Issue - meetings

The Board received a report on the Council’s Sport and Recreation Service covering the 2019-20 financial year and from March 2020 to December 2020, ‘Covid year’.

            It was reported that it had been an extremely difficult time for the service, the staff, regular customers, and being unable to engage with residents.  The service worked actively with partner organisations such as Halton Sports Partnership, in order to facilitate development through a better understanding of the issues and a sharing of resources to achieve success.  It was highlighted that without the contribution from staff and partners, much of the work outlined in the report would not have been possible. 

It was recognised that sports and recreational activities were an essential component in supporting and developing the infrastructure of the community to improve the quality of life both physically and mentally.

The Sports and Recreation Team consists of two distinct areas: the Sports Development Team; and management of the Council’s 3 leisure centres – Kingsway Leisure Centre, Brookvale Recreation Centre and Runcorn Swimming Pool.  Members were advised that the Team had undergone a number of changes in 2020 and staffing was currenlty reduced to two full time officers.  The report provided a snap shot of local projects delivered during 2019-20 and gave an insight into the key activities that leisure centres had engaged in since March 2020, when the lockdowns began.

Further to Members queries, the following was noted:

·         Although the numbers of swimmers were consistent (exception Runcorn Swimming Pool), junior gym memberships were low – these were being encouraged but it was recognised that there was work to be done here;

·         The swimming lessons and schools swimming was removed from Runcorn Swimming Pool due to staffing issues but these were transferred to Brookvale and Kingsway;

·         An Aquatics Manager had been recruited to focus on the pools and further encouragement of swimming in the Borough;

·         One Member commented that Runcorn Swimming Pool was at the heart of the community and should be the focus of a swimming strategy; and

·         With regards to the upgrading of facilities in the Borough it was noted that a proposed new Leisure Centre in Widnes had just been granted planning permission and site identification for a new leisure centre in Runcorn had commenced.  There were also other sites identified for improvements as part of the indoor facility strategy.

RESOLVED:  That the report and comments made be noted.