We recognise the benefits of culture and leisure to our economy, our physical health and wellbeing. We want to develop and promote the County’s cultural heritage, with the help of national and regional funding bodies, and through a partnership approach ensure the provision of a wide range of activities to maximise what Leicestershire has to offer.

We also recognise the valuable role of sport and will lead the fight for extra funding for the many and diverse sports clubs which exist in Leicestershire. We support the integration of County Council services into a new Sports Partnership for Leicestershire and Rutland in order to make sport more accessible and to promote participation.

We will:

progress the County Council Cultural Strategy Action Plan to 2008;
continue to provide a range of services including museums, archives, libraries and country parks, plus support for the arts, which are integral to the successful implementation of the Strategy;
encourage people to participate in a wide range of cultural, sporting and leisure pursuits;
integrate the Council’s sports services into a new County Sports Partnership; and
continue to implement our programme of library improvements including 20 new or substantially refurbished libraries, improved and extended opening hours and enhanced access to ICT facilities and public information services.

HIGH PRIORITIES	WE WILL ACHIEVE
Improve access to and quality of libraries	Comply with 8 public library standards by 2008. 20 new or substantially improved libraries. Increased library opening hours
Enhance the County’s museums and tourist sites	New fashion and interactive gallery for Snibston. Complete programme to revitalise Bosworth Battlefield. Secure funding for next phase of the Ashby Canal.