West Oxfordshire District Council unveils strategic vision for leisure and wellbeing services across the district

Cllr Tim Sumner, Executive Member for Leisure and Major Projects, said: " We are committed to improving access to leisure and wellbeing opportunities across our district. This plan sets out how we will achieve this and has been developed using feedback from our communities and specialist input.  

“It sets a clear path for delivering modern, inclusive leisure services that meet the needs of our growing community, while ensuring long-term financial sustainability.” 

“It will also form part of our wider strategy to create a better future for the district in our new Local Plan. It will make sure we can plan for new facilities as housing developments are built and also make sure opportunities to maintain a healthy lifestyle are considered in every new development."  

Councillor Sumner continued, “Our community consultation told us that people want a wider range of options for staying healthy and that's what this plan will look to achieve. We want to ensure the district’s playing pitches, green spaces and built facilities meet the needs of local residents, whilst also providing opportunities are accessible to all. It's about creating an inclusive approach to health and wellbeing that allows everyone to maintain their health.” 

Another of the key projects in the plan is looking at the districts leisure centres and how they will operate in the future. Work will now start to explore detailed options for delivering the council’s ambitions. 

The plan was developed based on feedback of over 800 responses from a recent consultation, feedback from the local sporting community, and also experts in the field. It will build on existing plans like the Playing Pitch Strategy and connect with other key initiatives, such as promoting active travel and making the most of our open green spaces.