SPORT & RECREATION – A VISION DOCUMENT2 March 2012

MARS Mission Statement

We wish to encourage and enable people of all ages from Modbury and the surrounding area to use and enjoy the recreation and sports facilities provided by the Parish. MARS aims to ensure that the views, opinions and proposals of all interested parties are identified, evaluated and, if appropriate, incorporated within the MARS development strategy so that specific activities might be promoted and organised on their behalf.

This document lays out the vision held by MARS for the future development of Recreation and Sport within the town. The purpose is to ensure all (County, District and Parish representatives as well as the wider community as a whole) are aware of ‘The Vision’ and alive to funding opportunities as they emerge.

‘The Vision’ will require considerable funding to realise in full butwith the exception of the Pavilion project, the foundation upon which the entire vision is based and therefore the overwhelming priority, it is constructed deliberately without sequence or timeline. Each element is designed to meet a current or growing need and should be pursued as and when opportunities emerge that match well with the individual elements. Such an opportunity based and phased approach will deliver ‘The Vision’ as a series of standalone projects. Specifically, although not limited to, these opportunities are:

-Maximising S106 funds and other developer contributions from future development projects.

-External funding initiatives, continually emerging from a myriad of sources.

-Any restructuring or realignment of internal resources (South Hams or Parish).

This vision will see a steady increase in the use of the town’s recreation and sport facilities, with more people attracted into the town and with all the associated benefits to our local economy. It does generate

a requirement to acquire more land and an assumption is made that as and when suitable land becomes available, the Parish will seriously consider it’s suitability to matching this vision and support any corresponding move to acquire it if the match is a good one.

‘The Vision’ has been constructed based on realising the following objectives:

  • Matching the recreation and sport facilities to the identified demand generated by the current and projected population.
  • Matching the town’s facilities to the known development aspirations for the town’s established and emerging sports clubs.
  • Promoting and encouraging the development of existing and new recreational and sport activities within the Parish of Modbury.
  • Providing facilities to encourage greater participation in physical activity by more members of the population.
  • Provide a much greater choice of physical activity, both organised and impromptu for all ages.
  • Significantly enhance the opportunities for activity, both supervised and unsupervised, in the 12-17 age-group.
  • Establish Modbury as a local area hub for recreation and sport, supporting the outlying parishes within the Erme and Avon valleys.
  • Provide a functional and attractive space to encourage greater informal use of the Recreation Field by families and individuals.
  • In the Recreation Field, provide an ideal venue for a broad range of events, public and private, in order to generate a sustaining income stream for the facilities provided.
  • Significantly reduce people’s reliance on public and private transport to realise recreational and sporting pursuits.
  • Review and evaluate on a regular timescale, the range of activities within the town, to ensure that they meet the Health and Safety requirements.

Development Elements

The following areas of development encompass ‘The Vision’, the majority are centred on the Recreation Field as the main area of clear development potential:

  1. The Recreation Field Pavilion – A modern, attractive facility acting as a catalyst for the growth of new recreation and sport within the town and is very much the strong foundation upon which this vision is built. It will require sustaining as an attractive facility, which will be achieved through the further growth in field usage by the addition of other elements within ‘The Vision’ and with this, a growth in funds to cover the site’s costs. The sitewill need to grow as a venue for other events and with it generate the necessary funds for sustainment.
  2. The Marley Building- Altered and extended in a phased approach to provide a flexible and versatile space for a range of community events, be this organised or on a simple drop-in basis, notably a Youth drop-in centre and including an opportunity for Modbury Scouts.
  3. Astro Pitch- The Town would clearly benefit from such a facility, be this on the Recreation Field (current Junior Pitch) or as part of any levelling plans for the School Field. This will form part of MARS discussion with the School but any such facility should be complete with surrounding fence to limit ball losses and a practise wall for all ball sports, including tennis.
  4. Trim Trail - A challenging fitness orientated obstacle course will be installed around the perimeter of the Recreation Field site and include the currently untapped potential of the woodland copse area at the Southern end of the field and offer the scope to expand with any future expansion of the Rec Field site. The obstacles and course will be designed with a combination of fun and fitness in mind and will be targeted at all age groups.
  5. Picnic Area - Incorporated into the Trim Trail design will be a consideration for picnic areas, including an under 7 play area and one or two smaller picnic sites strategically located around the field to increase the utility of some of the fields other facilities, for example the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). At least one BBQ area will be included within this element.
  6. All Weather Table Tennis Tables – At least one such table will be sited in the vicinity of the new Pavilion.
  7. Recreation Field – Acquisition of a second adjacent field would meet the very real demand now for a second full sized football field and a rapidly growing demand for a town cricket field. It would also support the development of other team sports such as rugby.
  8. School Field – Work with the school to facilitate the levelling/improvement of the school sports field to improve both the provision of access to junior sport within the school and to the wider junior community outside of school hours.
  9. Skate Park - Additional field space will allow for the expansion of the skate park’s tarmac space and the addition of two or three more items of skate/bike equipment.
  10. Rough BMX Track- Increased maintenance and a steady publicity campaign will raise the facilities profile and lead to increased usage.
  11. Memorial & School Halls – Work with the Memorial Hall Committee/Trustees, School and St George’s to maximise the opportuinties these facilities provide for indoor sports and recreation such as Circuit Training, Badminton and Indoor Bowls.
  12. Play Park – Work with the Parish Council and Memorial Hall Committee/Trustees to preserve and progressively enhance the provision of outdoor play equipment for the under 11s.
  13. Recreation Field Access - As field usage grows so the danger to from vehicles on the same narrow approach roads increases significantly. Addressing the access issue has to be a priority for early consideration if the sites potential is to be fully realised.
  14. Recreation Signage - New signs on the Recreation Field and use of the town’s Poundwell Notice Board will ensure people arriving are welcomed and informed.
  15. Opportunity for All – Every aspect of this ‘Vision’ will consider the needs of ALL ages and abilities to ensure an inclusive and encouraging community within which everyone can have the opportunity to compete, get fit, stay fit or just become more physically active.

The Pavilion

This project is in the advanced stages of fundraising and will deliver a modern, attractive facility offering changing rooms, disabled facilities, equipment storage and community space. It will additionally see an element of landscaping providing an increase in available car parking and an extension to the available services (electricity, water etc) on site for future improvement to current facilities (tennis court floodlighting etc).

The Pavilion will act as a catalyst for the growth of new sport and recreation within the town and is very much the strong foundation upon which this vision is built. Once realised, it will be essential to sustain the Pavilion as a modern and attractive facility. The addition of the remaining elements of the vision will generate further growth in site usage and with it a growth in funds to cover the site’s costs. However, the site’s location, coupled with the facilities offered will need to see it grow as a venue for events and with it generate the necessary funds for sustainment.

The Marley Building

The current Marley Building will be altered and extended in a phased approach. The result will be a good sized single open indoor space, with a side room and limited toilet/kitchen facilities. The space will support both a permanent HQ for Modbury Scouts and the introduction of new indoor sports and activities. It will be an ideal venue for circuit training, indoor rowing and winter cycle training, along with a whole range of additional indoor activities made increasingly viable with the availability of modern changing facilities across the car park in the Pavilion. Crucially, it would offer the Town the opportunity for a much needed Youth drop-in centre, achieved in Phase 1 through the provision of the side-room as a small but comfortable, flexible and well equipped space available on 3-4 nights per week and providing an enormous incentive to the town’s younger generations to use the field for social and recreation purposes and with it, further incentivize this crucial element of our population to become more involved in the developing recreational and sports opportunities on site. Phase 2 will see the remaining half of the building (currently two small changing rooms) extended and opened up to provide the single, good sized usable space. The outside of the building will be clad to sit well with the new Pavilion.

Astro Pitch

The current junior football field has proved a very successful recent addition to the field. The provision of floodlighting has made it a much sought after facility for winter football training and it is a site with considerable untapped potential for as yet unavailable in Modbury sports and recreational pursuits. Converting this site into an all weather astro surface, complete with surrounding fence to limit ball losses, will realise this considerable potential and ensure Modbury sports retain a usable facility irrespective of the weather. In addition and adjacent to the Astro Pitch, the provision of a practice wall for all ball sports, including tennis would further enhance the facility. It maybe that provision of such a facility would achieve greater use were it sited on the school field, provided of course that agreements can be drawn up to facilitate it’s use outside of school hours. An all-weather surface will form a key part of MARS’ discussion with the school governing body with respect to any assistance MARS can provide towards the proposals to level this field.

Trim Trail

A challenging fitness orientated obstacle course will be installed around the perimeter of the Recreation Field and include the currently untapped potential of the woodland copse area at the Southern end of the field. The course has yet to be professionally designed but is envisaged to start and finish from the new car park area behind the tennis courts and provide a range of challenging, fun obstacles, complete with signage and cinder/woodchip path between exercise stances. The obstacles and course will be designed with a combination of fun and fitness in mind and will be targeted at all age groups.

The course design will take into account aspirations to expand the recreation field site and will support a phased approach to ensure a usable and challenging course based on the current site without the need for any relocation work of existing stances to expand the course into any newly acquired land.

Picnic Area

The Recreation Field site has much to offer as an extremely pleasant relaxation space. Wide open space with some lovely views and a very broad range of resident wildlife and smaller undeveloped natural spaces. Incorporated into the Trim Trail design will be a consideration for picnic areas, with the aim of a relatively large area in the vicinity of the start/finish point, where also a number of the more fun and pure fun based obstacles will be located, including an under 7 play area and one or two smaller picnic sites strategically located around the site and trim trail course route to maximise the available views and also increase the utility of some of the fields other facilities, for example the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and Astro pitch if located on ‘the Rec’. Consideration will also be given to including the provision of designated BBQ areas, outdoor table tennis facilities and the seasonal availability to all of games such as volleyball.

Recreation Field

The main field is enjoying a significant increase in demand and has recently been given Queen Elizabeth II Field Status. As yet though, it offers no real choices other than football and tennis. There is a very real demand now for a second full sized football field and a rapidly growing demand for a town cricket field. If and when the neighbouring field, immediately alongside the main football field, becomes available for sale, its purchase would offer sufficient space for the installation of a second pitch and more than enough space for the creation of a cricket square between the two. Whilst such a move would require the removing of the dividing hedgerow, the amalgamation of the two fields and their development to support football and cricket would also offer enormous additional benefits.

A second adult football sized pitch would also support the development of other team sports such as rugby. There are already a considerable number of young people 7-16 who travel on a regular basis to Ivybridge or Kingsbridge Rugby Clubs for training and matches. There would be surrounding field space where more than appropriate compensation for the loss of the hedge could be made, with woodland, orchard and meadow planting. The Trim Trail could be expanded to take in the perimeter of the new field and capitalise on the enjoyment of the areas of new planting. There would be sufficient space between the two football pitches to install a cricket square that could be fenced when not in use for protection. The additional space would allow the expansion of the current skate park.

Skate Park

Additional field space will allow the existing annual bonfire pit to relocate further into the field and so generate the space for the expansion of the skate park’s tarmac space and the addition of two or three more items of skate/bike equipment.

Rough BMX Track

The current rough BMX track is under-used but has considerable potential for junior BMX riders. The perceived location of the picnic area will encourage this facilities greater use but in the meantime, increased maintenance and a steady publicity campaign will raise the facilities profile and lead to increased usage. Guidance will be sought from SPORTED on the design and improvements of the BMX track.

Access

Pedestrian access to the site remains a very real concern. Every opportunity must be taken to explore all options for providing a safe pedestrian route onto the site, including traffic calming, lighting and signage in Barracks Lane/Sheepham Road and investigation of possible alternative routes from the vicinity of Traine Villas. As facilities grow and pedestrians of all ages are increasingly attracted to the site the danger to these pedestrians from vehicles on the same narrow approach roads increases significantly. Addressing the access issue has to be a priority for early consideration if the sites potential is to be fully realised.

Signage

New signs will be added at vehicle and pedestrian gates to ensure people arriving are welcomed and informed. Future events will be clearly promulgated and the effect will be completed with a flag pole and a dedicated MARS flag. A series of recommended routes will be displayed, complete with mileages and notes of interest to encourage walking, jogging and running within the town.

Conclusion: Modbury offers a broad and steadily growing range of sport and recreation opportunities. However, as a small but expanding town supporting a number of outlying villages the current facilities provided do not meet either the current demand or the predicted growth in this demand. The current advanced plans for the new Sports Pavilion on the Recreation Field represents a solid and lasting foundation upon which to develop the town’s facilities further to meet the demand, particularly in the current and predicted lasting climate of encouraging people away from their reliance on public and private transport. This vision will build on the new Pavilion to realise the enormous potential of the Recreation Field site and offer a much greater choice to our population and incentive to become both more active and more involved locally. It will encourage more people to travel the shorter distance into Modbury rather than go further to the currently better facilities in more distant surrounding towns such as Ivybridge and Kingsbridge and with it will come a supporting benefit to our own local economy and local businesses. It will ensure that existing and developing sports within Modbury can grow in partnership, maximising the opportunities within the limited sites and suitable spaces available and minimise conflicting and competing demands on limited resources and funds.