The future for these facilities was a key topic at the district councils’ meetings last week.
Both councils said they are “committed to creating healthy and inclusive communities” and aiming to boost wellbeing by increasing opportunities for physical activity.
They want to provide “high-quality, accessible, and affordable” facilities near where people live and work.
The councils have produced leisure facilities assessments and strategies and playing pitch strategies, which outline the current and future provision of facilities across the two districts.
These reports highlight the need to protect and enhance existing facilities, as well as the need for new facilities, including tennis courts, gym facilities, swimming pools, and pitches for football, rugby union, cricket, and hockey.
External experts were appointed to help to identify what was already available, what needed improvement, and where new facilities could be introduced.
Both councils then ran consultations earlier this year, asking sports clubs, leisure users, sports enthusiasts, residents, and town and parish councils to give their feedback on the provision of sports and leisure facilities.
The strategies were unanimously approved by both councils at cabinet meetings in November.
The next steps will involve creating action plans linked to the strategies and working in partnership with sports clubs, town and parish councils, national governing bodies, leisure providers, and other organisations to allocate funding and support projects going forward.
Councillor Anne-Marie Simpson, cabinet member for planning at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We are dedicated to enabling communities where residents can live healthy lives.
“Planning for and delivering high quality, affordable, and sustainable leisure and sports facilities for the wellbeing of our residents remains top of our agenda.”
Councillor Andy Foulsham, cabinet member for corporate services, policy, and programmes at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Access to leisure and sports facilities is so important to the wellbeing of our communities.
The councils received 126 responses in South Oxfordshire and 147 in the Vale of White Horse to their consultations.
Feedback led to changes in the strategies, including recommendations for new skate parks in Chinnor and Wallingford, and the modernisation of the swimming pool at Wantage Leisure Centre.
Both councils have also put an additional emphasis on the needs of people with disabilities and safety issues, particularly for women and girls, to be addressed through good design and improvements.