If council bosses wanted to prompt debate when they unveiled an entirely new site for Perth’s long-awaited PH2O sports centre, they succeeded.
As The Courier exclusively revealed on Wednesday, Perth and Kinross Council is now proposing to axe the Thimblerow car park in the city centre and build the £61 million leisure venue there.
Its PH2O plans include an eight-lane 25m swimming pool, with separate teaching pool, plus indoor play area, games hall, gym and three studios.
But the centre would have no leisure pool and no ice rink.
And if councillors approve the scheme, officials want to demolish the existing Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars ice rink and build 250 affordable homes in their place.
Perth’s sports centre shake-up doesn’t stop there.
Councillors will also be asked to agree a plan to re-open the flood-damaged Bell’s Sports Centre as an unheated arena with pitches and courts for a variety of activities.
You can read all about the Thimblerow proposal – and where it fits in a wider package of measures to revitalise the city centre – here.
But what do the public think?
Here’s a selection of comments from Courier readers.
Thimblerow ‘a real alternative’ for Perth sports centre
One poster, by the name of Turpin hails the suggestion as “a common sense approach at last”.
“Rebuild the pool and ice rink at Thimblerow is a real alternative for Perth but it must encompass the same facilities that it is looking to replace,” they write.
“Keeping Bell’s open is also the best approach for the local community and that of the whole of Scotland.”
Another, Ian, applauds attempts to bring more people into Perth city centre.
“American small towns and cities have a lot of people living in the centre so this helps businesses thrive,” he says.
“So good news on getting more homes down there but there will always be the parking issue with Perth no doubt.”
Others are less positive.
Could flood risk and parking issues throw spanner in works?
Commenting on The Courier website, David questions the council’s haste, particularly in light of a second report published this week.
It recommends a package of options for Perth, including the part-demolition of the St John’s shopping centre.
“I don’t think councillors should be pushed to decide on the council vision without looking at the whole picture,” writes David.
“Apart from anything else, parking has not been addressed… are we seeing no parking at Thimblerow? How is that going to work? It all looks like a rush job.”
Mike G says: “They would build a new pool at Thimblerow, one of the busiest car parks in the city as it is near the centre, but no leisure pool nor curling rink.
“Are the council trying to turn us into a faceless, finless city? Can’t they see the number of businesses closing down?”
And Violet questions the wisdom of building houses at the Perth Leisure Pool/Dewars site.
“The leisure pool was closed for months after flooding due to the thunderstorm in August 2020,” she writes.
“The drainage system in that area does not cope at present…150 houses being added to the sewer network would cause even more flooding issues.”
Perth Leisure Pool ‘a godsend’
The comments on Facebook offer more food for thought for the council.
Megan Mailer writes: “Not having a leisure pool in Perth would be truly tragic. There are so few things for families with young children to do locally as it is.”
Jon Kidd posts: “I’m not convinced that losing a large car park while aiming to make the city centre busier, with a facility that doesn’t sound like it will have what the public wants, is a good idea.”
And Connor McKinnie says the absence of a leisure pool makes the plan “a complete non-starter”.
“Even if the plans at Thimblerow are changed to include a pool it will never be a patch on the pool we currently have,” he says.
“The land footprint isn’t big enough. In short – It’s a terrible idea.”
Grant Kaye says the council appear to be “jumping from one proposal to another without much thought being applied”.
And Louise Emmett writes: “How is this even a plan? Losing the leisure pool and car park and ice rink. I’m sorry but why bother at all.”
Janice Mylan sounds a note of compromise however, writing: “The current leisure pool is a godsend for so many and well used (as a regular user I am well aware of its popularity).
“PKC really must agree on a new leisure water facility,” she adds
“Let’s hope they do agree to this at Thimblerow.”
Perth sports centre decision due next week
The Courier has been campaigning for the council to build an ambitious new centre that caters for all sports, including leisure swimming and curling.
Our independent survey found leisure swimming was by far the most popular activity among the 800 people who responded.
The Courier will be there when the full council meets to discuss the plans on Wednesday.
Council leader Grant Laing has said he’ll table an amendment. That could see leisure water added to the Thimblerow site and Dewars handed to local curlers to run themselves.
But Perth and Kinross provost Xander McDade and Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey have already said the plans lack ambition, and they won’t support them.
Conversation