Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report describes the work that has been undertaken over the last three years to retrofit and improve the sustainability of the Council’s leisure estate, this contributes to the decarbonisation of Manchester City Council’s operational estate and more generally to the climate change emergency. The report outlines the Carbon Reduction Programme (CRP) that is underway to deliver energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures across the estate.

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which described the work that had been undertaken over the last three years to retrofit and improve the sustainability of the Council’s leisure estate.  This contributed to the decarbonisation of Manchester City Council’s operational estate and more generally to the climate change emergency. The report outlined the Carbon Reduction Programme (CRP) that was underway to deliver energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures across the estate.

The main points and themes within the report included:

• Current emissions;
• Carbon Reduction Programme;
• Leisure operator measures;
• Impact of carbon reduction measures; and
• Next steps.

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

• To welcome the progress being made and that these achievements should be promoted;
• Improving the sustainability of 3G pitches through using cork infill instead of rubber crumb; and
• The impact of people travelling to leisure facilities.

A Member reported that at the Committee’s July 2021 meeting, the Committee had asked officers to look into how leisure centre users could be discouraged from using single-use plastic bottles as well as the use of paper towels to wipe down equipment between users and he asked what progress had been made.  The Head of Parks, Leisure, Events and Youth informed Members that these issues had been raised with the leisure operators, who had been asked to focus on addressing these issues.  He advised that progress was being monitored on a quarterly basis on the use of consumable items in leisure centres and he suggested that the Committee receive a report on recycling in 12 months’ time.  In response to the question about playing pitches, he advised that Manchester was leading the way in experimenting with the use of cork infill instead of rubber crumb on the pitches that were planned for Hough End but that at this stage the longevity of and the maintenance required for this type of pitch was not known.  He agreed that it was important to look at sustainable solutions for pitches and advised that, if cork infill proved to be a reasonable solution, the Council would look at using it elsewhere within the city.  He informed Members that the Council’s Leisure Strategy set out an aim that all residents should live within 20 minutes’ public transport or walk time of a leisure facility and that decisions on the location of new leisure facilities had been made on this basis, supporting the shift towards more people using public transport instead of cars.  He advised that the Leisure Strategy was being refreshed, taking into account the Council’s declaration of the Climate Emergency.  The Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee advised that the leisure operators should promote the use of public transport or active travel to access their facilities and that work should also take place with Transport for Greater Manchester on this.

The Executive Member for the Environment supported Members’ comments about promoting the achievements made in improving the sustainability of the leisure estate.  She also agreed that, as public buildings regularly visited by many Manchester residents, leisure centres should be used to encourage, inform and support residents in behaviour change.

Decision

To note the report.