Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to consider proposals to adopt a sport and physical activity strategy that will provide a strategic framework to support improvements in the level of participation in sport and physical activity in the Borough

The Cabinet received a report from the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport presenting the draft sport and physical activity strategy for the Borough entitled ‘Sporting Barking and Dagenham’. 

The Divisional Director of Culture and Sport explained that the primary purpose of the strategy was to get “more people, more active, more often” and he referred to the impact of the new Becontree Heath Leisure Centre which, in the last year, had encouraged 3,000 more adults to use the Borough’s gyms and 1,000 more children to use its swimming pools.  The Divisional Director outlined the main goals within the strategy and advised that the improvement action plan which formed part of the strategy would be reviewed annually to reflect changing needs and national and regional priorities. 

In respect of the national position, the Divisional Director confirmed that Sport England had very recently published its new national sport strategy which indicated a significantly new approach to its priorities and funding support arrangements.  With this in mind, the Divisional Director suggested that the Borough’s Strategy should be reviewed in the light of the opportunities and implications that arose from the new national strategy prior to its finalisation and publication.

Cabinet agreed:-

  (i)  The current draft strategy ‘Sporting Barking and Dagenham’ and its improvement action plan, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report; and

  (ii)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, to finalise and publish the Borough strategy and improvement action plan once the opportunities and issues presented by the new national strategy for sport had been taken into account.