NEW sport and recreation plans are being developed for Kirklees.

Kirklees Sport and Recreation Partnership aims to develop a plan to increase the number of people taking part in sport, make access to sport easier and improve performance.

The partnership is consulting Kirklees Council, Kirklees Primary Care Trust, professional sports clubs and voluntary sports groups about the plan.

The scheme will start next year and run until 2016. It will be reviewed after the London Olympics in 2012.

The scheme is set to affect many people in the district; 15,000 people in Kirklees volunteer to organise sports and more than 75,000 people are members of sports clubs.

But only one in five people regularly take part in sports. The plan aims to raise that figure.

Partnership chairman Phil Longworth said: “The next few years will be an incredibly exciting time for sport with the build-up to 2012 and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

“It is vital that in Kirklees we make the most of these opportunities to make sure we have in place a planned framework for sport and active recreation.”

Clr Liz Smaje, the Kirklees Cabinet member for leisure, said all organisations had a part to play.

“Sport and active recreation is much bigger than just the council. We recognise the role of the huge range of local clubs.’’

To take part in the consultation phone Jodie Walker on 01484 234006.

This consultation will close on December 3, to be followed by further consultation in February.