Keeping the Olympic flame alight

In a letter published in the local papers on 26 August (see below), Robert Plimmer repeated his call for the leaders of Slough's Labour-run Council to reverse their decision to massively increase charges for hiring council sports pitches. Robert highlighted the success of Team GB at the recent Olympics and the inspiration it provides for increasing health-promoting physical activity in the community, drawing on the encouragement for increased physical activity provided by ITV's shut-down on Sat 27th August and quotes from the Chief Medical Officer. Robert explained that increased hire charges had caused a drastic drop in the number of council sports pitches hired in Slough, saying 'there could not be a better time for the councillors to listen to my request and reverse the massive hike in charges. This would be good for participation in community leisure activities, and good for the health of those involved.'

Robert's letter can be read in full below.

Keeping the Olympic flame alight

It's important to build on the success of Team GB after another wonderfully enjoyable Olympics Games.

Let's do all we can to encourage as many people as possible to share in the success by engaging in health-promoting physical activity.

On Saturday 27th August ITV will shut down its TV channels for an hour in order to encourage people to get involved in sport. Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, famously said that 'if physical activity was a drug it would be regarded as a miracle'.
In the light of all this, I repeat my call from a few months ago for Slough's Labour-run Council to reverse its appalling decision in the Spring 2015 to massively increase charges for the hire of council sports pitches.

My Freedom of Information request to the council revealed that the effect of Slough Borough Council's decision to raise sports pitch hire charges resulted in a dramatic drop in the number of Council pitches being hired in the subsequent months of 2015.
There could not be a better time for the councillors to listen to my request and reverse the massive hike in charges. This would be good for participation in community leisure activities, and good for the health of those involved.

This becomes all the more important in the light of a recent all-party report from the House of Commons Health Committee that criticised the Conservative Government for cutting expenditure on the public health services that are supposed to benefit the whole community. Dr Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative MP who chairs the committee said: 'The cuts to public health undermine the radical upgrade to prevention that is needed to keep people healthy'.

Now is the time for Slough's Labour council to admit its mistake, combat the mistaken policies of the Conservative government and reverse the Council's 2015 decision to increase sports pitch hire charges.

Robert Plimmer
Cippenham Lib Dems