Members will receive a presentation from Officers and given an overview of the service provided by the Health and Leisure Service Team.
Minutes:
Considered – Presentation from the Health, Leisure and Tourism Service.
The Chairman, Cllr. Nick Brown welcomed Cllr. Nick Chapman - Health, Community and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, Executive Director – Place, Assets and Major Projects Group Manager, Health, Leisure and Tourism Manager and the Physical Activity and Health Team Leader to the meeting.
Officers covered the following key points from their presentation:
· Strategic themes:
Keeping you safe and healthy: Community Health and Wellbeing Plan 2023-2026, Playing Pitch Strategy, Built Facilities Strategy, delivery of Leisure centre contract, Active Travel Strategy, Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and raising awareness of mental health services.
Growing and supporting our economy: delivery of actions in Tourism Growth Plan 2025-2030.
Enabling our communities and supporting our vulnerable residents: increasing the number of people accessing A Place to Grow.
· Active Blaby – has seen a growth in the number of attendees, number of programmes delivered and an increase the number of referrals. £137,903 of external funding secured. 1,173 referrals received – the highest in the County. Access to classes for the over 65’s has seen a reduction in the number of hospital admissions due to falls and has seen a wider increase in social care savings.
· Health and Wellbeing – obesity project supporting residents to make healthy lifestyle choices has received 40 referrals in the first 2 weeks. Monthly fibroscans have been held at the council offices since May, seeing 61 patients and 32 staff.
· A Place to Grow – has seen 961 attendances with 86 volunteers from April-October 2025. Income has been generated from January 2025 from hiring of plots and private hire. It also supports the Armed Forces and veterans who use the site frequently.
· Leisure Contract and wider offer – current leisure centre contract ends 2029. Enderby Gym is being expanded from October to December reopening to the public on 5 January.
· Tourism – visitor numbers have increased from 2.70m (2023) to 2.77m (2024). Employment figures from 2,058 (2023) to 2,071 (2024). Over the summer the Victory show attracted over 18,000 visitors. The Ice House held 7 tours including sold out dates. The Visit Blaby website has seen a 50% increase from June to August with over 2000 views of the event section.
· Active Travel – 3 new walking and cycling routes. The active travel survey received 186 responses and the active travel working group has been established with staff from 5 different departments.
· Challenges:
o Local Government funding for Health, Leisure and Tourism is challenging.
o At times it’s necessary to seek funding from multiple sources, leading to complexity.
o Exploring options for ongoing resource requirements.
o Challenges remain with getting the public active and maintaining healthy lifestyles.
o BDC leisure assets across the district are aging and will require upgrades.
o Community facilities have not received sufficient funding either
· Opportunities:
o Lubbesthorpe leisure offer to be developed.
o Opportunities to maximise commercial revenue (O&W contract) and access alternative funding routes for investment (s106) are demonstrating a sustainable delivery model.
o Working closely with partners across health, local government, community and voluntary sector and progress will continue to be made.
o Identifying, and bidding for, external funding to improve facilities.
o Working closely with partners to enable them to access support to improve facilities. These include the Blaby Community Grant scheme and external grant funding routes.
Scrutiny was asked if there were any areas of activity the service team should consider engaging with to further improve impact for residents?
Scrutiny responded with the following comments:
· Consideration should be given to S.106 grants being spent in the ward where the planning application was located. Examples were provided of playing pitches.
· Traffic and congestion around the leisure centre.
· Updating noticeboards in the rural areas and increasing communications.
· Increasing work with young people including scouts and girl guides and youth clubs.
· Cycle training in rural areas.
· Utilising the green spaces in Lubbesthorpe (e.g. with playing pitches).
· Highlighting any activities held at the leisure centre for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
· Increasing the opening times of A Place to Grow.
· Working with young people to bring about an awareness of vaping.
· Working with local groups who support male mental health.
· Increased work with Parish Council – they would benefit from the presentation.
Members and officers agreed that it was important to leave a legacy to be proud of, especially considering the impact of Local Government Reorganisation. Scrutiny thanked the Health, Leisure and Tourism service for their detailed and comprehensive presentation.
Cllr. Stuart Coar left the meeting during consideration of the item and did not return.