A new Perth leisure centre will be built at Thimblerow car park in the city centre following a vote by councillors.
The green-lit project will include an eight-lane swimming pool with council officers asked to explore the options for additional leisure water measures within the facility.
Any leisure water would be included within the footprint of the eight lane pool.
The new facility won’t feature an ice provision with council preferring to work at establishing a future for the curling community at Dewars Centre.
This was not the preference of curling representative David Hay who attended Wednesday’s meeting.
The former World Champion and chairman of Perth Curling Club 1988 said he had seen nothing in writing and only became aware of the detail of the report a week ago.
The decision came against a backdrop of “stark” warnings about the local authority’s finances.
Voting 20 for and 18 against, councillors rejected an amendment to build a full PH20 facility with ice and dedicated leisure water at Glover Street.
‘Head over heart’
Council Leader Grant Laing said he was voting with his “head over heart” as he put forward his plans for PH2O.
The long-awaited facility has been mooted for over a decade, with Councillor Laing saying he was eager to finally make a decision on the project.
The Council Leader said he would ensure council officers worked with the curling community to make a success of Dewars.
He said: “I want to see a successful Dewars rink.
“That building, with a little bit of imagination, can draw people in.”
The vote was cast as serious questions hung over the future of Perth and Kinross Council’s finances.
Chief Executive Thomas Glen started the day with warnings of potential £11m worth of cuts coming over the next few years – including cuts to services and potentially jobs.
Finance lead Scott Walker said the council’s budget could “fall off the edge of a cliff” in the next 30 years.
Sobering statistics of 6,000 children living in poverty within the area were given as one of the reasons the project had to be scaled back.
A lack of detail in reports
However, the financial fears by officials was given short shrift by some councillors who pointed to the fact a proposal to buy Pullar House for £10m had been passed that morning.
The local authority’s own figures showed that building an ice-rink as part of PH2O would only have cost an additional £13m with the extra running costs negligible.
The current expected build of the Thimblerow complex is £61million, with £90million set aside in the capital budget.
Concerns were also raised about the failure of officers to conduct a comprehensive parking survey of Perth city centre – with the latest carried out in 2017.
Councillor Colin Stewart raised further issues, stating that there had been no public consultation, no health impact assessment for the loss of sports, no equalities assessment and no economic impact assessment.
He said: “I’m being asked to make a decision with a vacuum of knowledge in a lot of key areas.”
There was also no costing for an additional leisure pool.
The rejected option at Glover Street
Labour Councillor Alasdair Bailey had tabled an amendment to the Thimblerow plan, seconded by Conservative councillor John Duff.
They put forward an option of a full PH2O at Glover Street with ice and leisure water facilities.
Against accusations that the proposal was uncosted, they determined it could be built for the original £90 million set aside in the budget.
Speaking after the meeting, Provost Xander McDade, who supported the Glover Street plan told The Courier: “It is disappointing that SNP and Lib Dem Councillors have chosen to vote down a full PH2O facility including a new dedicated leisure pool and ice facility at Glover Street.
“The Thimblerow option that has been approved with an eight lane pool will satisfy no one as leisure users battle for access with swimming clubs and swimming lessons.
“If money was councillors main driver then they could’ve picked the low cost option would’ve been to just refurbish the much loved existing Perth Leisure Pool where it could’ve mutually benefitted from a heat exchanger with Dewars Centre saving money and energy.”
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