Council bosses say they can save more than £40 million by building Perth’s contested new leisure centre at Thimblerow.
Officials have re-examined the figures in response to growing calls for a U-turn on the proposal.
And they say rising costs make the alternative even less affordable than when it was shelved two years ago.
More than 2,200 people have signed a petition urging the council to abandon the Thimblerow plan.
They want a new PH2O leisure centre to be built on the site of Perth Leisure Pool and the Dewars Centre at Glover Street instead.
That project was mothballed amid rising costs in 2023.
But there’s been a public backlash to the proposed replacement on the site of the Thimblerow car park.
Critics say the smaller, more limited venue would be a poor substitute for the facilities the city currently enjoys.
And they’re particularly angry about the loss of leisure swimming space.
Thimblerow leisure centre ‘most cost-effective’ solution for Perth
Councillors will consider the petition when the full council meets on Wednesday February 26.
They will also be presented with a briefing note from Stephen Crawford, the council’s strategic lead for property services.
It states that the estimated cost of the shelved PH2O proposal – which mirrors what campaigners are calling for – has risen to £105m.
The increase is due to a number of factors, including inflation and energy costs.
That’s £15m more than the £90m that was previously allocated for the project.
And it’s £44m more than the £61m budget for the slimmed-down Thimblerow plan, which was narrowly approved by councillors last September.
The report states: “The professional and technical advice from officers is that reinstating the original OBC (outline business case) would face the same overall project affordability challenge which led to council deciding to pause and review the project in 2023, and more so due to the increased estimated costs.
“The decision of council in September 2024 to site PH2O at Thimblerow as part of the Perth city integrated investment plan remains the most cost-effective solution; making the project affordable, optimising the use of our Perth city estate to deliver better value to our communities, and supporting opportunities to invest in the wider leisure estate in Perth and Kinross.”
Report underlines benefits of Thimblerow site
The report says officers are looking into options for adding leisure water at Thimblerow – a key point of contention for critics.
They are also in discussions with local curlers about a lease agreement which would allow them to take over the running of the ice rink and indoor bowling facilities at the Dewars Centre.
Mr Crawford reminds councillors the Thimblerow option will allow the existing leisure pool and ice rink to stay open throughout the two-year construction period.
It also has the potential to bring more people into the city centre, and free up land at Glover Street for affordable housing.
And the £29m left over in the £90m PH2O budget could pay for the refurbishment of Bell’s Sports Centre and investment in other sports facilities in the city.
Another row brewing over Bell’s Sports Centre plans
The Bell’s plans have also proved contentious.
Around two-thirds of respondents backed the council’s plans to turn it into an unheated multi-use sports pitches space.
However, another campaign is seeking to block that proposal.
More than 2,200 people have signed a newly-launched petition calling on the council to reinstate Bell’s as an indoor sports venue.
• The Courier has campaigned for an ambitious new leisure complex in Perth that caters for all sports, including leisure swimming and curling.
Respondents to our consultation named leisure swimming as the number one priority in any new centre.
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