To receive any questions, statements or petitions from the public of which members of the public have given notice.  Deadline for notification for this meeting is 5pm on Wednesday 25 November 2015

35.1  Two questions were received from members of the public;

·         Mr B Wills of Quarry Swimming and Fitness Forum; and

·         Mr D Kilby of the Shropshire Playing Field Association. 

35.2  Mr B Wills of the Quarry Swimming and Fitness Forum asked the following questions and the written response was tabled.

35.3  None of the options in the report show an increase in participation, Given that 75% of current users that go to the quarry complex live in and around the town centre. How and would the current users travel to an out of town facility?

Users of an edge of town facility would travel via car, foot, cycle or public transport in the same way that they travel to existing edge of town facilities.

The Council recognises the concerns raised by the Forum and that transport, access, carbon footprint, car parking etc. are key considerations within any future decision. The Council anticipates the need to do further detailed work on these areas

2. What the carbon miles/footprint  impact will be when most people give up cycling and go by vehicular transport and how they balance this against a so called ‘low cost’ solution. Makes ‘going green’ seriously challenged.

As detailed above, the Council recognises the concerns raised by the Forum and that transport, access, carbon footprint, car parking etc. are key considerations within any future decision. The Council anticipates the need to do further detailed work on these areas

3. The new build options do not fulfil the "vision" at a time of austerity? 

The new build options will all deliver the core vision and facility mix proposed within the recent consultation.  In terms of capital costs all of the options are between £9,007m to £12, 808m excepting the refurbishment of the existing pool, which is considerably less expensive.  However, from a revenue perspective the detailed modelling suggests that the largest saving (to the Council) comes from a new build and in particular from the co-location of new provision alongside existing facilities, i.e. at the Shrewsbury Sports Village or the Shrewsbury College.  

4. What has been done around travel planning & congestion modelling?

As has been referenced above the Council recognises the concerns raised by the Forum and that transport, access, carbon footprint, car parking etc. are key considerations within any future decision. The Council anticipates the need to do further detailed work on these areas.

35.4  Mr Wills stated that he would welcome the opportunity to present the Quarry and Swimming and Fitness Forum response document to the Committee at a future meeting.

35.5  Mr D Kilby of the Shropshire Playing Field Association asked the following questions and the written response was tabled.

35.6 The Health and Wellbeing Board are developing wider physical activity strategy of which play will form a key strand within it, could someone provide more detail as to what this will entail and who will be responsible for putting this key play strand in place and then delivering it?

The wider Physical Activity Strategy is essentially pulling all of the key areas of work across the Council under this umbrella of which Play will be one area of it.  The work that is planned to be commissioned in 2016 will inform this particular strand.  In terms of delivery it will involve colleagues from Leisure Services, Outdoor Partnerships and Planning Policy, but will also no doubt involve the wider Town & Parish Councils and in some instances the Voluntary & Community Sector. 

2. Could someone provide me with details where I can access:

a.       the public open space and recreation investment strategy and action plan;

b.       the evidence to demonstrate participation by local parish and town councils has taken place to support this process;

Following the Scrutiny Committee in which this particular topic was discussed in developing a Play Strategy, Officers have since met and have pulled together a brief for a specialist Commissioner to undertake the Investment Strategy and Action Plan for the county. 

It is anticipated that this brief will produce a Public Open Space and Recreational Investment Plan to identify and prioritise projects for inclusion within the 18 Place Plans, and to establish an up to date evidence base for the planned Local Plan Review.  The Strategy will use previous PPG17 data for Shropshire produced by PMP in 2009. 

The Investment Plan will also be informed by Shropshire Council, Local Joint Committees and relevant Town & Parish Councils to ascertain potential opportunities for enhanced and new provision relating to the relevant Place Plans and the use of CIL Funding in their area.

We are also looking to align this piece of work alongside a Playing Pitches Strategy (refresh) for the remaining 12 Place Plans (the first six Place Plans were undertaken in the summer – Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Market Drayton & Oswestry). 

c.        where in this process have robust open space needs assessments been implemented across Shropshire as required by the national planning policy framework and lobbied for by Shropshire Playing Fields Association at the meeting in March?

In accordance with the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework, Shropshire Council is continuing to assemble updated information about the need for public open space across Shropshire as a contribution to the evidence base for the forthcoming review of its Local Plan which will start during 2016. Updated information concerning local need for sports playing pitches for Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch has already provided as part of an update to the Council’s Playing Pitch Action Plan Phase 1 and this information was used to update the relevant ‘Place Plans’ for these areas in May 2015. Phase 2 of this work is expected to start during 2016 and will be supplemented by further work to identify the need for additional play provision.

In the meantime, Shropshire Council has continued to negotiate substantial developer contributions towards play provision from new development schemes, including financial contributions towards play equipment in Market Drayton and Wem and both land and substantial financial contributions towards play provision in Shrewsbury.

35.7  Mr Kilby offered his assistance to Officers for the preparation of the Play Strategy. 

35.8  Mr Kilby expressed concern regarding the Council’s lack of a Play Strategy and needs assessment.  He continued that he had further concerns relating to the Council’s use of CIL funding to implement its Playing Pitch Strategy which concentrated on a limited number of predominantly male orientated sports and did not meet the needs of the wider community.

35.9  The Director for Commissioning responded that CIL funding for the Playing Pitch Strategy was a result of evidenced needs identified in Place Plans which were informed by local communities and Town and Parish Councils.  He continued that the Playing Pitch Strategy would be aligned with the Play Strategy once it was developed.