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Public Sports & Recreation Services
Sport England has welcomed the report, 'Public Sports and Recreation Services’, published by the Audit Commission.
In the report the Audit Commission calls for more assessment of local sporting needs; more partnership working to deliver better-planned and better value for money services; and a greater coherence of funding streams and initiatives from government departments.
Examples of good practice in the management of sports and recreation provision are identified in the report, with case studies demonstrating that a number of different management options can succeed when implemented effectively. Key to this success are clarity of purpose, strong leadership, and strong partnership working where councils review the balance between local need and provision with their community and prospective partners.
Tim Garfield interim Director of Policy and Performance at Sport England said:
'Sport England welcomes this report which sets out clearly the case for early, careful and strategic planning of sports and recreation facilities. Our regional network is committed to working with Local Authority partners and commencing early discussions on design and specification, so that new and refurbished school sport and leisure facilities are fit for purpose and complementary to existing community facilities. Partnerships are crucial if we are to avoid replicating and duplicating other venues, and to ensure a balance of provision in local areas that will lead to the greatest increases in participation.'
One of the case studies used in the report is from Harborough District Council in Leicestershire.
Harborough District Council – an example of effective options appraisal
Harborough District Council provides an example of an authority that has a clear vision for leisure facilities making use of external funding and a private partner to ensure it is delivered in a cost-effective way. After carrying out a thorough needs analysis in the late 1990s the Council identified a deficiency in facilities in the western side of the district. The Council used this information to secure a successful lottery bid for a new all-purpose leisure centre in Lutterworth.
At the same time the Council employed independent consultants to market test, based on the new portfolio of facilities, and secured a new partnership with their existing leisure management contractor. The new agreement included investment of over £850,000 in new and existing leisure facilities, full responsibility for all aspects of maintenance being handed over to the contractor and a comparatively modest management fee.
The outcome is high-quality leisure facilities, significant transfer of risk, some non financial outcomes built into the partnership such as Quest accreditation, leisure card and sports development, at a relatively low cost to the council taxpayer. Participation rates have increased more than 30 per cent mainly due to the new centre.
The roots of this success lie in the Council’s clear ambitious vision, commitment from members and officers and an open approach to procurement.
Source: Audit Commission
Further info about the report and downloads are available on the Audit Commission web site. |
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