A Strategy For the Development of Sports Facilities in Northumberland
Background:
Northumberland Sport, the County Sports Partnership (CSP) incorporates numerous statutory and non-statutory organisations working across the County with a common aim of increasing participation in sport.
The Partnership is striving to raise standards in the provision of sports facilities and to enhance access for all communities. When referring to facilities we mean all community sports facilities; leisure centres, playing fields, swimming pools etc (public and private), all school sports facilities and other venues where sport and active recreation can be enjoyed (e.g. cycling routes).
Northumberland Sport Partners (see www.northumberlandsport.co.uk for details), believe the timing is right for the production of a comprehensive strategy for the development of sports facilities. We aim to establish a plan that will inform investment decisions across the County throughout the duration of the reorganisation of the schools structure (from three tier to two tier arrangement) and want to ensure that investment across all facilities is complementary through to 2020. Additionally we aim to ensure that best practice is adopted and that appropriate management models are put in place to deliver the most efficient and effective use of all facilities for school pupils and the wider community.
Finally, we wish to see a strategy for Northumberland interfaced with a regional strategy taking into account known intelligence and developments in this respect and in particular ensuring that the regional office for Sport England as a key player in the development of facilities is integral to this.
Objectives:
• To research and assemble all relevant data and intelligence linked to sports facilities into a coherent and cohesive format. This to include as a minimum, a desktop exercise encapsulating and evaluating key information from;
Ø Active Places Power Data
Ø Active People Survey data
Ø Taking Part Survey Data
Ø Physical Education, School Sports and Club links (PESSCL) Survey Data
Ø Northumberland Time Out Survey Data
Ø Putting the Learner First (PLF) School Partnership Reports (thus far)
Ø LA Plans (including Playing Pitch Strategies)
Ø Sport England Area Profiles data
Ø Proposals and plans relating to Building Schools for the Future (BSF) for Northumberland
Ø Facilities plans/strategies and/or aspirations for the County held by National Governing Bodies of Sport (likely to be major sports only, football, rugby union, cricket, swimming, tennis and athletics).
From this exercise we wish to see a broad outline of where and how facilities are used and in general by which sectors of the community. In essence we are looking for consultants to set out a supply and demand model for Northumberland that highlights the need for investment in existing or new facilities that will evidence where an increase in participation is most likely through the right type of investment.
Consultants must also engage with relevant statutory agencies driving regeneration in the county and in particular planners and housing leads; ensuring that sports facilities are part of the “regeneration mix” in order that opportunities for future investment in sports facilities are clearly understood. As part of this dimension of the strategy, an outline of the likely inter-relationship between PLF, BSF and emerging Partnerships for Schools (PfS) model including potential funding opportunities/challenges is also a pre-requisite.
Key Component Outputs of the Strategy:
The following therefore, sets out the minimum requirements to be addressed and defined within a strategy for Northumberland.
• To determine with key partners and other agencies, their priorities and aspirations for facilities based on the model at Appendix 1 as a minimum trawl of agencies.
• As a consequence of this, to determine the basis of a plan which outlines the need for investment in new, replacement and/or refurbishment of stock; primarily the county’s envisaged requirements for swimming pools, sports halls, gymnasiums/ health and fitness suites and running tracks, but also encompassing playing pitches and other community facilities suitable for some sports/active recreation such as village halls and community centres.
• To articulate the logic behind such a plan including reference to the unique demographic and geographic picture in Northumberland for the rural north and west and the urban south and east.
• In turn to incorporate issues relating to accessibility (transport) equality, (women and girls, people with long term limiting illness, non white community), and social inclusion (disadvantaged neighbourhoods).
• To establish a formal protocol that is acceptable to all partners (schools and community based) to ensure appropriate dialogue and decision making is possible in determining the management of school sports facilities for use by the community beyond the school curriculum and timetable.
• To recommend a model of best practice for management arrangements relating to the above that is likely to be successful in establishing a “single management and business model” for the operation of school sports facilities outside normal school hours and during school holidays.
Funding Available
NB. Northumberland Sport Board has agreed to set aside £5k in order to attract other funding to finance this work. In discussions prior to the meeting with NCC it was generally acknowledged that a good quality/comprehensive strategy including appropriate consultation processes may cost as much as £30k. There are therefore a few questions for us to answer here,
1. Is the sum above still thought to be realistic/an accurate estimate?
2. Where could/will match funding come from to add to the £5k contribution? There is likely to be support from Sport England linked to a regional strategy but we may need contributions from the District Councils and the County Council. This would strengthen “buy-in” from all interested parties with something to gain from the work.
Tendering Process
Consultants are invited to submit tenders etc in line with NCC procedures?
It is understood that as this contract would be let in a sum under £50k that an open tendering process including a EJ posting would not be necessary. However a minimum of three applications from consultants would need to be submitted and formally assessed as a pre-requisite to appointment. Therefore a long list of potential consultants will need to be identified and a panel/assessment process will need to be established to select.
Will need to check NCC procurement procedures but we need to agree whether or not to advise potential consultants up front of the funding pot available?
