The Government’s new sports strategy ‘misses the chance’ to invest new money into the country’s ageing public leisure infrastructure, local authority leaders say.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s new strategy, entitled ‘Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity’, is aimed at tackling high levels of inactivity and making sure the sports sector thrives.
Local authority leaders have welcomed the publication of the strategy but criticised the lack of investment in local facilities.
Cllr Hannah Dalton, District Councils Network (DCN) spokesperson for Health, Housing and Hardship, said the strategy was a ‘step in the right direction.’
However, she added: ‘Councils are proud to be the biggest funder of sport, leisure and wellbeing services, parks and green spaces in England. However, these services are under extreme pressure. For many parts of the country, our ageing public leisure infrastructure urgently needs investment. While we recognise that money is tight, this strategy misses the chance to think creatively about investing new money in these vital interventions.’
Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson, chair of the Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, also added: ‘[M]ore needs to be done at pace to integrate sport and recreation services into health systems and to invest in sport and recreation at grassroots and community level.’
