Ebbsfleet Development Corporation – Sport and Physical Activity Strategy

In December 2018, SLC was appointed by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) to develop ‘Towards an Active Ebbsfleet’ – a strategy for sports participation and physical activity in Ebbsfleet Garden City. Ebbsfleet is the first Garden City created for 100 years with 15,000 new homes planned.

The EDC envision Ebbsfleet becoming a prime destination for leisure and recreation in Kent and the new strategy playing a key role in developing this concept.

Towards an Active Ebbsfleet

SLC worked alongside other place-making strategy commissions to develop a strategy that will support EDC in developing a Garden City which becomes a national exemplar in terms of creating the optimal conditions for a truly active place.

As the largest pilot for the NHS Healthy New Towns programme, Ebbsfleet has a pioneering responsibility to encourage sport and physical activity, with a specific focus on less active groups. The new strategy, developed with local authority partners and wider stakeholders, has identified the capital infrastructure required to meet current and future need and the service interventions that will support active lifestyles.

SLC’s strategy work has equipped Ebbsfleet with a costed implementation plan and priority actions for the development of new facilities and services necessary for meeting their commitment to improving health outcomes for new and existing communities over the next 10 years.

A strategy based on cooperation

Close collaboration with EDC’s local and neighbouring stakeholders was key to the project, with regular Steering Group meetings designed to ensure collaboration and a truly cross sector approach.

SLC consulted with a range of local and regional stakeholders, the wider public and under-represented groups to gain insight on key issues, challenges, barriers and opportunities to being more physically active in the local area. Community engagement has been supported by GIS mapping of existing facilities and health inequalities in Ebbsfleet and surrounding communities.

These work-streams have enabled the development of current and future facility requirements and service interventions which, supported by national and international best practice case studies, form the basis of the new strategy.

A milestone in Ebbsfleet’s future development

‘Towards an Active Ebbsfleet’ was adopted by the EDC board in May 2019 and has already been highly influential in establishing a policy position on the future development of facilities and services to serve the new Garden City.

TESTIMONIAL