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Outcome 7: Stronger regional and local economy through realising the economic potential of sport

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The East Midlands Development Agency has produced a regional economic strategy, Destination 2010, which comes under the Integrated Regional Strategy (IRS). The strategy has two aims to deliver a competitive region and, at the same time, to make sure that the region has sustainable communities.

Sport features in a range of higher-level plans in the region, for example, the Rural Action Plan, but it is also considered important in subregional and local strategies, for example, the subregional strategic partnership (SSP), business plans and Urban Regeneration Company Business Plans.

Costs to the region of inactivity
Physical inactivity costs England £2 billion a year. This figure includes indirect costs of about 10,000 working days lost and 54,000 lives lost prematurely (about 150 a day). The workplace is an important setting for increased participation as staff and businesses benefit, but only 3% of businesses have a workplace activity plan. (British Heart Foundation, Be Active! Toolkit for a Healthy Workplace)

Regeneration and planning
There is major regeneration throughout the East Midlands, the best example being the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth area. These areas need to become models for sustainable communities achieving benefits from and through sport and recreation. The regional and local development frameworks, the Market Town master plans, the village and parish plans and the Urban Development Plans need to consider sport and recreation.

Leisure, sport and recreation opportunities are regularly identified within Market Town Healthchecks yet few follow-up activities are developed. Sport needs further development within the revised Rural Action Plan.

For case studies go to our Sport Changes Lives page

Strategic aims

To develop, with emda, a plan to achieve the economic development potential of sport, which will support the drive to place the East Midlands in the top 20 in Europe
To develop with emda the potential of a sports cluster based around Loughborough
To promote the workplace as an important setting for sports participation.

Key actions

Make sure that there are opportunities associated with sport tourism
Support the 2012 Olympic Bid and make the most of the opportunities it presents for the East Midlands
Attract and support major sporting events in the East Midlands which benefit the local economy
Make sure that subregional strategic partnerships (SSPs) recognise the value of sport to economic development and work with CSPs
Apply for funding to continue the post of Sport and Economic Development Manager within emda and consider setting up a joint sport and economic development RSB and emda subgroup
Promote the value of and develop initiatives that link volunteering in sport to employee and business growth
Develop a workforce development plan with SkillsActive, LSCs, SE and emda
Make sure sport’s contribution to economic and community regeneration is recognised through SSP, urban development and master plans
Use the land-use planning system frameworks and planning obligations to secure infrastructure for sport and active recreation
Develop and deliver with emda and other regional partners the East Midlands International Connections Initiative and use the region’s world-class sports assets to increase the profile of the East Midlands
Investigate the potential of a regional awards event to recognise progress and achievement in sport on and off the field
Work with Social Enterprise East Midlands (SEEM), emda and Sport England to develop the potential of sporting social enterprises, linked to the recommendations of the recent research carried out
Work to make the sport sector more innovative
Work with the business sector to develop an active workplace programme through this strand of the proposed regional ACT
Look for new ways in which information and communications technology can be used within sport
Make sure that changes in the way sport is delivered can be financially maintained in the long term
Work with emda to identify the opportunities and issues for developing active recreation and sports participation, for example, through the planning process
Place sporting infrastructure at the heart of the South Midlands and Milton Keynes growth area.

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