Tendring District Council (TDC) has adopted a new five-year strategy to help boost sport and leisure in the district.
The council’s Cabinet formally adopted the Sport and Activity Strategy for Tendring at a meeting on Friday, 20 September.
It is hoped the new strategy will give increased opportunities for people to become active where they live, with a wider focus on community activity by supporting and facilitating local clubs, organisations and partners across the district.
Subject to funding being identified, key actions include facilitating more sports events and community facilities such as play zones and multi-use games areas and opening up cycling and walking routes.
TDC’s Cabinet said it recognised not all of the actions within the plan could be funded, but an initial sum of £147,000 has been allocated towards delivering the strategy.
Councillor Mick Barry, TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Public Realm, said: “This strategy is a statement of intent and signals a different and radical approach to the provision of sport and leisure facilities across our district, with the ambition to improve health and wellbeing outcomes and the overall quality of life for all our residents.
“At its heart, the strategy maintains the principle of supporting local communities to improve activity levels, whether that is through mainstream or minority sports, incidental activity or simple recreational pursuits that promote fitness and social engagement.
“A key focus is to ensure that all residents feel represented by the strategy and are afforded increased opportunities to become active where they live while ensuring that our leisure provision remains sustainable in the long term.
“This can be achieved by a much wider focus on community activity in all areas of the district, through supporting and facilitating local clubs, organisations and partners to continue and extend their important work.”
The strategy also sets out aspirations to work with health partners in creating a new state-of-the-art Active Wellbeing Centre in Tendring.
This centre, progress of which will be subject to a feasibility study and funding agreements with partners, would include health and leisure facilities together in one place and act as a central hub linked to others across the district.
The strategy also includes a commitment to review the current sport facilities, in light of this development, to put the whole leisure estate on sustainable financial footing.
The decision to adopt the strategy comes following a six-week public consultation.
