A plan to axe Perth’s three biggest sports centres and merge some of their facilities on a single site has provoked anger in the community.
Perth and Kinross Council officials want to close the loss-making Bell’s Sports Centre, Perth Leisure Pool and Dewar’s Centre.
In their place, they are suggesting a shrunken version of the PH2O sports venue. It was mothballed last year due to spiralling costs.
But crucially, this single centre would NOT feature an ice rink, a leisure pool or an indoor bowling rink.
Councillors will meet next Monday to discuss the recommendation.
If they want a sense of what residents think, the Courier’s comment sections might make for uncomfortable reading.
Does Perth need sports centres or a new museum?
Readers have branded the suggestion “a kick in the teeth for low income families”.
And many have made comparisons with the money that’s been spent on the new Perth Museum.
It is due to open in the refurbished City Hall at Easter following a £27 million refurb.
However, one critic of the sports centres plan branded the attraction “a five minute wonder” that will not attract repeat visitors”.
Another reader, who now lives abroad but returns to Perth regularly, wrote: “I have found my visits to be successively depressive on every return.
“This latest news is a devastating hammer blow to the ‘city’, and… the new, soon to be opened, city hall museum, with a big centre piece lump of stone, is barely an attraction for repeated visits, let alone one.”
Impact on families cannot be overlooked
Elsewhere, readers questioned the impact on families if the sports centres close.
One commenter on The Courier website wrote: “This proposal will only serve to reduce the affordable public services available to working class families. Central government have to take a massive part of the blame for this with council funding cuts in recent years.”
A mum, on Facebook, said her teenager uses the Dewars Centre and the leisure pool regularly for entertainment and fitness.
“Ridiculous that we won’t have a leisure pool in a place the size of Perth,” she wrote.
“Not everyone has a car or can afford to travel so another kick in the teeth for low income families. ”
Another critic asked: “What kind of city are we meant to be? All these family houses being built in the surrounding areas… with soon NOTHING for them to do.”
And the impact on older residents should not be overlooked either, say readers.
One Facebook commenter said: “I am disappointed for the seniors that use the facility.
“It will be the highlight of some of these guys’ day and main source of exercise.”
Bell’s flood damage costs are a factor
The justifications for the closure of the Bell’s Sport’s Centre include the £2 million repair bill for flood damage that’s currently looming over the venue.
That happened when the North Inch floodgates were left open last October.
The centre and the leisure pool are also being considered for listed building status, which will limit their options for future use.
One reader wrote: “I knew as soon as Bell’s got flooded this would happen. Bell’s flood was not covered by insurance and would cost millions to repair the damage.
“So disappointing. If only the flood gates had been closed might not be in this position.”
Scottish Curling deeply regrets threat to Dewars Centre
The fate of the Dewars Centre ice rink has been in question for some time.
It was the home rink for Courier columnist Eve Muirhead and her 2022 Olympic women’s gold medal curling team.
Scottish Curling tweeted: “We deeply regret learning of Perth and Kinross Council’s plans to remove curling from Dewars Centre”.
In a statement, the organisation said: “Perth is an integral part of the curling community in Scotland, boasting more than 50 clubs and 700 curlers, and losing the rink at Dewars will have detrimental consequences to the sport.”
Scottish Curling chief executive Vincent Bryson said: “We obviously do not want to lose any venue and will be engaging with Perth and Kinross Council and Live Active Leisure throughout January. We must find an alternative to losing curling in Perth.”
Sports centres running at a loss, say officials
Bell’s Sports Centre, the Dewar’s Centre and Perth Leisure Pool are all managed by Live Active Leisure (LAL).
Perth and Kinross Council gives it an annual contract fee of almost £4m – £2.7m of which goes on the three venues.
The council asked consultants Glasgow Audit to consider the sports centres as part of a wider review of its arms length organisations, including Live Active Leisure.
They found all three buildings are running at a £1.6m annual loss.
All are more than 30 years-old. And they will need a minimum of £3.9m spent on repairs and maintenance in the next five years.
The closure recommendation is in a report by the council’s head of culture and community services Fiona Robertson.
It will be discussed by the full Perth and Kinross Council when it meets on Monday.
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