Members considered approval for the adoption of the Indoor Sport and Leisure Facility Strategy and Playing Pitch Strategy as documents which in planning terms formed part of the evidence base for the Borough Local Plan.

The Lead Member explained that 42.3% of residents in the borough took part in 30 minutes of moderate sporting activity every week, compared to a national average of 35.8%. The borough had exceptional sporting facilities including Bisham Abbey, TVAC  and Eton College. The recommendations included more investment in Windsor Leisure Centre, improvements at Charters Leisure Centre and upgrades at Cox Green and Furze Platt.  The strategy also included the replacement of the Magnet Leisure Centre with a new facility at Braywick. The Playing Pitch Strategy explained that current demand was being met but future demand should be further investigated.

The Lead Member for Planning endorsed the proposals, which would provide vital evidence for the Borough Local Plan.

The Lead Member confirmed that aspirations to develop Charters Leisure Centre were included in the strategy.

Councillor Ed Wilson commented that the report focussed on providing new pitches in schools even though schools sometimes found it difficult to let them out for community use. Nothing was said about expanding community playing fields. He asked whether the council was happy to have children playing on boggy, muddy fields when shiny new pitches were inaccessible at local schools. He also asked what happened when a school became an Academy and referred to the situation at the Durand School in London where community facilities were transferred to a private company. There was a need for Academies to manage conflicts of interest, for formalised leases to be in place and all transactions to be within the law. He was concerned that current agreements in the borough were out of date, signed by the school rather than the Academy or its Trustees, and in some cases were incomplete or unsigned. He asked for an independent review to be undertaken and clear advice be issued to headteachers and Academy Trustees.

The Chairman commented that the Durand Academy was a case study in the way things should not be done.  The Lead Member explained that money was spent on pitches if issues were raised by ward councillors; £50,000 was being spent on drainage issue at the Broom Farm playing field, the council had recently purchased Thriftwood Farm. In relation to leases, the Lead Member explained that Academies were subject to 125 year leases. The freehold was not transferred so the borough kept control. This required an Academy to seek permission to do anything significant and apply to the Secretary of State if they wanted to sell land. Each academy was a one-off transfer so a standard could not be applied in lease agreements.

The headteacher at Dedworth, where £250,000 had been invested on a new all-weather pitch, had confirmed that the pitch was used during the daytime for PE lessons, and for after school and lunchtime practices. He had reported that pupils were more engaged in lessons and keen to develop their skills more quickly. The Site Manager had confirmed there was a mutual respect for the pitch by outside users. Both pupils and the community therefore benefitted.

Councillor Beer commented that TVAC had been well used in the first few years but little had been heard once it transferred to a management company. Unfortunately schools had been unable to release pupils to use the facility because of a number of issues including travelling times.  He was aware via a former councillor that the pitch at the Windsor Boys’ School had a fund to ensure ongoing maintenance could be undertaken.

The Principal Member for Neighbourhood Plans and Ascot & the Sunnings commented that Charters, which had become an Academy three years previously, opened its pitches to the community in the evenings and weekends, which worked very well.

The Chairman suggested an additional recommendation in light of the discussion about current agreements.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Cabinet:

          i.Adopt the Indoor Sport and Leisure Facility Strategy 2016-2021.

         ii.Adopt the Playing Pitch Strategy2016-2021.

        iii. Request the Culture and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel establish a Task and Finish Group to undertake a review of all legal agreements and finances of school-located playing fields subject to community use agreements.