The Local Context

Corporate Aims and Objectives and Service Strategies

The principal provider, instigator and guardian of the leisure and cultural infrastructure in Fareham has traditionally been the Borough Council with support from Hampshire County Council. Any local Strategy for Leisure and Culture needs to take account of many influences, as the table in Appendix A demonstrates.

Within the context of the local authority, such a strategy must be positioned between the Council's corporate aims and objectives and individual service strategies. e.g. for sport and recreation. The Council's corporate objectives are:-

1. Promoting and enhancing our environment;

2. Maintaining and extending prosperity;

3. A safe and healthy place to live and work;

4. Leisure for health and fun;

5. A balanced housing market; and

6. A dynamic, prudent, progressive, Best Practice Council

Objective 4 above is as follows:

"Working with others we will ensure that all residents have access to recreational facilities providing the opportunity to socialise with other members of the community, explore the history of the area, be entertained and remain fit and healthy.  In particular, we will seek to develop a new swimming pool in the west of the Borough, provide a cinema in the Town Centre, provide a new artificial turf pitch and upgrade the facilities at Fareham Leisure Centre and the Ferneham Hall through innovative partnership, possibly with a charitable trust.  We will work in partnership with local clubs to enable them to manage our sports facilities and will continue to provide a range of community facilities - especially for young people.  Our coastline and rivers are important assets for local people and tourists alike and we will ensure public access to both.  "Fareham - the place to enjoy life and stay healthy. "

Local Leisure and Cultural Strategies must also link with the individual service strategies and plans of each of the leisure services provided by the authority.  This local Leisure and Cultural Strategy focuses on strategic choices and sets overall performance measurements and assessments.  Individual service strategies will take the vision, values, policies and strategic priorities of this Strategy as a framework and develop these for their particular sector focussing on operational matters, specific initiatives and detailed outputs, outcomes and targets.

The Council's emphasis on sustainability and social inclusion is reflected throughout this strategy.  Traditional leisure pursuits such as walking, cycling, horse riding and sailing continue to be popular within the Borough of Fareham.  This strategy seeks to protect and promote accessibility and opportunities for their enjoyment. 

Local Major Policy Issues

On 1 July 2002 the Council's Executive considered the results of a feasibility study, including a public consultation exercise, into the future provision of leisure and community facilities in the Borough of Fareham.  The study examined the future of Fareham Leisure Centre and Ferneham Hall and the possible provision of a new swimming pool in the Locks Heath area.

 Residents were asked to indicate their preferences/priorities for future leisure provision in the borough.  The main priorities identified were:-

• Swimming 56%
• Cinema 54%
• Young people's activities 45%
• Health and fitness studios 38%
• Musicals/concerts/shows 30%
• Community facilities 30%
• Multi-use games area 21%
• Badminton courts 21%

In addition to the residents' survey the Council undertook market research on the current and unmet demand for leisure facilities within the local catchment area, taking account of the current and future supply of facilities.  The key findings were as follows:-

• There are currently five public swimming pools within 7 miles of Fareham town centre.  Using Sport England's facilities planning model this should be a sufficient amount of swimming pool water to meet local demand in the region.  However, there is no doubt that the local community would like to see an additional public swimming pool in the western wards.
• If all planned developments, including Market Quay (which includes a multi-screen cinema, a health and fitness suite and possibly a swimming pool), go ahead there will still be a shortage of 105 health and fitness stations.
• There is a shortage of indoor sports halls suitable for badminton.
• There is an unmet demand for one synthetic turf pitch in the Borough.
• There is sufficient theatre/concert hall provision in the area and there would not be any demand for a larger facility than the current provision at Ferneham Hall.

The present position is that the Council is investigating:

• The establishment of a charitable trust to operate Fareham Leisure Centre and Ferneham Hall;
• the provision of £1.2 million capital funding to the Trust to undertake the necessary building and maintenance works required on the two venues over the next five years;
• an agreement being made with the Trust that both parties will consider the establishment of a combined facility at Park Lane after the first five years of operation, if capital funding becomes available; and
• the feasibility of constructing a swimming pool in the Western Wards, possibly in partnership with the private sector.

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