Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to strengthen its commitment to improving outdoor sports facilities as it approves the latest version of its Playing Pitch Strategy.
The updated strategy will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday 24 June and sets out where sports provision across the city currently meets demand, alongside where improvements are needed.
The council will continue to work closely with national governing bodies, Sport England, local clubs and schools to deliver improvements.
The strategy focuses on making the most of existing facilities, investing in those that need attention, and creating new ones where they are needed.
This work supports the council’s wider aim to improve people’s physical and mental health and help communities connect through sport and physical activity.
Key recommendations include:
- Protecting existing sports facilities
- Improving the quality of facilities, especially those that are overused or in poor condition
- Working with schools and others to open up more spaces for community use
- Helping clubs secure long-term access to the places they play
- Exploring opportunities to transfer suitable sites to clubs to manage
- Upgrading changing rooms and other support facilities, especially to support mixed-gender use
- Adding more sports lighting to increase access and extend playing times
- Using funding from new housing developments to improve sports provision
- Maintaining strong partnerships to help secure funding and deliver the improvements
Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Playing sports has so many benefits for our physical and mental health and it also fosters a sense of community by connecting with residents through the power of sport.
“That is why it is so important that the city’s outdoor facilities are fit for purpose and available to use, which is why we are looking at measures to ensure they are continually improved.”
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