Sport
11.32 According to a report for Sport England by Cambridge Econometrics (2003), sports facilities and venues in the South West encourage 575,000 people per annum to participate in sports. People in the South West spend more money on active participation in sport than attendance at sporting events or viewing sports on screen media. High profile sports activities attract over 1 million people and nearly £90 million into the region from elsewhere.
11.33 The South West is home to 36 major sporting venues with professional rugby, football and county cricket in towns and cities throughout the region. Regionally, more than £185 million has been invested in sport since 1996 including University of Bath’s Team Bath initiative and the National Sailing Academy In Weymouth and Portland. Future multi-million pound new builds are planned in Bristol and Plymouth to enhance the region’s sporting offer of excellence and visitor attractions.
11.34 An indication of how much local people value their cultural assets is given in an Arts Council England report which found South West respondents were most likely, along with London and the South East (all 67%) to agree that “if my local area lost its arts and cultural activities, the people living here would lose something of value”; and Sport England Active People Survey which shows 70.5% of South West adults (aged 16+) are satisfied with the sports provision in their local area, just above the national figure of 69.5%, (ONS 2004 and ipsos MORI 2006).
11.35 Given the projected increase of population for the South West over the next 20 years, the popularity of ‘recreation and culture’, and the contribution of culture to the regional economy, culture may be expected to rise in economic importance in the region. Festivals and events will be a central focus of future planning to further generate wealth, attract tourists and enhance the regional identity. There is an immediate opportunity for the South West through the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games and in the proposed Cultural Olympiad from 2008.