Sport | LocalGov

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games boosted economy by £1.2bn

08/04/2024

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games contributed approximately £1.2bn to the UK economy, according to an evaluation of the impact of the event.

Two-thirds of councils to cut neighbourhood services

27/02/2024

Community services will have to be ‘drastically scaled back’ or cut altogether without further funding for councils, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

Harry Kane statue in storage for years

22/02/2024

Waltham Forest Council is struggling to find a suitable location for a statue of local hero Harry Kane.

City Hall to decide on Wimbledon expansion plans

23/01/2024

The Mayor of London’s office has called in a controversial planning application to expand Wimbledon’s tennis grounds.

Combined authority approves £600,000 for athletics championship

15/01/2024

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has approved an extra £600,000 to go towards the cost of hosting the 2026 European Athletics Championships (EAC).

Health chiefs back call for more gambling restrictions

21/12/2023

Local health chiefs have backed a call from MPs urging the Government to do more to minimise children’s exposure to gambling advertising.

Sunderland to host Rugby World Cup opening match

12/12/2023

The Stadium of Light in Sunderland has been selected to host the opening match of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.

The importance of targeted investment in communities

04/12/2023

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England, discusses how targeted investment is helping people to get active, and how the strategy can be replicated locally.

Councils respond to King’s Speech

08/11/2023

The Local Government Association (LGA) has responded to proposed legislation announced yesterday in the King’s Speech.

Funding to target ‘manifestly unfair’ sport access

07/11/2023

Sport England has announced a funding overhaul to tackle regional disparities in access to physical activity.

Council U-turns on decision to close 39 facilities

04/10/2023

North Lanarkshire Council has reversed its plan to close 39 community facilities after Scotland’s First Minister blasted the decision as ‘short sighted’.

Council to shut 39 facilities

02/10/2023

North Lanarkshire Council has decided to close 39 community facilities in response to its financial shortfall.

Yorkshire to host ‘internationally renowned’ triathlon

20/09/2023

The Long Course Weekend will take place in North Yorkshire next year, marking the first time the multi-sport event has been staged in England.

Birmingham Commonwealth Games ‘challenge too far’

07/09/2023

The hosting of the Commonwealth Games by Birmingham City Council last year was a mistake, according to a formed advisor to the local authority.

Sport’s strategy ‘misses chance’ to support local facilities

31/08/2023

New sports strategy ‘misses the chance’ to invest new money into the country’s ageing public leisure infrastructure, local authority leaders say.

Councils urged to allow pubs to open early for World Cup final

18/08/2023

Michael Gove has written to council leaders across England urging them to ensure pubs can open early on Sunday for the Lionesses historic World Cup final.

Sports clubs should pay £1m safety bill

11/08/2023

Charging regulations that force councils to pay £1m a year for sports clubs to have safety certification are outdated, says the Local Government Association.

Youth centres to benefit from £70m investment

04/08/2023

An estimated 12,000 young people are set to benefit from the refurbishment of over 40 youth centres, the Government has announced.

Council threatens Glasgow United after club fields rapist Goodwillie

24/07/2023

Glasgow CC has threatened to 'walk away' from agreement allowing Glasgow United to use council training facilities after David Goodwillie played for the team.

Council helps Premier League stop £7m streaming fraud

31/05/2023

Five men who illegally streamed Premier League matches have been jailed following a trading-standards investigation led by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

West Midlands CA welcomes unspent Commonwealth Games funding

20/03/2023

Around £70m of unspent Commonwealth Games funding is to be used to develop the West Midlands economy and boost its trade and tourism sectors.

Leicester council to install solar array the size of 18 tennis courts

16/03/2023

Leicester City Council is set to install a series of solar panels the size of 18 tennis courts at a council-run sport and leisure centre.

Budget 2023: Over £60m swimming pool fund confirmed

15/03/2023

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed a multi-million-pound package to support publicly-owned leisure centres with pools.

Publicly-owned leisure centres with pools to receive £63m

14/03/2023

Local leisure centres with swimming pools are set to receive a multi-million-pound boost tomorrow to help them with rising energy bills and maintenance costs.

Council grants Millwall FC planning permission for new grounds

01/03/2023

Millwall Football Club has been given full planning permission for a new training ground.

Majority of councils considering leisure services cuts

09/01/2023

Council leaders call for strategy to save leisure centres as report warns of cuts to leisure services as post-Olympics sports boom fails to materialise.

Leisure centres in 40% of council areas at risk of closure

04/11/2022

Leisure centres and pools across a large number of the UK’s council areas are in danger of being closed down due to the high cost of energy, research reveals.

Government announces £5m to keep youths away from crime

04/11/2022

The Government has announced that £5m will be made available to help keep young people away from crime by encouraging them to take part in sports.

Women’s Euro 2022 gives Sheffield £8m boost

18/10/2022

Sheffield’s hosting of UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 gave the city’s economy an £8.3m boost, new research reveals.

£60m Commonwealth Games underspend reinvested

04/10/2022

The Government has announced it will invest around £60m of underspend from the Commonwealth Games in the West Midlands.

Decarbonising leisure facilities

26/09/2022

Everyone Active looks at the impending challenges that leisure facilities face to reduce carbon emissions.

Council chiefs blast Government over ‘sugar levy’

12/08/2022

Council leaders have urged the Government to stick to their pledge to reinvest money raised from the soft drinks industry into anti-obesity initiatives.

Neath Port Talbot leisure services moving ‘in-house’

02/08/2022

Leisure services in Neath Port Talbot are set to be brought back in-house next year, local authority says.

Grassroots sport should be more inclusive, auditors say

08/07/2022

Government needs to do more to reach key groups who are less likely to be active including women, the least affluent and Black and Asian people, auditors say.

Health pilot to explore using sports centres to tackle arthritis launched

01/07/2022

A project has been launched to investigate how to transform leisure facilities into musculoskeletal (MSK) hubs which can be accessed in every community.

Skate parks are not the only fruit

21/06/2022

On Go Skateboarding Day, Susannah Walker asks councils and their leisure and park departments to think differently about what facilities they provide for teenagers.

Birmingham City Council bids to host athletics championship

21/06/2022

Birmingham City Council has officially submitted a joint bid with UK Athletics to host Europe’s most prestigious athletics competition.

Council leaders urge GPs to prescribe leisure centre trips

16/05/2022

Council leaders are urging GPs to prescribe obese patients classes at local leisure centres after research found it could increase life expectancy four years.

Nottingham CC agrees to hand over tennis centre

22/04/2022

Nottingham City Council has announced that it is ready to hand over the Nottingham Tennis Centre to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) from the end of April.

New guidelines to help disabled children be more active

16/02/2022

The first ever guidelines on physical activity for disabled children and young people have been published today by the UK Chief Medical Officers.

Bury council welcomes £1m bid to buy football ground

24/12/2021

Town hall leaders have welcomed the news that a bid to acquire Gigg Lane and bring back football to the stadium has won Government funding.

Omission of gyms from Omicron relief criticised as ‘shameful’

23/12/2021

The industry association representing gyms and sports centres has criticised the Government for omitting their members from the latest COVID support measures.

Lords call for national plan to tackle inactivity

13/12/2021

Local authorities should have a legal duty to provide and maintain sport and leisure facilities, according to a Lords Committee.

West Midlands to receive £6.5m to boost sports

18/11/2021

The West Midlands are to receive a £6.5m injection of cash to help improve facilities and level up access to community sport as part of the legacy of next summer’s Commonwealth Games.

Putting health and wellbeing at the heart of Ashfield

01/11/2021

While many councils are struggling with outdated and under-used leisure facilities, Laura Sharman finds out how Ashfield District Council is bucking this trend thanks to a new leisure management contract and transformation programme.

Council chiefs call for £875m investment in leisure facilities

25/10/2021

Local authority leaders have called on the Chancellor to invest millions into public sports and leisure facilities as part of the effort to tackle health inequalities.

Tennis courts in deprived areas to receive £30m investment

04/10/2021

The Government has announced a £30m package to refurbish thousands of public tennis courts in deprived parts of UK.

Nearly 2,000 swimming pools at risk of closure by end of decade, report warns

22/09/2021

Almost 2,000 public swimming pools could be lost by the end of the decade unless ageing facilities are replaced or refurbished, a report has warned today.

Councils call for £1bn investment for ageing sport facilities

16/09/2021

Council leaders are calling for the spending review to include £1bn to modernise sport facilities, after warning nearly two-thirds of the leisure estate is past its replacement date.

Sports funding essential to enable repeat of Team GB’s success, council chiefs say

04/08/2021

Local authority leaders have called on the Government to make the most of Team GB’s success at the Tokyo Olympics by investing in grassroots and community sport facilities.

MPs call for a new exercise campaign to get children more active

29/07/2021

The Government should encourage children to become more active by launching a sports equivalent to the '5 A Day' campaign by the end of this year, MPs have said today.

Councils welcome return of Parkrun events

26/07/2021

Council leaders have said they are ‘delighted’ that Parkrun events were able to return this weekend in England following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

PM announces £50m football pitch funding

16/07/2021

The PM has announced a £50m investment in football pitches to help support the wave of interest in the sport inspired by EURO 2020 and Women’s EURO 2022.

We need to put fun back into urban design – and councils are key

25/06/2021

Martin Bransby explores how to create better spaces that are geared towards improving both physical and mental wellbeing.

Everyone Active generated £342m in social value

24/05/2021

Award-winning leisure operator Everyone Active generated £342m in social value at its sites across the country in 2019/20.

Multi-million funding boost to tackle inequalities in accessing sport

13/05/2021

An extra £20m will be invested by Sport England to tackle inequalities in accessing sport and physical activities.

Initial lockdown caused 'unprecedented' drop in activity levels

30/04/2021

The pandemic had an ‘unprecedented impact’ on activity levels during the initial restrictions, according to new research.

Local authorities allocated £100m leisure recovery fund

22/03/2021

The Government has allocated £100m funding to 266 local authorities across England to help leisure centres prepare to re-open safely.

Majority of parents warn pandemic has made children less active

08/03/2021

More than two-thirds of parents have warned their children are less physically active than before the start of the pandemic in a new survey.

Council gives go-ahead to Everton FC’s new stadium plans

24/02/2021

Liverpool City Council have approved Everton FC’s plans for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and a community-led legacy project at Goodison Park.

Sport England unlocks additional £50m for grassroots sport

26/01/2021

Sport England has announced it will invest £50m to help grassroots sport and physical activity recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Councils voice concerns over drop in number of children being active

15/01/2021

Less than half of children and young people are physically active for the recommended hour or more a day, a new survey has revealed.

Councils urged to end outsourcing of leisure facilities

13/01/2021

A trade union has called on councils to take back control of leisure facilities after estimating leisure services giant Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) has cut 2,000 staff on zero hours contracts since the start of the pandemic.

Closure of leisure centres to cost £7.25m in missed health savings

08/01/2021

The continued closure of sport and leisure facilities during the latest lockdown will cost £7.25m in missed health savings, new analysis has revealed.

Calls for 'credible plan' to keep people active during lockdown

06/01/2021

The Government has been urged to create a 'credible plan' to help people stay active during the winter.

Hundreds of local authority owned pools will stay closed

02/12/2020

Around 200 council-owned pools will remain closed following the second lockdown, new research has revealed.

Council chiefs call for culture funding to support people during lockdown

11/11/2020

Local authority leaders have called on the Government to invest more in culture, sport and leisure activities as a new report reveals councils spend over £2bn a year on these areas.

Leaders call for a ring-fenced Sports Recovery Fund

22/09/2020

The Government has been urged to ringfence funding for sports and physical activities to avoid creating health problems for a generation.

Hull City abandons ‘return of fans’ match due to Covid-19 warnings

18/09/2020

Hull City have pulled out of a pilot that could have seen the return of live audiences at sporting events after the council declared it would not be safe.

Welsh sport and leisure sector welcomes £14m recovery funding

17/09/2020

The Welsh government has announced a £14m funding package to support Wales’ sport and leisure sector during the Covid-19 lockdown.

A third of council-owned pools will stay closed this year

27/07/2020

Nearly a third of council-owned swimming pools could remain closed until next year, new research has revealed.

Pools, gyms and leisure centres set to re-open

10/07/2020

Councils leaders have welcomed the news that gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres will be allowed to re-open later this month.

How councils can protect leisure services

10/06/2020

Leisure services offer communities a lifeline, so we must protect them from the worst of Covid-19, says Penny Rinta-Suksi.

Sport England unveils £195m funding package

01/04/2020

Sport England will make £195 funding available to support sport and physical activity during the coronavirus crisis.

Air pollution stopping children reaching sporting potential, report warns

11/02/2020

More than a quarter of children’s sports grounds have dangerous levels of air pollution, a new report has found.

Councils call for £500m to upgrade outdated leisure centres

27/01/2020

A quarter of all council-run leisure centres have not been refurbished in more than 20 years, new figures have revealed.

Government announces £2.4m ‘boost’ to improve sports teaching

27/01/2020

Schools are set to receive a £1.6m funding boost that will help them provide more sports activities to pupils after school and during the holidays.

Council chiefs call for investment into leisure facilities

18/10/2019

Local authority leaders have voiced concerns over the ability of councils to continue to provide leisure centres, which contribute to public health, without more Government investment.

Khan announces £1.1m sports funding to tackle crime

01/08/2019

London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced £1.1m funding for sports groups as part of a drive to stop young people getting involved in crime and violence.

Council cancels World Cup public screenings after ‘outbreaks of disorder’

10/07/2018

Middlesbrough Council has cancelled the public screening of England’s World Cup semi-final after ‘outbreaks of disorder’ during the last match.

Cornwall to provide £3m for the construction of a new stadium

18/04/2018

Cornwall Council yesterday agreed to provide up to £3m of funding for the construction of a new sports stadium.

Getting physical

27/02/2018

Andy Howell explains how active healthier lifestyles are being driven by urban renewal in Slough.

Council chiefs urge Government to expand sports funding

31/01/2018

Local authority leaders have urged the Government to expand its sports funding in order to help tackle the child obesity problem.

Birmingham named next Commonwealth Games host city

21/12/2017

Birmingham has received an ‘early Christmas present’ by being selected as the host city of the next Commonwealth Games.

Mayor to review plans for new Bristol arena

10/11/2017

Plans for a new arena in Bristol have been put on hold while the city council carries out a review.

Leisure centres 'old and tired’ due to underfunding, council chiefs warn

30/10/2017

The Government will miss a chance to transform the nation’s health if it fails to inject new funding into leisure infrastructure, councils have warned.

‘Sugar tax’ helps double funding for sports in schools

25/10/2017

Funding to help primary schools improve the quality of their PE and sport provision has been doubled to £320m a year, the Government has announced.

Birmingham selected as UK candidate to host Commonwealth Games

08/09/2017

Birmingham has been selected as the preferred UK candidate city for a potential bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Government has revealed.

Salford set to approve stadium loan

16/08/2017

Salford City Council is poised to approve a £630,000 loan to the home stadium of its main rugby league and union clubs.

Liverpool crowned UK’s top sporting city

08/08/2017

Liverpool has been named as Britain’s top sporting city as it bids to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Children getting enough physical activity drops ‘dramatically’

18/07/2017

The number of children getting enough physical activity drops by 40%, health body warns.

School summer holidays creating 'class divide' over fitness levels

12/07/2017

The high cost of school holiday activities is opening up a ‘major class divide' in the fitness levels of children, new research has revealed.

Local tennis facilities see £250m investment

30/06/2017

Local communities are being encouraged to apply for funding from a multi-million pound pot set aside for making tennis more accessible.

Former FA boss to head up Liverpool's bid to host Commonwealth Games

12/04/2017

The former chief of the Football Association, Brian Barwick, has been appointed by Liverpool City Council to spearhead its Commonwealth Games bid.

Schools to share £415m from sugar tax

01/03/2017

Schools will be given £415m from the sugar tax to help pupils benefit from healthier lifestyles, education secretary Justine Greening has announced.

Council approves Chelsea FC’s new £500m stadium

12/01/2017

Hammersmith and Fulham Council has approved plans by Chelsea Football Club to build a new 60,000 stadium.

Newcastle bids to host European rugby finals

06/12/2016

Newcastle has launched its bid to become the host city for European club rugby union's showpiece weekend in May 2018.

Regenerate leisure centres to ‘save NHS’, charity says

07/11/2016

Whitehall should invest £1bn to transform the UK’s ‘ageing fleet’ of leisure centres into ‘wellness hubs’, charity says.

Council ‘badly let down’ by Khan’s football stadium plans decision

23/08/2016

The Mayor of London has been criticised for handing a council the power to determine the future of controversial Wimbledon football stadium plans.

Councils are locking in Olympic’s ‘sporting legacy’, survey finds

15/08/2016

Local authorities are securing the sporting legacy of the 2012 Olympics by helping to transform sport at the grassroots level, survey reveals.

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Banning urban pesticide use

RSPB and PAN are working on a letter from local councillors calling on the Government to introduce a national ban on urban pesticide use. Find out more below.
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