Nearly £640k was spent on improvement works to Bell’s Sports Centre in the two years leading up to its closure.
The disaster-hit facility has been shut since it was submerged in water 12 months ago after flood gates were left open at the North Inch during storms.
The building was then closed down by Perth and Kinross councillors in August following a decision taken in May at the request of Live Active Leisure (LAL).
Through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, The Courier can reveal that LAL wasted hundreds-of-thousands-of-pounds on upgrades to the complex in the months leading up to its closure.
In some cases, money was still being paid after October’s flooding.
Over £235k on lights and lifts
In February 2023, around six months before the centre was flooded, LAL began work on a new lift at Bell’s which would go on to cost the organisation a total of £118,818.
Ironically, a £4,200 payment was made for a “lift flood barrier” on April 22 2024, months after the centre was wiped out.
LAL also forked out £118,046 to install new arena lights at the facility, with payments on those beginning in April 2023, only a few months before it shut.
The final payment for the work was sent on August 16 2024, nearly a year after the centre was last in use for sports.
In total, LAL continued to spend £32,838 on the instillation of the lights and the lift since the facility shut to the public last October.
More than £1.1m spent on moving gyms
The largest outlay from Live Active Leisure was the costs for a new gym at Bell’s after the organisation decided to move out of Rodney Pavilion in the summer of 2022.
LAL spent £238,458 from July 2022 to January 2023 setting up the new gym, the main expense being equipment.
The organisation also spent an additional £14,282 on branding for the new facility.
Following the October flood, LAL decided to move their gym provision to Dewars Centre.
The controversial decision, taken without any consultation, confirmed the end of indoor bowling in Perth and drew criticism from Age Scotland.
The costs associated with moving the provision from Bell’s to Dewars was estimated at around £900k by LAL – who run Perth and Kinross Council’s leisure output.
In total, the organisation will have spent over £1.1m in two years on relocating their gym since the decision to vacate Rodney Pavilion.
Rodney Pavilion has now reopened as a privately-owned gym.
What Live Active Leisure say
A spokesperson for Live Active Leisure said: “I can confirm that the expenses made from December 12 2023 to May 6 2024 were for repairs and refurbishment relating to the reinstatement of the lift to service the building that has remained open and continues to be open post flood.
“The payment made on the August 16 2024 was for the retention fee relating to lighting installation in the main arena carried out in 2023.
“I would add that where appropriate equipment installed under this refurbishment has been recycled and used in the new gym at Dewars Centre.”
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