ANNEXE 1 TO APPENDIX H - A CULTURAL STRATEGY

Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document

Meeting of the Executive held on 04/02/2003
ANNEXE 1 TO APPENDIX H - A CULTURAL STRATEGY
FOR WAVERLEY BOROUGH

ANNEXE 1 TO
APPENDIX H

A CULTURAL STRATEGY

FOR WAVERLEY BOROUGH

cex/file2/446

CONTENTS

Foreword by Cllr Richard Gates – Portfolio Holder for Cultural and Leisure Provision and Youth.

1. Introduction

2. What is a Cultural Strategy

3. Benefits of a local Cultural Strategy

4. The Wider Context

5. About Waverley
- Its history and geography
- The people that live there
- Cultural provision
- Tourism
- Education
- Transport

6. Research and Consultation
- Who we consulted and methodology
- Feedback from clubs, societies and venues
- Local issues relating to voluntary and private sector
- Feedback from Citizens Panel
- Local issues highlighted by the Citizens Panel
-Delivering Tourism

7. Vision and Strategic Themes

8. Action Plan

9. Monitoring and Review

Annexe A Action Plan Table

Annexe B National and Local Cultural Indicators

Annexe C Waverley Borough Council Corporate Aims and Objectives

WAVERLEY BOROUGH CULTURAL STRATEGY 2003-2008

1. Introduction

“Culture may be described simply as that which makes life worth living”…. TS Eliot.

Culture is what both unites and divides a community; it firstly attracts people to a particular area and then fragments into smaller and separate sub-cultures or pastimes identified with certain sections of that population. The world may have moved on since Eliot’s period and society has become increasingly mobile and transient but many former pastimes still survive and flourish today.

Culture describes the common interests shared by a community or group of people. We use the term ‘Culture’ in this document in its broadest sense to define activities which people may undertake in their leisure time. These activities can be summarised under the following broad headings:-

· Arts and Entertainment
· Sport and Recreation
· Heritage and Museums
· Countryside and Environment
· Parks and Open Spaces

Cultural activities help communities share a sense of identity, bring people together and help stimulate creativity and innovation. Culture can improve the quality of life for all, allowing people both to derive pleasure and to fulfil their own potential and broaden their horizons. Evidence shows that cultural activity has a role to play in tackling many social issues such as promoting safer communities, improving health, regenerating areas, stimulating life long learning and tackling social exclusion within our communities.

2. What is Waverley’s Local Cultural Strategy?

The Cultural Strategy for Waverley sets out the vision and direction for the development of cultural services, facilities and activities within the borough over the next five years. The Strategy has been produced in partnership with key partners and stakeholders including the public and private and voluntary agencies operating within the borough. The Strategy also takes into account the views of the community to identify needs and requirements. The Strategy will be a practical, working document which will ensure a co-ordinated approach to the development of cultural activities within Waverley. It will be continually monitored, evaluated and updated using the processes set out in section 9.

3. Benefits of the Local Cultural Strategy

Listed below are just some of the functions and benefits of the Local Cultural Strategy. It will:

Ų provide a framework for the development of cultural activity within the Borough by the local authority and
other providers

Ų demonstrate the benefits and importance of developing culture within our communities

Ų assist in identifying needs and prioritising developments based on needs

Ų direct the work of Waverley’s Leisure Services and demonstrate clearly how culture contributes to delivering
the wider corporate objectives of the Borough Council

Ų encourage and promote partnership working and a pooling of resources to maximise opportunities

Ų act as a lever for gaining external funding from external agencies and funding bodies

Ų promote equality and inclusion and increase opportunity for all to access cultural activities

Ų protect and enhance the environment

Ų contribute towards the regeneration and economic development of the Borough

Ų give people the opportunity to actively engage and participate in enjoyable and stimulating activities in their
free time

Ų Identify and develop opportunities for learning and discovery about the local environment

4. The Wider Context

Local Cultural Strategies set the agenda for delivering local cultural services and are a piece in a much larger jigsaw which includes other local, regional and national strategies. The aim is to be more effective in the way services are delivered and to promote joined up delivery where strategies complement each other.

The following diagram gives the wider context highlighting how the Local Cultural Strategy coincides with other strategic policies and plans. This cultural strategy will impact upon and has been informed by these other strategies.

5. About Waverley

………….its history and geography

The district of Waverley is in the south-west corner of Surrey, bordering the South Downs in West Sussex and Hampshire, and was first created as a local authority area in 1974. Covering an area of 345 sq. km (133 sq. miles) it is the largest district council in Surrey with
a population of 115,000.

It takes its name from a 12th century Cistercian Abbey situated near Farnham. Although still predominantly rural, with over 60% in the “green belt” and “areas of outstanding natural beauty”, much of its focus derives from the four distinctive and well-preserved towns of Farnham, Godalming, Haslemere and Cranleigh. The four centres possess strong individual characteristics derived in part from history but also their relative distance from each other. Farnham was once a well-known coaching–stop en route to Winchester, Haslemere with its wooded hills was described as “little Switzerland”, Godalming was formerly Surrey’s chief wool town and Cranleigh boasts of having the first cottage hospital in the Country in the 1800s. Of the present population in Waverley 70% live in these towns and the remainder is spread over 17 rural parishes containing more than 20 villages.

…………the people who live here

According to the 1991 national census the age structure of those living in the area peaks at between 30-45 and 46- retirement age. Overall about one-half of Waverley’s population is described as “economically active”, employed on a regular full-time or part time basis, of which about 50% travel outside the area to work, with London and Guildford being major employment areas. Most of these workers are in professional and managerial occupations whilst unemployment in Waverley is below both the national and regional average.

On a domestic scale, over three-quarters of dwellings are owner-occupied and over 40% of homes are detached with between 5-6 rooms. Average house prices, are at currently more than double the national average whilst two-car + families represent over 40% of all households. Schooling and further education centres are well provided in the area with a mix of state and independent establishments.

Against this relatively secure socio-economic background other sectors of the community are not overlooked. People with special needs and the elderly represent a significant proportion of the local population and recent surveys depict an aging population with a forecasted decline in all age groups under 50 years up to 2006 with converse increases in the 55-64 group and over 85s.

………..cultural provision

Arts, Galleries & Entertainment – Waverley benefits from having two multi-arts facilities within the Borough. Farnham Maltings and the Cranleigh Arts Centre both offer a wide range of arts events and activities ranging from theatre and cinema to comedy, children’s workshops, adult education, music and dance as well as providing flexible space for events and conferences plus valuable artists studio space. Other important facilities such as the New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham, the James Hockey Gallery at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design and Sculpt It studio in Godalming also play an important role in the cultural life of the Borough and attract many visitors from outside the area as well as locally.

The Borough Council, through its Arts Development Service, provides a wide range of participatory community arts projects working with key partners and target groups across the Borough. Within the Borough there are a number of community halls, which provide venues for regular entertainment including the Memorial Hall in Farnham, Borough Hall in Godalming, The Haslemere Hall and various village and church halls which also provide valuable spaces for cultural activity.

Sports & Recreation- Sport is adequately catered for within the Borough with each of the four towns having its own Sports Centre. Farnham, Haslemere (The Herons and The Edge) and Cranleigh Sports centres are managed by private sector contractors on behalf of the Borough Council with the John Stanley Jeffries Trust operating Godalming Leisure Centre. There are a large number of commercial leisure operators providing health & fitness facilities within the Borough and schools with extensive dual-use facilities open to the public.

The Council is the majority provider of outdoor sports pitches in the borough and these are predominantly located on sports and recreation grounds. these areas are managed by the Parks and Landscape service and are mainly maintained by the Council’s appointed Grounds Maintenance Contractor.

Waverley Borough council through its Sports Development service promotes a wide range of annual community sports events which include the Inter-Town Sports Competition, Mayor’s Challenge, Surrey Youth Games and the ‘kwik-cricket’ Festival. The Borough also benefits from having four independent Sports Councils who, as independent umbrella organisations, support the development of voluntary sports provision within the Borough by providing advice, information and grant aid.

Waverley Borough is a member of the Surrey Active Sports Partnership (Active Sports being the nationwide sports programme co-ordinating the delivery of sports development across the country) with local sports clubs actively participating in the scheme. This scheme provides a continuum for young people through all stages of sports development from taster sessions to competition.

Museums & Heritage – There are four museums in Waverley. The Museum of Farnham is owned and operated by Waverley Borough Council; Godalming Museum is run in partnership between Waverley Borough Council and an independent Charitable Trust. Haslemere Educational Museum and The Rural Life Centre at Tilford are independent. Groups and organisations such as Godalming Trust, Farnham Society, Farnham Building Preservation Trust, Haslemere Society, English Nature, surrey Archaeological Society and other local history groups, support the preservation of the heritage of the area and are active in promoting it. They provide public talks and events, guided walks and local heritage awards as well as participating in Heritage Open Days Weekend in September. The number of listed buildings, conservation area and archaeological sites all contribute to a unique sense of place.

Countryside, Formal Parks & Open Spaces - Over 60% of Waverley is Metropolitan Green Belt and over three quarters of the whole Borough, amounting to some 26,700 hectares (over 100 square miles) is designated as Areas of Great Landscape Value. The Council manages 1,600 hectares of countryside areas for public use and these sites, managed by the Waverley Borough Council Countryside Section, range from small areas of woodland and village greens through to areas such as Farnham Park and Frensham Common. The Rangers promote an annual programme of educational events and opportunities for volunteer countryside conservation work to help maintain the areas of countryside they manage. Farnham Park and Frensham Common are Areas of Special Historic Landscape Value.

Waverley Borough Council owns and manages approximately 180 hectares of public open space on nearly 400 sites borough-wide. This provision consists of 9 formal ornamental parks & gardens, 26 sports and recreation grounds, 40 open spaces and approximately 50 hectares of amenity land. The diversity of provision on the recreation grounds includes bowling greens, cricket tables, tennis courts, and numerous winter sports pitches.

The Council is also responsible for the upkeep and improvement of 60 children’s playgrounds across the borough, and 4 skate parks – one in each of the main towns. These areas are managed by the Parks & Landscape service, with maintenance being carried out by an appointed grounds maintenance contractor.

In addition to the Council managed facilities, there are numerous recreational facilities owned and managed by private clubs and Parish Councils.

……….tourism

Tourism in Waverley supports over 2600 jobs and is worth some £100million for the local economy (source: South East England Tourist Board/Cambridge Model 2001). One in five new jobs are created in the tourism sector and tourism plays an important part in the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area. However recruitment in this sector can be particularly difficult as jobs tend to be lower paid.

The term ‘tourism’ relates to people who travel to a destination for a variety of temporary purposes. Tourists therefore include people who:
· visit the area for business or pleasure;
· stay in hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation;
· stay with friends and relatives
· visit the area for a day or half a day and spend money locally on sport or culture, in shops and attractions or in tearooms, pubs and restaurants.

Waverley manages a branded Tourism Information Centre in Farnham and supports the provision of visitor information at other locations such as Haslemere Museum and through websites created by the Town Initiatives in Haslemere and Cranleigh and the Town Councils in Godalming and Farnham.

……….education

Waverley has a high standard of educational provision. In the state sector there are Beacon Schools at infant, primary and secondary levels; there are also two sixth form colleges – Farnham College and Godalming College. In the private sector too there are many well- known and highly-regarded schools including Charterhouse, Cranleigh, The Royal and St Catherines Schools. The Surrey Institute of Art and Design, University College in Farnham is one of Europe’s largest colleges specialising in art, design, media and communication, with over 3,000 students.

……..transport

Waverley and South West Surrey are easily accessible with Heathrow, Gatwick and Southampton International Airports and the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth all within an hour’s drive. The A3 joins the M25 at junction 10, just 13 miles outside the Borough; the Blackwater Valley Road A331 joins the A31 at Farnham to the M3 at Camberley.
Farnham station is served by South West Trains mainline service to London Waterloo via Woking. Farncombe, Godalming, Milford, Witley and Haslemere are on the South West Trains Waterloo – Portsmouth mainline service.

Due to the rural nature of the Borough there are significant issues in relation to transport networks connecting the towns and rural areas. Young people have particular difficulties in accessing cultural services if they live in the outlying villages in terms of affordable and regular public transport.

6. Research and Consultation

This document is the culmination of an exercise that has involved consultations and feedback from individuals, clubs owners/managers, and societies in the area as well as other key agencies. As a result, it is hoped that the new strategy will bring users and providers closer together and help to unlock potential funding resources for projects and programmes, a common theme identified in the consultation process.

……who we consulted

Before drafting this document Waverley was very keen to hear from local people about cultural pursuits and facilities in the area and the ways in which improvements could be made. Although it was not possible to canvas the entire local electorate, extensive consultation was carried out on a more focussed basis using two different questionnaire formats :-

(a) a questionnaire sent to 549 voluntary clubs, societies and venue managers in the area, designed to obtain information about levels of participation in their activities and any facility needs they had or were attempting to meet;

(b) a structured survey of 657 local households across the whole area to establish individual/ family usage of particular cultural facilities and to seek opinions on how they could be improved to better meet needs;

In addition to the two methods outlined above feedback from previous research and consultation was also utilised. This included user surveys from Godalming Leisure Needs Study, non-user surveys relating to Farnham, Haslemere and Cranleigh Sports Centres, feedback from Friends Groups, Youth Surveys and existing strategies.

Feedback from Clubs, Societies and Venues

In Waverley, the voluntary sector is by far the largest provider of opportunities for leisure. Whilst these are predominantly sports-based there are nevertheless a whole range of artistic and environmental organisations operating out of church and village halls as well as arts and countryside centres. The questionnaire also specifically included organisations involved in providing youth activities in order to establish their needs and parish councils in Waverley some of whom also act as providers of small-scale leisure facilities.

The scope of the questionnaire was drawn to include the following six categories of organisations; Sports, Arts, Entertainments, Parks, Countryside, Historical, Educational. Of the 549 forms despatched, 168 were returned, a response rate of 30%. An analysis of returns from the different sectors has been broken down as follows:

Local issues relating to the voluntary and private sectors

Sports

Sports club facilities, both indoor and outdoor in the area include a mix of publicly and privately-owned sites. In both sectors the responses pointed to a general need for improvement; partly because of constant use over the years and partly to accommodate expansion plans. Money, or the lack of it, was a recurring theme with many clubs looking for funding partners to supplement their own resources, usually a combination of member fees and subscriptions and small grants and donations. Even where special fund-raising efforts were being made this was still felt to be inadequate. Yet the responses revealed that a number of clubs are already actively working with partners such as Waverley Borough Council in trying to achieve their ambitions.

Arts & Entertainment

In the arts sector where most facilities are privately-owned and run, there appeared to be more emphasis on self-help with support being sought in other ways from partners e.g. for publicity and special equipment etc. In the allied sector of entertainments the need for improved or new facilities was a more common concern, with the need for help and sponsorship from outside agencies repeatedly flagged.

Historic and Museums

There are three town museums and one rural museum within Waverley, two privately run, one owned by the Council and one run in partnership. There are also many historic trusts and societies. Their most pressing need appears to be in receiving more assistance on marketing and ancillary fronts. The educational sector is geared specifically to youth needs and facilities which are very dependent on voluntary effort for their survival. In this sector the lack of suitable facilities was a source of complaint and sponsors and grant aid were lacking.

Youth Sector

In addition, youth sector needs have been subject to a number of specific local studies in the past few years e.g. Milford Study, Farnham Youth Survey and Surrey County Council Youth Survey, which highlighted the need for an increase in the following cultural activities:

· Internet Access points –cyber cafés,
· Drop-in facilities where young people can meet their peers away from adults and where they can access
information
· Improved safe public transport both in the towns and villages
· Creative arts, as a means of expressing their feelings.
· Cinema
· Retail – mainly clothes and affordable fast food

Crime and disorder was a major issue for young people with a real fear expressed of being bullied or mugged. The need was expressed for more safe places to meet and provision for young people in rural areas were also issues.

Parks and Countryside

In the outdoor environment, where land ownership is shared among various local, county and national organisations, volunteer groups exhibited an enthusiasm to work with these partners in helping to manage and preserve the surrounding countryside. They recognised the need to achieve greater awareness and access for those people with special needs.

Education

The Countryside Section’s programme of walks, talks, school visits and conservation tasks helps to engender an interest and pride in the surrounding countryside.

In summary and using a SWOT approach (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) the following findings can be observed from the consultations with voluntary clubs, groups and societies:

Strengths: Strong and wide-ranging sports and recreation sector
Active and versatile entertainment groups

Enthusiasm for educational/ environmental activities.

Weaknesses: Limited availability or accessibility to external funds

Worn-out and sub-standard facilities in sports and entertainment sectors

Over- reliance on small band of volunteers in youth provision and environmental conservation
Limited provision of youth facilities

Opportunities: Enhanced profile for “partnership-working” in strategy
Properly resourced programme to refurbish and enhance facilities

More creative and varied use of art and educational centres

Threats: Budgetary constraints in public sector
Over-reliance on external grant providers

Feedback from the Citizens Panel
The purpose behind the more general population survey or “citizens panel”, as it is known, was to establish general trends, usage and opinions in the area relating to leisure facilities and opportunities. Using a structured sample based on gender, age, employment, social groups and disability a number of repeat questions were grouped together under the following headings:

Indoor sports and fitness facilities
Parks and open spaces
Countryside areas
Museums and heritage sites
Art centres and galleries

Of the 657 forms despatched, 401 were returned – a response rate of 61%.

Local Issues highlighted by the Citizens Panel

Indoor Sports and Fitness Centres

Respondents demonstrated a high degree of parochialism in their support for sports centres tending not to want to travel far to visit them. For instance Farnham Sports Centre, the most popular centre in the most populous town, drew regular visitors almost entirely from Farnham and the adjoining parishes of Frensham and Dockenfield . Similar local “catchment areas” were identified using leisure centres elsewhere in Waverley. However, about half of those replying indicated this was usually through lack of time or interest. The three main improvements supported were new/upgraded leisure centre for Farnham, a new leisure centre for Godalming and an increase in the number of holiday play schemes for children.

The feedback in terms of current provision of facilities and improvement of indoor sports and fitness facilities focussed on 7 main issues:

· Cleanliness - mainly at the swimming pools and the need for improvement
· Provision of services for disabled and those aged 55 and over - need to provide more low cost and
accessible facilities for elderly members of the community and those with disabilities
· Overcrowding of facilities and classes in Council owned health and fitness centres
· Opening times and other issues of time – the need for greater flexibility
· Lack of active promotion of current facilities – current level of activity inadequate
· Creche and nursery considerations – the need to provide additional improved facilities
· General appearance and presentation of current facilities – the need to address ageing facilities

Overall, the provision of indoor sports and fitness centres in the borough was perceived as average-to-good.

Parks and Open Spaces

In visiting parks and open spaces about 50% of respondents described themselves as regular visitors. Strong support existed for improving the facilities at these sites not only by raising the standard of toilet facilities and providing more dog mess/litter bins, but also improving site security with more patrols, wardens and rangers. 50-65% of respondents agreed that these improvements would increase their use. Respondents were also in favour of holding more special events including open-air concerts. However, the majority of the sample were not in favour of introducing more skate parks or youth facilities such as ‘teen shelters’. This issue conflicts with the need identified by young people themselves for these types of facilities. This conflict is one of the main issues in relation to leisure provision in parks and one that needs to be addressed sensitively.

The feedback on improvements and provision within parks and open spaces featured the following 6 key areas of debate:

· Dog fouling – a need to impose greater control
· Litter problems – a need to improve the level of collection to reduce litter
· Wildlife issues and development issues- to encourage greater wildlife protection and to stop further
development of parks into urban facilities. The issue of conflict between different uses was also raised
· Children’s Play equipment – a need for improved provision and maintenance
· Security and problems of youth – problems with teenage delinquency, underage drinking and vandalism within
parks
· Bench/seating provision and maintaining grassland – increased provision of seating and higher level of
maintenance of grass areas

Overall, parks and open spaces received a high rating of approval.

Countryside

Visiting the natural countryside also scored highly across the whole area particularly in respect of well-known beauty spots such as the Devil’s Punchbowl and Frensham Ponds. Walking, watching wildlife and peaceful relaxation the most popular pastime in both the open countryside and public parks with again only a small minority of people claiming to be non-visitors. More maps and information material were cited by a majority of respondents as being of benefit when visiting these areas, together with details about active conservation work.

The feedback on improvements and provision in the countryside areas in Waverley focused on the following 6 issues.

· Maintenance of wildlife and nature – respondents felt strongly about not “over-managing” the countryside
areas and the need to encourage environmental conservation through careful management
· The desire for more information, maps and interpretation
· Litter control and dog fouling – the need to provide more bins
· Maintenance of paths – the conflict of shared paths e.g. walkers, horses, cyclists, and the need to improve
access for those with pushchairs and people with disabilities, also general poor maintenance in some areas
· The need for more toilet facilities and improved standards of toilet provision
· Security in related car parks and anti-social behaviour – increased security patrols

Museums and Heritage

The actual awareness factor for the main museums and heritage sites was higher than for all other sectors (with 9 sites recording over 50% recognition). Museums and heritage sites that were visited by the highest proportion of respondents were Haslemere Educational Museum, Museum of Farnham, the Rural Life Centre, Waverley Abbey and Farnham Castle. However museums and heritage facilities outside the area and in London proved more popular attractions. The main reasons for not visiting museums were lack of time and interest in museums.

The feedback relating to improvements and provision in museum and heritage sites in Waverley focussed on the following 6 key issues:

· Publicity – the need to increase current advertising and publicity
· Specific activities museums should provide – the desire to have more inter-active displays and themed events
· Size of museums - some of the museums were perceived as being too small and the smaller museums need to
change their displays more frequently to generate interest
· Lack of activities for younger children – the need to provide more interesting activities for younger age groups and to make museums more “child friendly”
· Transport issues – parking facilities and public transport to museums inadequate

Overall 51% of the sample rated museums and heritage sites in Waverley as good.

Arts Centres & Galleries

Awareness of arts and entertainment centres was generally high with most respondents being aware of the Farnham Maltings and Cranleigh Arts Centre. The most popular form of entertainment was commercial cinema and the respondents most valued improvement in Waverley was the development of cinema provision across the Borough. Increased provision of venues for concerts both classical and pop was also identified as a need, as was the desire to see more ‘Arts in the Parks’ during the school holidays and summer evenings for families.

Feedback relating to improvements and provision of arts and entertainment in Waverley featured 3 key issues.

· Cinema and Theatre provision in Farnham , Cinema provision in Cranleigh
· Musical activities – the need for more venues for both classical and pop concerts and outdoor concerts
· Evening classes and workshops – a desire for more provision

Overall 58% of the respondents rated arts and entertainment in Waverley as average, with 11% feeling the current level of provision is poor.

Delivering Tourism

The Tourism sector has been identified as a key sector to be supported as part of Waverley’s revised Economic Strategy agreed in April 2002. Detailed actions were also identified through the Council’s Tourism Strategy Visitors Mean Business, published in 1999. The sector plays a key part in helping to sustain the rural economy and there are clear links between the sustainability of arts and culture, rural crafts and tourism.

Waverley has limited resources allocated for tourism and as a result works with a range of partner organisations to add value and create a co-ordinated approach over a wider area. Waverley’s main areas of activity in its tourism role are:
· undertake strategic research and planning which will help others focus their activities;
· co-ordinate and progress actions which will help signpost and direct visitors (leaflets and the Business
Conference Venue Guide)
· promote (in a modest way) the Borough and its attractions under the South West Surrey brand
· support training for specific parts of the sector (such as the Partners in Progress scheme and bed and
breakfast development courses)
· policy advice to support other Waverley activities

7. VISION AND STRATEGIC THEMES

This section sets out the strategic vision for cultural development in Waverley Borough and the key themes which underpin the vision.

Vision

To enhance the quality of life and ensure that all Waverley’s residents have the opportunity to pursue a wide range of cultural activities through which they can make enjoyable and fulfilling use of their leisure time and increase their well-being.

Themes

Improve opportunities for young people

Young people are important and need to be aware that their views and interests are being represented and influencing the overall development and provision of cultural services. The ability to participate in cultural activities is fundamental to their personal development. It improves their cognitive and social skills, it raises self esteem and self confidence and gives them a sense of belonging, all of which encourage participation in the community in later life.

Improve access to cultural and leisure facilities for all

It is important to ensure that barriers to participation (both in terms of physical and intellectual access) and discrimination on any basis are identified and eliminated from cultural and leisure activities. We need to raise awareness of the opportunities to participate in leisure and cultural activities and provide advice and expertise to support the development and encourage the provision of better cultural opportunities within our communities.

Maximise availability of internal and external resources

The development of cultural services is dependent upon sufficient resources being made available. In times of increasing pressure on funding sources it is necessary to work in partnership, proactively and strategically, if we are to maximise resources. This strategy will play an important role is unlocking future funding and it will be used to provide evidence of the strategic importance of projects which will be necessary if funding is to be secured.

Reduce the fear of crime and engender citizenship

Crime and the fear of crime within our communities are an increasing concern. It constitutes a barrier to participation in cultural activities but, conversely, evidence shows that cultural services play an important role in combatting and reducing the fear of crime.

Leisure and culture can provide a sense of belonging and pride. We need to engender community spirit and encourage people to become active citizens through leisure and cultural activities. In doing so we must continue to provide support to the many volunteers who provide the backbone of delivery for so much of the cultural activity within the Borough. We need to provide networks and services through which knowledge and skills can be passed on within the community.

Improve health and well-being

There is widespread evidence to show that regular participation in sport and physical recreation reduces the risk of coronary disease, strokes, obesity and osteoporosis. Poor health is also associated with social exclusion and cultural services can contribute to bringing people closer together. Cultural opportunities encourage not only physical well-being but also psychological well–being by engendering enhanced personal motivation, greater confidence, sociability and self esteem and by reducing stress, fear, isolation and anxiety.

An attractive, sustainable environment

A high quality natural and built environment is important for the well being of residents but it also plays a significant role in contributing to the local economy by attracting inward investment and regeneration. Cultural services contribute to the protection and enhancement of the environment whilst encouraging sustainability. Waverley Borough Council is committed to maintaining and enhancing natural biodiversity through its activities and involving local communities.

8. Action Plan

Set out in

Annexe A

is an action plan showing how Waverley Borough Council and other key partners will implement the policies and objectives set out in this strategy. The action plan will ensure that what we intend to deliver is focused and demonstrates how we intend to develop cultural services over the next five years in Waverley, although for some of the projects resources are yet to be identified.

The success of the action plan will be dependent on the fostering of effective partnerships and making the best use of existing and potential resources. The action plan also gives clear milestones which will help in the process of on-going monitoring and review. Each strategic aim is cross-referenced to the Council’s corporate objectives (See Annexe B) to highlight how leisure assists in delivering the Council’s vision for the future. The action plan will give a clear direction and steer to the detailed operational service plans of the Council’s leisure services.

9. Monitoring and Review

The action plan has clear and identified targets against which performance will be measured and reported each year to the Council through the Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Specific recommendations arising from the strategy will be presented to the relevant committee as part of the Councils ongoing rolling programme.

In monitoring the strategy action plan, the Borough has a number of national and local cultural performance indicators (See

Annexe C

), which will also be monitored to ensure that the strategy is delivering its objectives.

As part of the Council’s commitment to the best value regime, Leisure Services will be adopting a rigorous approach to performance management. The Cultural Strategy will be reviewed and updated annually to take account of changes in issues and priorities nationally, regionally and locally. Once updated, the Strategy will subsequently be used to steer the development of the Council’s Leisure Service Plans that set out in detail how the aims of the Strategy are to be delivered and will form part of the Council’s Annual Performance Plan. A full review of the Strategy will be undertaken commencing at the start of year four of the strategy period.

Comms/o&s1/2002-03/080