failing which consider whether to declare any sites 'surplus to requirement’in the event that it is not possible to improve or change their use and where theyrepresent low play value and/or low play quality and play value.Secure appropriate levels of flexible developer contributions so that investmentcan be made in the right sites at the right levels to ensure that overall provisionacross the Authority is of high quality and value.

2016

2015-2025

Arts Service Provide enhancements and an external lift at the front of the building to facilitatecommercial opportunities/awareness and street presence for the gallery.In the context of the finances available, produce a commercial development planwhich includes the scope to rent studio/ work/display space to artists andconsider options for reshaping the service in the longer term.

2015-2016

2016-2020

WLBC, Arts Council andArts North West, Edge HillUniversity, West LancashireCollege, LCC, OrmskirkBusiness Forum,Commercial artists andpartner organisations.

Countryside Sites,Parks, GreenSpaces andAllotments

In the context of the finances available explore the scope for reshaping theRanger service including the role of volunteersEngage with local users to develop and provide volunteer support for TawdValley ParkDevelop the role of volunteer groups in the management of the Council’s facilitiesProvide information packs and invitations to colleges and commercialorganisations on the opportunities for engagement for students and staff onsupporting local parks and green spaces.

Examine company sponsorship opportunities as a form of social responsibility andlocal commitment to assist conservation and support site management schemes

Utilise S106/CIL funding to continue the development and improvement of theCouncil’s parks and open spaces

Deliver 2 new allotment sites in Skelmersdale.

2015-2018

2015-2018

2015-20252015-2016

2015-2016

2015-2018

2015-2016

WLBC, Schools, CollegesEdge Hill University, ThirdSector, Private sectorbusinesses.

West Lancashire AllotmentFederation, CommunityFood Growing Initiative,Allotment Societies


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Cycling ProvisionSupport the development of linear parks/cycle routes linking areas of settlementswithin the Borough including:-

Ormskirk to SkelmersdaleOrmskirk to BurscoughDouglas Linear ParkBanks Linear Park

Support and develop further recreational routes including:-Tawd Valley CyclewayWest Lancs WheelTrans Pennine Trail

Support cycling as an activity through:-Continued provision of cycle parking facilities, subject to resource availabilityPromotion of cycle hire schemesProduction of cycling publicity material

2015-2025

2015-2025

2015-2025

WLBC, LCC, LancashireSport Partnership,Marketing Lancashire.

Sport and PhysicalActivity

Work with partners to reduce obesity levels at year 6, working with schools,Schools Sports Partnership and Sport and Physical Activity Alliance (SPAA) toimprove access for children to clubs and physical activity programmes.

Support the expansion of the GP Referral Scheme by

Engaging with external partners to address the wider range of healthinequalities across West LancashireSeeking grants/funding streams to enable more staff to be recruitedExtending operating hours to include ”peak time” deliveryDeveloping a “cycling scheme” in conjunction with British Cycling LocalRecreation Programme

2015-2025

2015-2018

WLBC, Health partners,LCC YPS, West LancashireCommunity Leisure Trust.Lancashire SportPartnership, ParishCouncils. SPAA, NGB’s,


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Timetable review Review of actions and review/set new targets 2018 Cabinet / Council


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i Be Active, Be Healthyii Source: ONS 2012 Mid Year Estimateiii The middle figure in a range of dataiv In national terms each band represents c.10% of England’s population.v National Child Measurement Programme – Public Health Englandvi Spaces for and items of fitness equipmentvii International Hockey Federation

DRAFT LEISURE STRATEGY 2015 - 2025 · DRAFT LEISURE STRATEGY 2015 - 2025 7 period, up to 2025....

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