Forfar councillors remain at loggerheads in the “pitiful saga” of Forfar’s disused Lochside leisure centre.
After Scotland’s most senior judge ruled against the council in the latest stage of a costly court fight around the future of the 45-year-old building, Angus economic development spokesman Braden Davy demanded a quick public consultation he believes will fall firmly in favour of retaining the centre for community use.
Opposition SNP rival Lynne Devine has said it would be wrong to “jump to conclusions” on the centre’s fate.
The local authority said it is considering the Court of Session ruling in favour of town businessmen Mark Guild and Donald Stewart. They challenged the decision to demolish the Forfar Loch centre which has been closed since early 2017 wen it was replaced with the £39 million town community campus.
Lord President Lord Carloway and colleague Lord Menzies ruled in favour of the businessmen following a remote Court of Session hearing in May.
Lord Menzies concluded the authority did not follow the terms of a section of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 which requires councils to consult with the public about plans to dispose of common good properties.
The third judge on the appeal panel, Lord Malcolm, agreed with a February ruling by Lady Carmichael that the authority’s 2019 handling of the decision to demolish the building was not unreasonable.
The question of legal expenses is yet to be determined but could see the council having to pick up the businessmens’ six-figure court bill in addition to their own costs.
“This has been an absolute waste of time and effort,” said Conservative councillor Mr Davy.
“The initial proposals to spend £500,000 to demolish this centre to create the most expensive bit of grass in Angus were wrong.
“People in Forfar know this has been an absolute shambles from start to finish. When we were deciding this, I conducted an online survey and 92% of 2,600 people supported selling Lochside.
“It’s time to consult the Forfar public, and give this building to someone who can create a fantastic community asset for us all to enjoy.”
Ms Devine said: “This is a very complex issue. Any criticism of the council’s actions need to recognise that very fine points of law were being adjudicated on.
“The case revolved around the right of the council to dispose of or change the use of common good assets and the need to consult with the public or seek court approval for any disposal.
“A lot of people in Forfar feel very strongly that the building should be retained. Any community-led business case would need to be achievable and sustainable.
“Council officers and elected members will read the full judgment to work out the best way forward. We would agree with that and not jump to any conclusions in the meantime.”
