The majority of Dundonians say they oppose cost-cutting proposals which could see the city’s school pools shut and bin collections reduced.
Last year council officers unveiled a series of potential money saving measures aimed at plugging a muti-million budget shortfall facing the local authority.
Among the options put forward was closing the pools at Baldragon, Grove and Harris academies and St John’s RC High School and St Paul’s RC High School.
If approved, the closures would save Dundee City Council around £100,000 per pool each year.
Plans to reduce grey bin collections to once every three weeks and food waste collections to once every two weeks are also on the table.
Cutting burgundy bin collections to once a month may also happen.
The Courier detailed the full list of proposed cuts in November.
Dundee public have their say
A four-week public consultation was launched in November which sought feedback on the proposals and it attracted more than 3,500 responses.
One of the questions asked the public how many pools, if any, would they support the closure of.
The majority – 68% – of those who answered this question said they did not want to see any pools shut.
Just 4% of respondents said they would back all five pools being shuttered.
A report on the consultation details that many respondents indicated they felt the importance of swimming as a life-saving skill that should be taught to all children.
Concerns were also raised over the potential impact closures could have on low-income families who might not be able to afford private lessons.
Among the alternative suggestions put forward by the public included combining use
of facilities, promoting their use, and exploring alternate funding options to keep them open.
Bin collection cuts also unpopular
The consultation also asked for feedback on proposals to reduce the regularity of bin collections across Dundee.
Council officers say this could save the city £134,000 in 2025/26 and a further £268,000 the following year.
Councillors previously agreed to reduce residual waste collections to once every three weeks in 2020 but this was not implemented due to the Covid pandemic.
However, the majority of those who took part in the budget consultation said they would be severely impacted if bin collections were less frequent.
The report outlined that “significant concerns” were raised about health and safety risks associated with less waste collections, including the potential for increased disease and vermin infestations.
The potential for overflowing bins and increased fly tipping was also highlighted.
And some who responded called for reductions in council tax if bin collections proposals are approved.
What about the other proposals?
Council officers are also looking at reducing the funding it provides to some cultural organisations in the city including the DCA and Dundee Rep.
But many respondents said such a move would negatively impact community services and “strong concerns were shared that funding cuts could harm Dundee’s economy and tourism”.
Dundee City Council may also remove its budget that supports city centre Christmas events and the Dundee Food Festival.
But some respondents expressed “dissatisfaction” with the quality of current events, describing them as poor, underwhelming, or overpriced for low-income families.
Others said spending needed to be prioritised across other areas.
The 2025/26 Dundee City Council budget will be set on February 27.
Conversation