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Brexit


Leigh Thompson, policy manager, Sport and Recreation Alliance


The Sport and Recreation Alliance is the umbrella body for sport and recreation in the UK and represents 320 members. The sport sector


contributes £37bn to the UK economy every year and more than one million people work in sport-related jobs. That makes it a key sector of the UK economy and bigger than the fishing and automotive industries, two sectors widely considered to be critical to the UK in the Brexit talks. While Brexit presents several challenges,


there are opportunities too. For example, should the UK in future diverge from existing EU rules, government would have greater flexibility to introduce a levy on betting to fund sport including the grassroots.


while Brexit presents several challenges, there are opportunities too


Likewise, there may be opportunities to use


funds repatriated from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy to improve access to our great outdoors. The Sport and Recreation Alliance has set


out six tests which we believe must be met by government for sport and recreation to thrive beyond Brexit: • Provide flexible immigration rules so the sector can attract the very best skills it needs to grow


• Exploit the opportunities created by Brexit by introducing a levy on betting to provide a fair return to sport


• Maximise the soft power of UK sport by funding elite success, bidding for major sporting events


and exploiting Britain’s global sporting influence to build new international relationships


• Keep the UK the destination of choice for sports fans and visitors by making short-term travel to and from the EU simple, cheap and easy


• Minimise barriers to trade in sporting goods and services to keep prices for everyday sports items affordable and to enable our sports businesses to thrive


• Enable UK sports bodies to have continued access to dedicated EU sports funding or introduce a replacement domestic scheme using repatriated funds. As we approach March 2019 and the


prospect of a no-deal Brexit looms larger, we need government to help identify key risks to sport and recreation and put in place measures to manage the disruption which would almost certainly occur. A no-deal Brexit would also put significant


pressure on public finances. With a crucial Spending Review due later in 2019, reductions in available government funds would impact sport and recreation, both in terms of reduced capital investment in facilities and spending on programmes designed to get more people active. For British sport to be successful,


government must recognise its strategic importance and make sure the outcome of the Brexit negotiations is a sector fit for the future.


www.sportandrecreation.org.uk


The UK is due to leave the EU this month, with or without a deal. Professionals from the sector give their view on the impact of Brexit.


Stephen Parker, head of leisure, Willmott Dixon


Willmott Dixon is a privately-owned contracting and fit-out company with a specialist division in leisure and sports facilities.


There is still a great deal of uncertainty on


how Brexit will truly impact the construction industry and particularly leisure facilities, which are not at the forefront of local authority budgets being a non-statutory service. There is still a huge desire to build new leisure facilities, but until Brexit truly clears out, our customers both new and existing, may fear the unknown and the likely reaction is that there could be a slowdown in project developments.


until Brexit truly clears out, our customers both new and existing may fear the unknown


For us as a contractor, all we can do is


to ensure our team, including our supply chain and design partners, are firmly involved in the process, working as one team to support our customers.


www.willmottdixon.co.uk


pactfacilities.co.uk 17


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