Adopted Stowmarket Area Action Plan - Mid Suffolk District Council

Stowmarket Area Action Plan10 Leisure, Recreation, Community Infrastructure and GreenOpen SpacesContext10.1 National and Regional guidance identifies culture and leisure as key to developingthe economy and social fabric of our communities and lies at the heart of sustainablegrowth and regeneration. Like good quality housing, these facilities can provide gains forour personal well being for the benefits they bring to our mental and physical health.10.2 Leisure, recreation, and community facilities are part of the Council's culturalagenda, which also includes heritage, libraries, conservation, design, community building,visual and performing arts.10.3 Buildings and facilities for formal recreational functions, such as the sports centre,cinema, Museum of East Anglian Life (MEAL), church and village halls, parks, playgrounds,allotments and sports pitches will often require substantial resources to build, manageand maintain them. Planning policies are required to control location, use and impactson transport, environment, landscape and the amenity of adjacent properties.10.4 The need and demand for these facilities will continue to be identified through theCouncil's monitoring systems, Parish Profiles, and other evidence gathering exercises.Once 'need' is established the Council will work with local communities and theirrepresentatives to search for sites, opportunities for funding, and the means ofimplementation, including the means of providing for the long-term management andmaintenance costs that are essential to sustainable solutions.10.5 The recent growth of Stowmarket is causing concern for the capacity of existingfacilities of all kinds and the need to deliver increased capacity and improved quality inaccessible locations. In the absence of significant external funding it will be important toprovide adequate, improved facilities alongside new development in the plan area. Futuredevelopment briefs will include consideration of these needs, and developer contributionswill be sought for this purpose as identified in the Infrastructure Delivery Programme inChapter 11 and Appendix A.10.6 As well as this structured approach, leisure, recreation and community infrastructureopportunities may arise from the use or adaptation of spaces for a wider variety of leisureand recreation purposes than those originally intended, such as the 'after-hours' use ofschools for a wide range of activities. Similarly, community hubs such as pubs, shops,post offices provide opportunities for social interaction that enhances community cohesionand vitality.10.7 The value of access to green open spaces is recognised by Natural England andthe Council will follow the recommended guidelines for 'Accessible NaturalGreenspace Model' (ANGSt), which seek to ensure that every home is within a specifieddistance of accessible green spaces of various sizes. Sustainable access to these openspaces is dependant on the provision of a network of footpaths and cycleways.Mid Suffolk Stowmarket Area Action Plan (February 2013)99