BLACKPOOL COUNCIL
REPORT
Of the
DIRECTOR OF LEISURE, CULTURE & COMMUNITY LEARNING
On
17th November 2005
Health Scrutiny Workshop Update
- Two Health Scrutiny Workshops have now been held as follows:
- Thursday 19th September 2005 – Consideration of Adult Learning, Arts and Libraries contribution to Health; and
- Wednesday 19th October 2005 – Consideration of Leisure Services contribution to health, including overview of School Meal Services, Healthy Schools Update.
- In terms of the latter Workshop, it was agreed at the meeting that the following items should be reported to the full Committee as an updated:
- Summer Activity Programme 2005
- The potential for additional allotment provision in the North Shore Area.
- Summer Activity Programme 2005
3.1. Background
3.1.1.Further to a series of meetings between officers and Councillors representing Brunswick, Talbot, Claremont and Bloomfield, it was agreed that Leisure Services, Youth Services and Youth Offending Teams would provide a children and young peoples Summer and annual activity programme across the four wards.
3.1.2. In addition, it was agreed to involve other service providers within the
areas in order that an integrated, co-ordinated and joined up programme
could be delivered.
3.2. Children and Young Peoples Activity Programme
3.2.1.The Council’s Children and Young Peoples Summer Activity Programme 2005 was the largest ever delivered by the Council, with in excess of 27,000 visits to participate in activities by children and young people.
3.2.2.A key factor in the success of the programme was that a joined-up and integrated approach was taken by Leisure Services, Youth Services and Youth Offending Team. Leisure Services co-ordinated the programme, enabling expertise and resources to be shared with a focus on some of the town’s most needy and vulnerable children. The pooling of resources meant that not only the identified target wards benefited, but also the positive impact was felt across the Borough.
3.2.3.In addition, dovetailing into the partnership was Libraries, Arts and support from Barnardos in terms of children’s play.
3.2.4. Key results are as follows:
Free Swims (Palatine and Moor Park) 8,272
Intensive Swimming Lessons/Water Safety 1,168
Play Schemes/Sessions 6,755
Multi Sport 5,447
Youth Activities 3,426
Library Activities 1,431
Arts Activities 599
STARS (Disability) 308
TOTAL27,406
Annex ‘A’ provides a full breakdown of the figures
3.2.5.The participation figures are impressive, with encouraging children and young people to stay active being part of the Blackpool Life – Rise to the Challenge campaign. In particular, the free swim programme has been well received, combining a health opportunity with water safety awareness.
3.2.6.Although the programme was borough-wide, focus areas were Brunswick, Talbot, Claremont and Bloomfield. A range of activities were delivered in these areas, with a concerted effort to promote activities outside the areas. In terms of the latter, an example of this is free swims, where at Palatine and Moor Park 952 and 636 visits were from children in the target wards respectively.
3.3.Future Provision
3.3.1.The joint working between the services will continue, with an annual children and young peoples programme being formulated for the target wards and boroughwide. Connexions and the PCT have requested to be part of the group, which can only be positive. In addition, the activities will be used to engage with hard to reach adults in terms of attracting them to participate in Adult Learning programmes.
3.3.2.A costing profile is being developed which will identify how service provision can be enhanced. In addition, a more informed method and process of tracking participation of children and young people from a given area is being developed.
4.Proposal for New Allotment Site in Northern Blackpool
4.1.Background
4.1.1.Leys Allotment site was disposed of for Housing development in 1998 and as a result the Council were proposing to replace the facility with a new site at Moor Park Avenue. However, the Council’s proposals were thwarted by the then Leys Allotment Group who raised a number of concerns about the suitability of the land for allotments which included potential health risks associated with the location of an electric pylon within the boundary of the site.
4.1.2.No other suitable sites could be found in the northern region of Blackpool and due to the opposition of some local residents to the Moor Park Avenue proposal it has not been possible to progress the matter further.
4.1.3.At the time of the Moor Park Avenue proposal allotment gardening in Blackpool was in decline with none of the remaining 8 allotment sites having waiting lists. It was therefore possible to re-locate some of the allotment holders from Leys allotments to other sites. However, the majority of allotment holders housed previously on Leys were unable to re-locate due to a number of factors, not least the distance of available sites to their homes and therefore were forced to cease allotment gardening.
4.1.4.In recent years, allotment gardening in Blackpool has increased in popularity to the extent that a majority of existing sites now have waiting lists. Currently there are approximately 20 residents waiting for a vacant plot, 7 of which are resident in the north of the borough. This changing picture in terms of participation on allotments, has added further weight to the argument put forward by the Federation of Blackpool Allotment Associations, that the Council should honour it’s commitment made in 1998 and construct a new allotment site in the north of the borough.
4.2.Potential Area of Land
4.2.1.The Council was unable to progress its commitment to construct a new allotment site in the north of Blackpool due to the lack of a suitable alternative site to Moor Park Avenue.
4.2.2.However, the Estates and Valuation Section have conducted a survey of land held by the Council, which is an area of land adjacent to Fleetwood and Deerhurst Road and is currently vacant and potentially could be suitable for allotments.
4.2.3.Before the above proposal can be further developed detail analysis of the land to assess its suitability for allotments needs to be carried out in addition planning and legal issues need to be considered and explored.
4.3.Action to Progress
4.3.1.Site inspection by the Council and the Federation of Allotment Associations – December 2005.
4.3.2.Key issues identified, involving Legal Services – January 2006.
4.3.3.Survey, Plans and Feasibility Study carried out by the Council and the Federation of Allotment Associations – March 2006.
4.3.4.Report detailing proposals and potential way forward – April 2006.
5.Recommendation
5.1The Committee are asked to consider and note the Health Scrutiny Workshop Update Report.
PAUL WALKER
DIRECTOR OF LEISURE, CULTURE & COMMUNITY LEARNING