Public urged to get involved with leisure review

MORAY Council is urging members of the public to get involved with a review, which is looking at the provision of leisure services.

This follows a meeting which was held at Forres Academy towards the end of the year, attended by a range of local user groups and community organisations, to discuss the future of sport leisure and recreation provision in the town.

Moray Council is carrying out a review to identify where savings can be made whilst retaining an “appropriate level” of services across the area.

A consultation is taking place online between now and February 2, and people are being urged to make their views known.

“We have to look at what we are spending on leisure and recreation facilities to make sure nothing is being underused or money wasted,” said councillor Anne Skene. “It may be that some investment is needed in certain areas to make the provision adequate, but clearly that is against a backdrop of a diminishing budget.”

The investigation is being led by a steering group of councillors; Mrs Skene, Douglas Ross, Aaron Mclean and Barry Jarvis.

“The review is necessary due to the fact that there is still £20m to find in the budget,” said councillor McLean. “Plus with a lot of the facilities being shared with the school estate across moray it makes sense to do it at around the same time.

“We are looking for help on ways we can save money or increase income. For example, on a Sunday afternoon if I want to take my wee girl swimming I have to go to elgin. If 30 other parents in Forres have the same idea it might make sense to change the opening times. It’s not all about cuts and shutting buildings.

“The Forres meeting had the best turn out so far, way more than the meetings I’ve chaired in Lossie and Fochabers.”

Councillor Skene chaired the meeting at Elgin Academy.

“The meetings were held to explain the background and context for carrying out the review and the review process itself,” she said. “Highlighted, were ways that user groups and the community can contribute.

“It is very important that people engage with this review and make clear what is already happening in various facilities and the perceived level of need. Obviously, people have very defined self-interests and it is important that as much information as possible is fed back so that rational decision making can take place at the end of the review.”

Councillor Creswell, attended the Forres meeting and agreed that it was a necessary first step in maintaining the required level of leisure service provision in Moray.

“A review is long overdue as assets we have are not being used to capacity,” she said. “We need to get people engaging and active to be maintaining our health, finding out for themselves what is available.”

However, Ms Creswell was not particularly impressed with the initial meeting in Forres.

“It was a good enough turnout but sitting in rows and being asked to contact via a website is not the most engaging method,” she said. “Most attendees were talking about their individual activities and concerned with what they might lose. I feel more could have been done by way of discussion. Perhaps some folk there felt stifled by the attendance of the leisure managers.”

The Sportscotland facilities planning model is being used by the steering group to provide an objective assessment of the relationship between the likely demand for sports facilities in an area and the actual supply.

Professional referee and former Forres Academy pupil, councillor Ross, believes the network of local facilities must be analysed to ensure local need is met.

“This is a big task and I am pleased that the council is using the SportScotland model to help assess provision,” he said.

“Their independent analysis tool will provide objectivity to parts of the process. I would encourage everyone who engages in an activity at any of our facilities to make sure their views are known to the review team.”

Sportscotland produce facility planning models for swimming pools and sports halls. The condition of pools, community centres and town halls are assessed in depth every five years with an annual revision based on any work undertaken together with information gained from inspectors’ visits. The key information from all facilities is presented to the governing sport bodies before consultation.

Moray Council are keen to engage with user groups and the wider community throughout the review process, and have set up an email address for people to comment or make an enquiry at futureleisure@moray.gov.uk

A dedicated page on the council website has also been created providing information on the review and the ways in which local people can make their views known.

An online survey will go live from January 6 until February 2 asking for peoples’ sport, leisure and recreation facilities povision priorities. To participate visit www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_90334.html or request a hard copy on 01343 563395.

The councillors will report a series of options to the Area Based Review body in March 2014.