Wednesday 7 June 2006
Changing patterns in sports participation and rising customer expectations all point to the need for a new approach to sports facilities planning and investment.
This was the conclusion of a new report published by sportscotland today, ’The National Audit of Scotland’s Sports Facilities’, which looked at the challenges presented by Scotland’s current stock of sports facilities.
The audit covered outdoor, golf and indoor facilities (including swimming pools), operated by clubs, schools, further education and commercial sectors as well as by local authorities. This encompasses over 6,000 facilities.
As well as estimating the capital cost of bringing them up to, and maintaining them in an acceptable standard, the audit identified a range of factors that all need to be considered in addressing facilities planning and investment for the future.
Of particular significance is the changing pattern of demand for sports facilities, taking account of both demographic trends and the changing popularity of different sports. Also highlighted, was how customer expectations in terms of the quality of facilities, have risen across the service sector.
In reality, this means many facilities should be replaced rather than refurbished and the replacement facilities could differ in scale and specification from those they replace, if they are to best meet modern demands. In addition, new facilities will be required in areas of under-provision.
But perhaps most importantly, facility development should be based on a strategic assessment of priorities in local areas across all facilities.
Whilst only a snapshot at one point in time, the audit found that the cost of upgrading and maintaining all the facilities over a 25 year period is equivalent to £110m per annum. The annual figure consists of £26m for outdoor facilities, £6m for golf and £78m for indoor facilities. Routine maintenance costs would be additional to this.
Given the large number of facilities involved, it is not surprising that the costs of maintaining this enormous estate in terms of both buildings and land are commensurately high. The age of much of this stock, the quality of initial design and construction, and the level of investment in both refurbishment and maintenance over a long number of years all contribute to current and projected costs.
The audit report concludes that the levels of expenditure on maintenance have been insufficient to keep facilities in an acceptable condition. With many facilities in need of major refurbishment, local government and its partners need to take a more strategic approach to facility planning and investment and this will require the commitment of all those involved in operating and funding sports facilities. As the current situation has arisen over a number of years, a long-term approach will be required.
Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson said: "This is an exciting time for sport in Scotland. Recent successes in Melbourne, the Olympics in 2012 and the prospect of Glasgow hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games can all boost interest and participation in sport.
"Having facilities that are fit for purpose can help realise our sporting ambitions. The Scottish Executive and its partners are investing tens of millions of pounds in new sport facilities across Scotland through the national and regional facilities strategy, but more can be done.
"This report highlights the need for local authorities to plan ahead and establish exactly what facilities are required to meet future demand. It is essential that they put the right infrastructure in place to meet local and national needs, at the same time improving design quality and importantly ensure the right maintenance regimes are in place.
"The First Minister is hosting a top level Sport Summit in September. He wants to stimulate a debate about Scotland's sporting future; taking in facilities, participation and how we achieve sporting excellence on the international stage. The findings of this report will help inform that debate."
Commenting on the report Julia Bracewell OBE, Chair of sportscotland said: “Quality, accessible facilities are vital if sport is to thrive in Scotland. There needs to be the right quality and mix of facilities across the country to provide opportunities to participate in a range of sports, driving an increase in participation, as well as supporting those with aspirations to compete at a higher level.
“We must find some creative solutions to this facilities challenge and further investment will clearly be required. sportscotland will continue to work closely with its partners to encourage and support sound facilities planning and we have already taken these findings into account in shaping our own capital investment programme for the future.”
Responding to the announcement Councillor Graham Garvie, COSLA Spokesperson on Arts and Leisure, commented: ““Fundamental to this report is the recognition that the infrastructural needs of sport are changing in 21st century Scotland with changing demographics, changing lifestyles, and changing expectations. As a consequence, there’s limited purpose in assessing the costs of replacement and refurbishment of the whole of Scotland’s “sporting estate” in isolation of other factors. Each local authority and partner organisations will have its own priorities – from widening participation and improving access to strengthening links between grassroots and elite sport. Those agreed local priorities will determine how each area develops its facilities policy as part of a wider strategy to deliver first class sporting provision fit for 21st century Scotland.
“At the end of the day, the investment strategies of all partners – local government, community planning partners, governing bodies, sportscotland and the Scottish Executive - must be aligned to deliver agreed locally-identified policy priorities”.
- This summary report and copies of the individual audit reports can be downloaded from sportscotland’s website www.sportscotland.org.uk.
- The audit follows a similar approach to that developed in The Ticking Time Bomb (sportscotland 2001) report. This estimated the level of investment required to keep Scotland’s public swimming pools open and provided guidance on the choice between refurbishment and replacement.
- Sport 21 2003-2007 is Scotland’s national strategy for sport and is currently being reviewed for April 2007 onwards.
- Since the introduction of the National Lottery in 1995, sportscotland has made 774 awards for facility projects with a total value of £141m. These awards contributed to various refurbishment, replacement and new build projects with an estimated total value of £458m. Many more sports facility projects have been implemented without Lottery funding.
- In July 2003 the Scottish Executive announced a funding package of £28.8m to develop a regional network of multi-sport facilities across Scotland. This was complemented by a further £21.2m from sportscotland Lottery funding. Allocations were made to a range of projects in July 2004.
- Through its Building for Sport Programme, sportscotland will continue to invest significant monies in facility projects. For 2006/07 £7.05m and 2007/08 £6m will come from Lottery funding, plus an additional £13m over the two years from the Scottish Executive. Investment will target two specific areas.
- There will be further investment in the network of training and competition facilities across the country, both in support of the National and Regional Sports Facilities Strategy and filling in gaps in provision.
- The second area to be targeted will be community facilities that that can make a positive impact on sports participation and awards have already been made to a number of projects.