Agenda item

The Committee considered the following report:

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main issues

 

1.1       Fields in Trust (FIT), in partnership with a national funder, is launching a new programme in spring 2017 to protect and activate outdoor recreation spaces across the UK. The programme will deliver activity programmes on designated spaces in communities where there is a need to tackle physical inactivity and encourage more people to become more physically active.

 

1.2       The designated sites would be protected in perpetuity through a legal Deed of Dedication between the Council and Fields in Trust. 

 

1.3       Fields in Trust has approached the Council with a view to protecting six or seven sites across the region. Following discussions between officers and FIT, it is proposed that Cregagh Green would be ideal for this Programme. This is based on the view that the site has a unique association with George Best and as such the site should be preserved. It was felt that given this association the site lends itself to promoting physical activity combined with encouraging young people in particular to improve their outlook through sport.

 

1.4       This report seeks Committee approval for the Council to submit an application to the programme with the understanding that if successful the Council may enter into a legal non-charitable Deed of Dedication affording protection to Cregagh Green subject to Council’s title.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Committee is asked to;

 

·        Agree that Cregagh Green is submitted through an application process to participate in this programme. If successful Cregagh Green would obtain ‘protected status’ through a deed of dedication between the Council and Fields in Trust and be subject to the constraints of a deed of dedication as referred to below.

 

3.0       Main Report

 

3.1       In May 2017, Fields in Trust (the operating name of the National Playing Fields Association) is launching a new programme to encourage more people to become more physically active on green spaces in their communities.

 

3.2       The UK Chief Medical Officers state that adults should aim to take part in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more, according to physical activity guidelines for adults from the UK Chief Medical Officers’. See https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213740/dh_128145.pdf

 

            ‘Promoting active lifestyles can help us address some of the important challenges facing the UK today. Increasing physical activity has the potential to improve the physical and mental health of the nation, reduce all-cause mortality and improve life expectancy. It can also save money by significantly easing the burden of chronic disease on the health and social care services’. (Start Active, Stay Active – A report on physical activity for health from the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers 2016 (updated)).

 

3.3       Access to green spaces is an essential element of active lifestyles, community cohesion and mental wellbeing.  Delivery of local and diverse activity programmes on these community spaces will aim to increase entry level activity amongst inactive people of all ages.

 

3.4       The programme, which is funded by a national charity, will combine protection of spaces with revenue funding to engage physically inactive people on those green spaces.  Each space will be offered delivery of a physical activity project(s) to the value of £5,000 to serve local needs and benefit target groups as appropriate.  A programme activation resource pack will be provided to promote and support an event to help promote the physical activity project and engage community participation.

 

3.5       Each space will also be able to apply for a larger capital grant of £25,000 to enable continued sustained physical activity on sites protected through the programme.

 

 

            The programme sets out a number of objectives:

 

·        To increase participation in physical activity amongst the inactive from groups including (but not limited to):

 

o   Disabled people

o   Women and girls

o   People from lower socio-economic groups

o   Those at risk from long-term health conditions

o   People from particular ethnic groups

o   Older people

 

·        Provide a catalyst to deliver sustainable physical activity opportunities

·        Raise the profile of local green spaces as important to health and well-being

·        Secure local green spaces for continued and increased participation in a diverse range of physical and community activities

·        Improve community cohesion, mental and physical health through participation in physical activity.

 

            Impact on the Asset

 

3.7       A few of the Council’s properties have already been gifted to the Council with restrictive use clauses contained within the title deeds to those properties which effectively create a trust which the Council is required to adhere to.

 

3.8       There are a few other Council properties held under deeds of dedication with the Millennium Commission (signed in 2000 for a period of 99 years) and with Fields in Trust and it appears that these could not be nominated for the proposed Fields in Trust Programme.

 

3.9       If the Council chooses to nominate this site, the title would first need to be examined to ensure that the property is not already subject to a deed of dedication, or to alienation provisions within the title (i.e. restrictions on assignment, or parting with possession) or certain use covenants).

 

3.10     The deeds of dedication issued by the Fields in Trust and which the Council may be required to sign are stringent and constrain what the Council can do in terms of disposal or any building works/changes of use affecting any nominated property. A burden is required to be registered against the title of the nominated property. Any dealings with the property or works to same in the future would require the consent of Fields in Trust, and once successfully nominated this remains the case in perpetuity and such a deed of dedication remains in perpetuity.

 

            Timescales

 

3.11     If approved, the Field in trust require the Deed of Dedication to be signed within four months of submitting the application; this will be subject to title and potentially other factors such as officer resources. Upon completion of the proposed Deed of Dedication the activation project will commence with the opportunity for an activation event to launch the programme on the site and to promote its designated status.

 

            Financial & Resource Implications

 

3.12     This programme provides an opportunity to avail of up to £30k to deliver programming and capital development of the site to increase participation in healthy activity (£5k to take part in the programme if application is successful and an option to apply for a further £25k, the latter is not guaranteed).

 

            Human Resources

 

3.13     The costs of participating in the programme will include Officer time and in particular Legal advice to agree the Deed of Dedication.

 

            Equality or Good Relations Implications

 

3.14     There are no known Equality or Good Relations implications.

 

            Asset and Other Implications

 

3.15     Parks and green spaces are highly valued by local residents. The Cregagh Green site has been identified as being an important community facility and as a valuable asset in addressing physical inactivity and building community cohesion.  This programme will benefit residents and park users and contribute to improving the quality of life and help address health inequalities.

 

3.16     By taking part in this programme we will positively raise the profile of Cregagh Green and the Council through a high profile national programme, as well as contributing towards our aims of encouraging healthier and more active lifestyles within the community.”

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.