The objective of the study is:

• to identify the level of formal and informal provision of sport, leisure, play, art, heritage and community development space required within Felixstowe and the surrounding area including Trimley St Martin and Trimley St Mary;
• to provide a context for policies and proposals in the forthcoming Local Development Framework for Suffolk Coastal District Council, with particular reference to the amount of open space and cultural facilities that need to be allocated to provide for future development, and linking in with the Councils own Asset Management Strategy Building Schools for the Future.
• Make proposals on the options for meeting the expressed demand
• Explore sources of funding available to deliver it.

Project Scope

The study should be an assessment of the current provision in the public, private and voluntary sector, and the current and anticipated need for the formal and informal provision for leisure, sport, art, heritage and community activities within Felixstowe and Trimley St Mary and Trimley St Martin (the 'Trimleys'), in both quantitative and qualitative terms, in order to inform the emerging Local Development Framework for Suffolk Coastal.  This should include development within the town centre area and in other out of town locations, including those where there is the potential for increased housing levels.

Aims

Matters to be considered should include:

• Current provision of leisure facilities by Suffolk Coastal District Council, are these facilities fit for purpose, and will they remain fit for purpose, what will future facility needs be.
• Provision of cultural facilities to allow participatory arts to flourish.
• Provision of cultural facilities to allow community access to high quality professional arts.
• Provision of new work space for creative industries.
• Existing facilities for leisure and physical activity to be reviewed
• Provision to allow participatory sports to flourish and grow, and existing sports to expand to meet demand
• Capacity for sports clubs to have use of specific facilities designed and built for sport
• Role of physical activity and art in regenerating public realm
• Opportunities for young people to play, both in the formal and informal sense, in a safe area
• Opportunities for community groups to develop through the engagement and development of volunteers
• Opportunities for art for all to be developed

Outcomes

The final report needs to:

• Establish the current level of provision (quality and quantity)
• Establish current levels of demand for activities by age group
• Compare against any national models (e.g. Sport England, Art England)
• Potential increase in population / age group / demand
• Quantify future levels of supply
• Recommend options and the preferred way forward to meet future needs and supply
• Explore funding options to enable supply
• Examine the Council's best utilisation of it's assets
• Action Plan for the way forward

Status

Funding for 2008/09 £30,000

IDP Package: Coastal Towns

Status as at 30 September 2008:

• Project brief developed and supporting legal documents provided.

Status as at 31 December 2008:

• Appointment of consultant to work on report.

• Meeting held early December with consultant to finalise revised timeline.

Status as at 31 March 2009:

• The majority of the report is now complete.
• Final submission expected at the beginning of the financial year 2009/10.

Status as at 30 June 2009:

• First draft of report has been received from consultant and comments incorporated.
• Second draft of report ready to present to Cabinet but not expected until September.

Status as at 30 September 2009:

• Report now to be agreed by Cabinet on 6 October 2009.

Status as at 31 December 2009:

• Report completed and submitted to Cabinet in October for agreement on way forward.
• An action plan based on key findings from the report is being worked up ready to go back to Cabinet in February 2010 for approval.