Stowmarket Health, Education, and Leisure

Project overview

Stowmarket is the largest town in the district and has a growing population. An exciting opportunity has become available to collaborate with several key partners to develop an exemplar sports, education, health, and wellbeing project on two adjacent sites in Stowmarket. The Stowmarket Health, Education, and Leisure project will provide outstanding facilities for the area.

These new and enhanced facilities will allow all partnership opportunities to thrive and expand. They will provide a base for new collaborations between sport, education, health, and wellbeing. This exciting scheme has two main elements:

• Facilities which are fit for purpose and support the growth of the area. They will also provide spaces for collaborative working and shared spaces for a range partners and organisations;
• Partnership and programming between partners to ensure the right opportunities are maximised for the whole community.

Investment in sport and leisure facilities and wellbeing provision in Stowmarket is linked to key outcomes in the Councils’ strategic plans including:

• New Wellbeing Plan;
• Refreshed Sports, Leisure, and Physical Activity Strategy;
• New Economic Recovery Plan.

As a growing town, Stowmarket was identified in the Sports, Leisure, and Physical Activity Strategy as needing more sports facilities. The creation of the hub will provide a unique offer for Stowmarket and its surrounding villages. Additionally, it will allow all partnerships to thrive and expand. It will also provide a base for new collaborations between sport, education, health, and wellbeing. Furthermore it will also encourage a transition from existing, more formal, health services, to greater partner delivery. This is a model already supported by current Sport England policies, and allows for a multi-agency approach in:

• tackling local health inequalities;
• promoting and supporting wellbeing;
• the provision of services for young people.

Stowmarket Health, Education, and Leisure project outcomes

This scheme delivers the Councils’ outcomes as well as local and national outcomes. There is a national commitment to address health inequalities and build resilient communities. There is a drive to ensure that communities have the facilities they need in a locality to support health and well-being in the community and in embed prevention. There are several key stakeholders working in partnership with us to deliver the scheme, including:

• Suffolk County Council
• Stowmarket High School
• Everyone Active
• Ipswich & East Clinical Commissioning Group
• Stowmarket Town Council
• Active Suffolk
• NHS
• Sport England

The outcomes for the schemes are:

Outcome 1 – Facilities that provide a range of activated and provision for sport at grassroot level through to elite sport as well as individual and team opportunities

Outcome 2 – Maximise partnerships across the site between education, health, local authorities, the community and sport clubs

Outcome 3 – A new high quality sporting pavilion that meets the needs of all users

Outcome 4 – A health and wellbeing hub for delivery of public services plus shared workspace and meeting rooms

Outcome 5 – Buildings that are environmentally sustainable

Outcome 6 – Places and spaces that create opportunities to get more people active and support their wellbeing

Proposed facilities

The proposed site is made up of two parcels of land, with a road situated between them. Mid Suffolk District Council owns the land parcel to the west. It is currently a sport provision for active rugby, cricket, and football clubs. The site is on lease to Chilton Fields Sport Club.

Suffolk County Council own the land parcel to the east which is a school site. The main lease held is to Waveney Valley Academies Trust.

Mid Suffolk District Council own the adjacent leisure centre and a small area of land to the rear. This includes tennis courts and an artificial pitch. They have reached the end of their economic life and need urgent replacement.

A masterplan has been developed for the comprehensive redevelopment of the identified sites to meet education, sport, and wellbeing outcomes.

The new Masterplan hopes not only to address gaps in the provision of sports facilities and pitches, but also to ensure that the facilities are fit for the future by providing:

• a 4G football pitch
• a 2G pitch (a range of sports and activities can be played on the pitch)
• a mini track athletics facility
• a new sport pavilion, to replace the existing pavilion
• a multi-agency wellbeing hub, for use by a range of partners
• a multi-use games area
• four new indoor sport courts
• additional parking at the wellbeing hub and pavilion
• reshaping of the current car parking on the Chilton Fields site
• new artificial cricket square and new nets
• multi-surface perimeter track to encourage information walking and cycling

Engagement

The proposed Stowmarket Health, Education, and Leisure Facilities Scheme has been designed in collaboration with key stakeholders, site owners, and partners through workshops, project groups, and stakeholder forums.

At this initial business case stage, the scheme is fully supported by all consulted partners and stakeholders:

• Stowmarket Town Council
• Onehouse Parish Council
• Jo Churchill MP
• Stowmarket High School
• Wood Ley Primary School
• Grace Cook Primary School
• Suffolk County Council
• Local Leisure Centres (Everyone Active)
• NHS Primary Care
• Community health
• Family hub
• Nursery – Foxglove Montessori
• National governing bodies
• Active Suffolk
• Sport England
• Councillors (county, ward, and town)
• The local community
• Sport club and community groups

School engagement was held in July with a large number of students participating with the masterplan of the scheme and feeding back their thoughts ands views.

The public engagement event was held over three days in September 2022 as part of the What’s next for Stowmarket at the John Peel Centre.

Progress

On 6th June 2022 the initial masterplan and initial business plan were taken to Mid Suffolk Cabinet, Cabinet paper.

The decision resolution was:

• That Cabinet considered and approved the Masterplan and initial Business case for the proposed scheme which includes an indicative cost plan and funding strategy;
• That Cabinet noted the work to date on the partnership strategy and future management models for the new hub in detail;
• That Cabinet endorsed the recommendation to Council for further funding to complete the scheme to detailed design stage and submission of a planning application, next management modelling, and a 2-year partnership co-ordinator to fully maximise current and future partnership working and collaboration across the site.

Reason for the decision

This development provides a unique opportunity to create a holistic wellbeing hub in Stowmarket which brings together on one site, education, sport, leisure, and health facilities with users. The proposal meets many Council, local partnership, and government outcomes but also creates the conditions to stimulate some new and exciting partnerships which enhance opportunities for local communities and provides a regionally significant centre in the town.

On 23rd June 2022 the masterplan and intimal business case plan and request for funding for the next stage of the scheme was taken to Mid Suffolk Council, Council paper.

The decision resolution was

• Council to note Cabinets’ approval of the Masterplan, and initial Business case for the proposed scheme which includes an indicative cost plan and funding strategy;
• Council to note the work to date on the partnership strategy and future management models for the new scheme;
• Council recommended to approve the funding of £700,000 to complete detailed design stage and submission of a planning application, next stage of operational management modelling, and to appoint a partnership co-ordinator to fully maximise current and future partnership working and collaboration across the site;
• To create a Member advisory working group for the development of the scheme that includes relevant Cabinet Members and local Ward Members.

In February 2023, the scheme gained Cabinet approval for the submission of the full planning application and funding for stage 4 design work. The planning application was subsequently submitted in March, aiming for a  decision in August.