It’s been a local eyesore for generations, but the future of a derelict sports pavilion in Dunblane remains unclear.
Located in Laighhills Park, just over the Faery Bridge, Stirling Council records say Laighhills pavilion dates back to the early 1900s, somewhere between 1905 and 1911.
Once a changing room, the building has not been used for many years and is showing serious signs of neglect.
Dog-walkers and joggers pass it every day, and residents want to see the building rejuvenated in some way, whether as a sports facility or a cafe.
Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillor Alasdair Tollemache said: “Since I was elected as a councillor in 2017, the issue of the state of the Laighhills Park pavilion has been around.
“It is essential that this is now resolved, it is an eyesore, serving no purpose.
“The site has a potential to be developed into a cafe or something similar with toilet facilities.
“This needs to be sorted for the benefit of the community.”
Why won’t Stirling Council fix or demolish the Laighhills pavilion?
Councillor Tollemache raised the issue of the pavilion’s future at a Stirling Council meeting on May 2 this year.
He requested that the council confirm whether the building was owned by Stirling Council or considered a common good asset.
“Which budget would any possible demolition come from?” The Green councillor asked.
“There is interest in developing the site to offer services to the community.”
At the time, the council did not answer Councillor Tollemache’s question directly, responding with: “Officers in the infrastructure team are aware of the condition and lack of use of the Laighhills pavilion.
“Options which are available to the council to appropriately manage this asset are being considered by officers and will thereafter be presented to councillors.”
However, when asked by The Courier this week, a Stirling Council spokesperson said: “The pavilion at Laighhills Park is currently considered a common good asset and, as a result, any further plans would need to be approved by the Civic Panel.
“A paper will be presented to the Civic Panel in due course with options on the future of the pavilion.”
What is a common good asset?
For a building, landmark or place to be classed as a “common good asset“, Stirling Council says it must have been acquired by the historical equivalent of the local authority on or before May 15 1975.
Common good assets must also “have been used by the general public for a long time” and “be dedicated for a specific public purpose”.
Once common good status has been decided, there are specific rules around how the asset can be used or sold.
In 2021, Stirling Council shared a list of possible common good assets, including the Laighhills pavilion, with the public and asked them to give feedback.
In November 2022, the council published responses to its consultation online.
This web page was last updated in May 2023, though no definitive list of common good assets has been published.
However, Stirling Council’s recent confirmation that the Laighhills pavilion is considered common good property suggests decisions have since been made regarding Dunblane’s common good assets.
What happens next?
Stirling Council’s next Civic Panel meeting is scheduled to take place on November 12.
At the time of writing, the agenda for the meeting has not yet been published, so it is unclear if the pavilion will be discussed.
Ultimately, a decision will need to be made over whether to renovate the existing pavilion or demolish it.
Calum Thomson, secretary of Dunblane Community Council, said: “It’s a pity progress isn’t being made one way or another.”
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