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BLACKPOOL COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE MEMBER REPORT TO THE COUNCIL
Report of the Cabinet Member for:
Culture and Leisure
at the Council meeting held on:
18th January 2006
This report provides the opportunity to report to the Council the latest developments on
various matters relating to the Culture and Leisure portfolio.
Cultural Services
i. Heritage Strategy
Blackpool’s first Heritage Strategy has been developed and is shortly to be circulated in draft
form to all key partners and agencies across the town and the North West region for their
comment and feedback. The strategy presents a number of large scale projects and
developments which are unique to Blackpool and illuminate the town’s world famous role as
the quintessential seaside resort. At the heart of Blackpool’s seaside heritage is the
proposed development of a National Seaside Centre. To underpin Blackpool’s unique
identity and historical significance, Blackpool’s ambition is to be formally recognised as a
World Heritage Site. Over the next few months, Blackpool’s status as having Outstanding
Universal Value is to be discussed formally and in detail with English Heritage, in what is the
first stage in the process for inclusion on the Department of Culture, Media and Sports
Tentative List of nominations to be put forward and ultimately approved by UNESCO.
ii. The Arts
The Council has recently signed-up to a revised three year Service Level Agreement with
the Grand Theatre. The agreement underpins the partnership between the Council and the
theatre and the opportunities to increase access to, and participation in, a diverse range of
art forms of the highest quality.
The Council’s financial contribution is an integral element of the overall Grand Theatre
funding and support the provision of the “Schools Alive” initiative, targeted audience
development programmes, a range of ticket price concessions and school holiday and
outreach programmes held in the Lawrence House Studio.
As part of the Creative Lancashire project, Blackpool has a Creative Industries Officer in
place for three years and funded by ERDF. In addition the Arts Council has funded a two
year Community Dance Development Officer.
The Arts team in partnership with Blackpool PCT recently hosted a regional Arts and Health
Conference bringing together examples of Arts and Health best practice from across the
region, with a focus on:
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Arts and Health Care Environment
Arts and mental health
Arts and community health
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The conference was over subscribed and a great success – a series of follow-up events in
Blackpool is planned to build on the success and the sharing of expertise and knowledge.
iii. Cultural Strategy
In 2006, the value and contribution of Blackpool’s cultural offer is to be recognised by the
town’s first Cultural Strategy. Art and Sport, cultural and recreational activity contribute to
neighbourhood renewal and make a real difference to health, crime reduction, employment
and education in deprived communities.
Cultural activities are also an integral and sustainable part of the economy of Blackpool and
contribute to the prosperity of the town. The Cultural Strategy will be for Blackpool and not
just a Strategy for Leisure and Cultural Services and will seek to:
 Focus on the cultural needs, demands and aspirations of the community
 Be guided by the vision for the New Blackpool
 Bring cultural activities to the “heart” of development and regeneration
 Inspire local people and communities and promote volunteering in cultural activities
 Create pathways for people of all ages to participate in a diverse range of cultural
activities
 Encourage innovation and partnership solution to providing cultural services
Libraries
Blackpool’s library service has been recognised by the Department of Culture, Media and
Sport as being a Three Star (Good) Library Service – the trend for both visits and issues
continues upwards, with an overall increase in visits to libraries in 2005 of almost 20,000
from 740,000 in 2004 to 760,000.
A summary of the key developments and improvement across the library service include:
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Extension of opening hours at Layton, Anchorsholme, Revoe and Bispham libraries.
Sunday opening from 11am to 2pm at Palatine and Central Library.
A comprehensive range of reader development schemes and special collections to
support the improvement of literacy levels in Blackpool.
Encouragement of young people to be active users of library facilities through
innovative activities/programmes, home work and study support and outreach
projects with schools.
Libraries to be established as venues for Adult Learning opportunities through ICT
based learning and leisure learning programmes.
Blackpool’s libraries continue to provide a vital and popular service to individuals of all ages,
to families and to local communities. Literacy skills and reading for pleasure are at the heart
of improving quality of life.
Parks and Recreation
As a result of the quality of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) application for the restoration of
Stanley Park, the Parks Service is now a regional and national mentor for HLF parks
applications. The achievement of £3.78m with more than £1m of other funding dovetailed
into the process is immense. Work has now started within the park on what will be a two
and a half year programme.
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Stanley Park can now boast a Visitor Centre which is of unparalleled quality. The £150k
development provides a meeting venue for the Friends of the Park and a range of
opportunities for visitors and residents alike.
Blackpool’s first “Green Flag” has been achieved at Watson Road Park, reflecting the quality
of the park and the partnership that has been established with local people and the friends of
the park group. Green Flag is a nationally recognised standard for quality provision of parks.
A new and pioneering “progress through partnership” agreement has been established with
Myerscough College, which is about the provision of adult learning opportunities and the
establishment of a Plant Centre in the redundant greenhouses at Stanley Park, which will
open in April 2006.
In 2005 the Parks Section again demonstrated their horticultural expertise by winning the
Britain in Bloom North Coastal Resort category.
The partnership with the Police, resulting in the Police Community Support Officers in
Stanley Park has had a tremendous impact. Crime levels have reduced by more than 50
percent with feedback from users of feeling safer and more confident in terms of using the
park.
The launch of Blackpool’s first Allotment Strategy took place within November 2005, with
huge community support and involvement. The strategy sets a “shared vision” of the
Council and partners as to the future development of allotment provision within the borough.
Sport and Leisure (including Bowls Hall and Sandcastle)
The opening of the £6.5m Palatine Leisure Centre is a significant landmark in the history of
sport and leisure facility provision within the borough. In excess of 7,000 local people visited
the centre over the opening weekend, with subsequent levels of participation very high.
Sport England described the successful £4.395m lottery application as the best they had
ever received.
The new £500k “Sports Barn” in the Talbot and Brunswick area has created a great deal of
interest from not only residents but across the county. This is the first sports barn within the
country and described as pioneering by Sport England. Revenue funding achieved over the
next three years will ensure an exciting programme of community coaching is available.
The £2.6m NOF PE and Sport programme is now starting to impact, with more than half of
the nineteen capital projects either completed or started. In particular, the multi use games
facilities being provided will enhance curriculum delivery and support after school and
community use.
The integrated and joined-up approach to children and young people’s holiday activity
programmes proved extremely successful in 2005. The summer programme resulted in
excess of 27,000 visits by children and young people to a wide range of activities and
programmes with over 9,000 attending the free swimming services at Palatine and Moor
Park Pool. The key services of Leisure, Youth Services and Youth Offending Team are now
planning the 2006 programme, with additional services taking greater ownership and
involvement.
2005 was a successful year in terms of events, with many local, regional and national events
taking place at Stanley Park. The bid to host the 2006 Lancashire Youth Games was
successful, which will see more than 3,000 children and young people competing or
volunteering in the games at Stanley Park.
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The health and well-being programme continues to be a success story, with in excess of
5,000 visits to clinical, cardiac, respiratory or healthy walking programmes from April to
September 2005. The implementation of the negotiated agreements with the Primary Care
Trust is resulting in further opportunities to develop health care programmes.
There has been an explosion in participation at the highest level in terms of disability sport.
This has not happened overnight and reflects years of work in terms of providing
opportunities for people with a disability to participate and develop in a chosen sport if they
wish.
A pioneering partnership between the Council and 27 local bowling clubs has seen the local
bowling community take greater ownership and empowerment in terms of the development
and management of their greens and facilities.
During 2005 there has been significant progress made through working with Sports
Development Groups and local Sports Clubs. This is reflected in the number of young
people who have achieved excellence in sport during the year. Just two examples of young
sport champions are Shelly Woods who came 2nd in the London Marathon, Bronze in the
European 5,000m and a new British Record and who has now been selected for the
Commonwealth Games in March 2008 and Kathryn Ellor who through a tremendous
performance at the Great British (GB) National Gymnastics Championships has been ranked
5th in GB and is a part of the National Squad.
Thank you Mr Mayor, I will be pleased to invite any questions or comments from Councillors
in relation to the Culture and Leisure portfolio.