A consultation will be held on a draft Sports and Leisure Strategy for Tendring District Council (TDC).

The draft strategy, which sets out a five-year approach to developing and providing sport and leisure activity in the district, has four over-arching objectives as well as a suggested action plan to deliver against those aims.

An aspiration is included within the draft strategy to create a new state-of-the-art Active Wellbeing Centre in the district, working with partners to bring health and leisure facilities together in one place; itself acting as a hub linked to other facilities in Tendring.

A feasibility study is being commissioned on this piece of work, which will then support a review of other leisure facilities to ensure they integrate with this and remain on a sustainable financial footing.

During a meeting yesterday (Tuesday, 12 March) TDC’s Cabinet recognised not all of the actions within the plan could be funded but that having a strategy would allow the authority to seek external funding for delivery; Cabinet did allocate an initial £122,530 towards delivery of the finalised action plan.

The draft strategy includes a focus on community activity – helping people to be active in the areas where they live – and Cabinet set out its support for a new Community Sport and Activity Manager role to facilitate this work.

Cabinet agreed to send the draft strategy out for an eight-week consultation – and in particular to seek views on it from local clubs and sport governing bodies.

Mick Barry, TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Public Realm, said the draft strategy reflected the way people did activity now.

“The whole landscape of sport and leisure is changing, with an increased focus on people being active where they live; and for us to ensure our leisure provision remains sustainable, we must evolve to reflect that changing landscape,” Councillor Barry said.

“This includes bringing health and leisure together, which is why we are keen to explore a new Active Wellbeing Centre; and promoting community-based activity, with this work supported by a specific post.

“I am keen to hear people’s views on this suggested new approach for us to consider before we adopt a finalised strategy, while also kick-starting some of the background feasibility work to allow us to make fully-informed decisions going forward.”

Key actions within the draft strategy’s action plan include facilitating more sports events and community facilities such as play zones and multi-use games areas; opening up cycling and walking routes; and to explore providing virtual exercise classes.

Details of the consultation will be published in the coming weeks.