Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

To consider petitions bearing 93 signatures, which have been submitted by Councillor R Singh, a Lower Stoke Ward Councillor, who has been invited to attend the meeting for consideration of this item, along with the petition spokesperson.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), which responded to a petition requesting the continued provision of badminton court facilities in the City Centre once the current sports centre in Fairfax Street has been closed down.

A petition and e-petition bearing a total of 93 signatures had been submitted by Councillor R Singh, a Lower Stoke Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting and spoke in support of the petition.  The petitioners were concerned about the continued provision of badminton court facilities within the City Centre once the Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre (CSLC) at Fairfax Street is closed.

In September 2014, Coventry City Council unanimously approved investment in a new city centre destination sport and leisure facility and approved a ten-year partnership Sports Strategy for the City, underpinned by an Indoor Facilities Strategy, Playing Pitch Strategy and Aquatic Strategy.  In September 2016, the next phase of the public leisure implementation programme, the development of a new 50m swimming pool and enhanced public leisure facilities at the Alan Higgs Centre was approved by Council. 

The provision of the new city centre facility and 50m swimming pool at the Alan Higgs centre will further contribute to increasing participation in sport and active recreation, also contributing to health and wellbeing outcomes for local people, particularly younger people and families.

The Cabinet Member noted that, whilst no formal decision has yet been taken to close CSLC, it is anticipated that the above programme of public leisure re-provision will in time see the closure of the facility, which in 2014 was noted to be no longer considered fit for purpose.  Any such decision would result in the closure of the ten court sports hall facility at CSLC, which is currently operationally managed by Coventry Sports Trust.

Coventry’s Indoor Facilities Strategy recognises the supply of sports halls in Coventry currently exceeds demand.  Coventry Indoor Facilities Assessment report indicates that there is a total of 88 sports hall sites providing 152 badminton courts across the City.  There are 29 sports halls of four badminton court size or larger (with a six court hall at Centre AT7 and a ten court hall at CSLC).

There are currently 32 badminton courts across six different facilities within or in close proximity to the city centre of Coventry, that each offer in excess of 20 hours per week of community use.

Consideration will first need to be given to maximising the capacity of the city’s existing sports hall provision as CSLC provides one third of the city’s (fully) publically available sports halls (i.e. stand-alone facilities).

Initial conversations with existing users of the sports hall at CSLC have commenced, and these will continue to ensure that suitable alternative venues can be found within the City.  The Council are working with partners and other facilities within the city to establish where existing groups can be accommodated.

It was recommended that the Cabinet Member consider the petitions and make recommendations to the Cabinet when it meets to consider the report proposing the closure of the CSLC.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport:-

1.  Considers the two petitions submitted in relation to the continued provision of badminton courts within the city centre of Coventry.

2.  Provides recommendations to the Cabinet in relation to these petitions when it considered the report proposing the closure of the Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre.