Kirkton Community Centre will be closed by the end of 2024 as councillors approved proposals for a community hub model aimed at improving facilities.
The Dundee community centre – which has served the Kirkton area for around 50 years – will be phased out from November and it set to close by the end of next year.
In the centres place, both St Pauls Academy and Baldragon Academy will be opened to the public for use as community facilities.
This, Dundee City Council says, will increase the hours of operation for library services, sports and meeting rooms and allow public use of two swimming pools rather than just one.
Councillors on the local authority’s city governance committee approved the proposals at a meeting on Monday.
An amendment forwarded by council leader John Alexander pushed the date back to the end of next year to allow more time for the centre’s management to adjust to the changes.
Mr Alexander said: “I’ve been in regular dialogue with the Kirkton Local Management Group – and from those discussions there was two specific areas they wanted us to consider.
“The first was to make clear that the council would proactively and positively work with them on options for the centre and land – including supporting access to external funding.
“The second ask was for more time to work through their aspirations and the practicalities of what is proposed. I was happy to push back the timeline to the end of 2024 – start of 2025 – to allow for that work to continue.
“This isn’t about rushing the hub model but rather, making sure that we get it right.”
Concerns over safety
However, some councillors still have reservations over safety measures of the hub proposal.
Strathmartine Councillor Daniel Coleman believes that some of the activities and services provided at the Kirkton Community Centre won’t be suitable for a school setting.
Mr Coleman said: “I’m not opposed to the hub in principle, I think the hub has got obvious benefits to it and that was the view of all members last night (Monday’s city governance committee).
“But I’m pretty disappointed that the administration decided to close the community centre – for me there are clear benefits of having the hub and the community centre co-existing.
“And for me some activities that happen at the community centre don’t really fit into the hub model, I think that most do but some don’t and I think there is going to be some problems in the future.”
Mr Coleman added: “For me I think it’s potentially dangerous having a whole host of people who are not PVG cleared to be in a school setting through the day.
“Now I accept the point that there has been no cases reported of impropriety in any another local authority but it only takes it for it to happen the once.”
Liberal Democrat councillors put forward a motion to defer the decision, however this was voted down.
However Mr Alexander responded saying: “This is not a new model, it’s not unique to Dundee it has been operating for years in Tayside very successfully without incident and with security in mind.
“I am absolutely clear that moving forward with this model it needs to be done with safety and security in mind for all of the public including those who are in the school environment.”
Conversation