Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report provides an update on Manchester Playing Pitch Strategy and Site Action Plan.

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided an update on the Manchester Playing Pitch Strategy and Site Action Plan.

The report noted that delivery of priority projects identified in the Playing Pitch Strategy and Site Action Plan would contribute to achieving the zero-carbon target for the city and that projects would be subject to their individual business case and agreed funding strategy.

The main points and themes within the report included:

• Background and context;
• Governance;
• Study area;
• Site Action Plan update;
• Supply and demand update;
• Short-term action plan; and
• Investment opportunities.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• Concern about playing pitches being lost, for example to new housing developments, and what was the Council doing to address this;
• Concern at the level of response from Ward Councillors to the individual ward plans they had been sent;
• Plans for increased access to outdoor floodlit tennis courts;
• Whether the planned 17 new non-turf cricket pitches would be spread across the city and to question the different pricing for Further Education (FE) Institution-affiliated clubs compared to the price charged to non-FE-affiliated young people;
• Concern that local young people were unable to access playing pitches in their area due to block bookings by clubs;
• How under-represented groups could be supported to access Sport England’s Community Asset Transfer Fund; and
• That some pitches and associated facilities, such as changing rooms, were in a poor condition and that it was important to address this.

The Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisureadvised the Committee that the Strategy was committed to protecting playing pitches and he offered to discuss with the Member his concerns about the future of specific playing pitches in his local area.  The Member requested that the Executive Member arrange a meeting to discuss this, inviting other relevant Ward Councillors and Louise Harding from MCRactive.  Louise Harding outlined the process for dealing with applications to build on land where there was a playing pitch, advising that she would be consulted and would object to the application and that, if the developer wanted to proceed, they would have to submit a mitigation for the loss of the playing field in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

The Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure agreed that it was important for Ward Councillors to engage with this area of work and advised that he would send another reminder to all Members to ask them to provide feedback on the plans for their ward.

Louise Harding advised the Committee that there was demand for outdoor floodlit tennis courts across the city but, at present, the Council was waiting for an investment strategy from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) which it could consider.  She informed Members that the new cricket pitches would be located across the city and offered to provide further details of this and of the pricing structure.  The Chair asked that consideration be given to how young people could be encouraged to use the facilities by removing any bureaucratic obstacles, such as needing to be FE-affiliated to receive a better rate.  The Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure informed Members that a range of discounts and offers, such as free swimming, were available to young people and he offered to provide further information in a future report. 

Louise Harding advised the Committee that her understanding was that Manchester clubs were given priority when booking pitches but that she would speak to the operators about the booking process.  She informed Members that there was capacity to support groups seeking Community Asset Transfers.  The Chair commented that the Committee would be receiving a report on the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Infrastructure Service at its next meeting and advised that he would ask that information on the support available to groups seeking a Community Asset Transfer, and whether this was included in the infrastructure contract, be included in this report.

The Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure agreed that the condition of some pitches needed to be improved and advised that the Strategy included a focus on investing in existing provision which had not received any investment for many years.  In response to a Member’s question, he advised Members that Wythenshawe Park have a 10-year development plan and that plans for how to sustain the Wythenshawe Games could be incorporated into this.

Decision

To note the report.