Have your say on the draft Indoor Sports Facility Strategy
DDC is updating its Indoor Sports Facility Strategy to support the review of its Local Plan, and is now asking for residents’ views. The strategy was last reviewed in 2016.
Using guidance from Sport England, the draft strategy focuses on a wide range of indoor sports facilities, from swimming pools and health & fitness suites to dance/aerobic studios and indoor tennis courts across the district.
The aim of the strategy is to understand how the district’s facilities are currently being used, and what the future demand is likely to be. This information will help the Council and facility providers concerning future planning and investment.
Key stakeholders including Sport England, National Governing Bodies of Sport, local secondary schools and town/parish councils which hire out indoor sports facilities, key local sport clubs, facility managers and neighbouring authorities have already contributed to the draft strategy.
Cllr Ollie Richardson, DDC’s portfolio holder for community and corporate property, said: “The Council continues to work on improving accessible and affordable indoor leisure facilities across the district. We’ve delivered on many of the objectives in the last strategy, the most significant being the highly successful Dover District Leisure Centre which opened in March 2019.
“The availability of affordable and welcoming facilities at accessible locations helps to build participation in sport, thus improving quality of life as well as the health and well-being of the local community.”
The public consultation will take place from 18 July – 30 September. The draft strategy can be accessed via the Council’s website at www.dover.gov.uk/indoorsportsfacilitystrategy and public comments can be made via the Council’s online consultation portal.
Alternatively, comments can be emailed to localplan@dover.gov.uk or sent by post to The Planning Policy Team, Council Offices, Whitfield, White Cliffs Business Park, Dover CT16 3PJ.
Posted on 18 July 2022