The Communities Manager attended to give an
annual verbal update regarding the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field
Task Group.
The officer outlined the remit of the Task
Group:
The Task Group had been established in
December 2013 in response to concerns raised by the Charity
Commission over the perceived level of public benefit derived from
the Playing Field, a registered charity.
Detailed legal advice concluded that the
Council had been acting lawfully.
The Task Group scope had been “to
consider whether it is possible for the Council to extend and widen
public access to the Field within the terms of the Deeds and to
make recommendations back to the Council”
The Task Group had made 15 key recommendations
which had been addressed, which included:
- increased promotion and widening of
use which had met charitable aims;
- improved booking process which had
captured recommendations;
- that appropriate fees and charges
had been set; and
- that maintenance and compliance had
been managed.
Benefits had included:
- that access to the Playing Field had
been widely available for sporting purposes;
- the Council had remained compliant
with Charity Commission guidance; and
- that unreasonable costs had not been
incurred.
A wide range of sporting and leisure users had
been attracted to the site prior to 2020, these had included:
Pinchbeck United; Aintree Football Club; ladies teams; Santa Fun
Runs; Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue; and Spalding Baptist Church,
amongst others.
The Communities team had organised and
delivered two annual events on the site which had:
- promoted sports clubs and groups
across the district;
- promoted the field for future
use.
For 2020/21:
- Covid restrictions had led to
cancellations;
- the South Holland Outdoor Festival
ran by the Communities team in July 2021 had been well attended;
and
- football had returned, with
restrictions in place as required.
Future work included actions which related
to:
- review of fees and charges which
included utility costs;
- review of digital bookings
options;
- promotion of the site; and
- engagement of local clubs and
groups.
The Panel considered the update and made the
following comments:
- Members stated that online booking
searches for the site had not delivered appropriate results and
welcomed an improved digital profile. Members questioned how people
could find the site online if they had not known it had been owned
by the council.
- The officer stated that booking
information had been evident at the site through signage. Direct
promotion to clubs had included specific booking details. Website
key words would be reviewed to improve internet search
results.
- Members asked whether a long-term
strategy for the field had been considered. Had 3rd,
4th & 5th generation pitches been
considered?
- The officer confirmed that the field
had been left in trust to the people of South Holland and that the
council had been bound by the trust. Community minded partners had
been supportive in developing the use of the site which had
contributed to meeting these aims;
- the activities needed to be sports
and leisure based; and
- a district-wide piece of work was to
be completed regarding pitch demand which included both indoor and
outdoor facilities.
- Members suggested footage and images
be used in advertising which demonstrated examples of site use.
- The officer confirmed that
promotion utilised targeted marketing in both digital and physical
formats which had facilitated stronger engagement. The officer
would check that signage at the field had clearly stated what the
field could be used for and how the site could be booked.
AGREED:
That the verbal update be noted.