Issue - meetings

To receive the report of the Place Partnership (Sport England) Manager.

The Place Partnership Manager presented a verbal report (slides attached), making the following points:

• this was a review of the last six to twelve months;
• the Newtown scheme was a flagship active travel infrastructure scheme with construction underway;
• there had been a presentation on the Wonford project given at Extraordinary Council on 24 March and capacity-building was underway with trustees of the community group;
• work on the Green Circle was underway, developing 12 shorter routes for local residents with Wellbeing Exeter and Members’ were called upon to promote this;
• work covering Cranbrook was continuing, working towards a Memorandum of Understanding;
• there had been an increase in inactivity in the lowest socio-economic groups; and
• the team were supporting Cornwall and Swindon as part of the project, who had asked to meet with political leaders as well.

The Chair reminded members that the committee would have a more detailed report with the local evaluation partner  provided at the September meeting.

The Place Partnership Manager responded to Members’ questions in the following terms:

• specialist help would be utilised in co-designing the governance model at Wonford, led by the Live and Move Team and the Head of Service Customers and Communities;
• the aim of the investment in Wonford was to support local residents and work had been done alongside them which demonstrated this commitment. There was a range of national evidence regarding integrating leisure with other services and how this would bring people to the bub who may not visit a leisure centre;
• the September report would include activity in other areas of the city but he was aware of seated exercise being provided with the Shilhay residents Association in the St David’s area;
• he would feedback to ECCT the request to connect with ward members;
• work with those with disabilities was carried out in partnership with Activity Alliance and Sport in Mind;
• infrastructure would be provided using Sport England ‘Active Design’ principles which were inclusive;
• the council did not apply to the GWR Community Fund this year as advised by the Regional Development Manager as they prioritised those who had not applied within twelve months;
• regarding connecting to the Valley Park and the Sustainable Habitat Mitigation Strategy he would liaise with the Chair and Planning colleagues; and
• consultation and engagement had been undertaken with residents in Countess Wear on the opposite side of Bridge Road to King George V Playing Fields but signage was a suggestion which he would take away and ECCT would want to understand the barriers to crossing the road.

Members welcomed the progress made through the programme to date and acknowledged the scale and ambition of the work. It was requested that the report later in the year, include more detailed performance information.