This last year has been my third in the post of Project Head for Sport and Leisure, with special responsibility for Britain In Bloom, Heritage Lottery Bids (for our large parks) and Green Flag and Pennant Scheme submissions.

Sport, Leisure and Wellbeing

Sport within the Borough has always received political backing like no Authority I have come across before. Tameside MBC recognises that sport and its participation whether at competitive or wellbeing levels can have so many benefits to so many people whether directly or indirectly.

I see my role in a very simplistic manner. The facilities we have now and in the future should be to the highest standard and their role objectively defined in our Sports Strategy. Access and signposting to facilities and community clubs should be as robust and innovative as we can possibly make them and community clubs should be understood, nurtured and backed to ensure their sustainability and continued footprint within the Borough.

The recent media attention on the health of our nation reinforces the importance of such initiatives, and to adequately address these issues this year has seen the successful launch of the Tameside Council SPAA (Sports and Physical Activity Alliance). This alliance has a three tier structure and has made an immediate impact pulling together all the key organisations operating within the Borough from the Police and the PCT to New Charter and the Sports Trust to highlight difficulties and re-focus funding priorities.

It is clear to see that this organisation, once it has been refined, will be a key vehicle in addressing major health issues in the broader sense.

This time last year the Sports Trust and the Council were busy finalising business plans and potential models for 3 of its key sites in order to ‘role out’ and emulate the success of the newly refurbished Medlock Sports Centre, Droylsden. After much debate an agreement has finally been reached and a Key Decision ratified by full Council which will see the Trust undertake a modernisation programme worth £7 million at the Copley, Hyde Leisure and Ashton Pool sites.

In my view I have done everthing possible to provide pivotal foundation facilities at affordable prices, at a standard to rival any private provision provider.

This statement is crucial for the journey we need to embark on with the Borough to address massive health issues, and my heartfelt thanks go out to all the people who have helped me achieve this goal including the Sports Trust Chairman and senior management team who, like me, have endured many highs and lows throughout this process.

Like last year, I would like to highlight the success of Oxford Park in Ashton. The provision and programming for the local community has been an inspiration to us all and has highlighted how successful locally based centres can be in addressing many fundamental issues. By default Oxford Park was put forward by ourselves as a Green Flag entry and when the judges saw the whole operation they commented that all parks should have sports centres located within them and gave us a Green Flag at our first attempt.

Britain In Bloom

At the awards ceremony held at Manchester Town Hall where we received the Regional First Prize again, we also discovered that for the second time we had received enough points to be nominated by the judges to represent the North West in the National Competition this year in 2008. What a magnificent achievement and let’s hope that we can implement what we have learnt and better our second place behind Aberdeen 2 years ago.

After realising over 18 months ago that our nursery facilities were in need of refurbishment/rebuild, April saw the official opening of our brand new facility on the original site of Denton. The design and build programme had been carefully programmed and diligent project management ensured the scheme was delivered with no loss of growing output to meet our ‘In Bloom’ commitments.

Heritage Lottery Bids

Following a lengthy process of consultation and design briefs a bid was finally submitted by TMBC to the Heritage Lottery Board via the North West Office on behalf of Stamford Park for a scheme which would ultimately be worth close to £6 million.

After many visits by Lottery personnel and consultants from both the North West and London we were finally granted a sum of £203,500.00 to enable the Authority to undertake a stage 2 bid. This part of the bid requires us to stipulate the details of our original proposals down to a fine level before its submission in 9 months time and consultants have already been appointed to help us undertake this task.

Following a successful bid in stage 2 we hope to start our Stamford Park redevelopment/refurbishment scheme in 2010.

Full Council and District Assemblies

To the best of my knowledge over the past twelve months I have attended all Full Council meetings and all of the Dukinfield and Stalybridge District Assemblies. For both the District Assemblies I have taken on the role of community safety and as a result I have attended all of the subsequent meetings organised on a monthly basis.

Constituency Ward Work

The 3 Ward Councillors having successfully fought for and obtained a bus shelter at the bottom of Yew Tree Lane have finally seen its construction together with the moving of a bus stop to a more convenient position opposite the Liston Public House on Cheetham Hill Road.

A controversial scheme to remodel Dukinfield Golf Club with subsequent house building and re-location of the club house has finally been resolved. Although we had to accept the building of some properties, we have negotiated designs and drive orientation and avoided a total site housing option.