How Dundee Olympia missed out on swimming pool cash despite chief exec’s plea

SNP finance chief Shona Robison was asked for access to a share of £6 million made available as a result of a UK cash injection for leisure centres.

By Alasdair Clark

August 8 2024, 6:00am

The Olympia leisure centre in Dundee. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

Cash-strapped councils including Dundee missed out on specific funds to invest in leisure centres, despite cash being allocated to pools in England.

Emails released through Freedom of Information laws show councils were told a cash-injection made at a UK level would not be passed on in Scotland as protected funds.

The UK Government had announced a one-off £63 million fund last spring to help struggling leisure centres facing closure in England.

The Scottish Government would have received around £6 million extra to spend as a direct result of the additional public spending there.

Pools like the Olympia in Dundee and leisure centres in Perth are all in need of cash.

Perth and Kinross Council floated plans in January to close the Fair City’s three biggest sports centres in a controversial merger.

Gregory Colgan, Chief Executive of Dundee City Council

SNP-run Dundee City Council – responsible for the scandal-hit Olympia leisure centre – is among the local authorities in Scotland who wrote to Holyrood finance chief Shona Robison, the MSP for Dundee City East, asking whether they can get a share of any money.

But Ms Robison told those seeking the extra cash – including Dundee chief executive Gregor Colgan – that the money would not be ringfenced for leisure centres.

SNP finance chief Shona Robison. Image: PA

Instead, the finance secretary, who was then the deputy first minister, said the extra cash had been rolled into her overall budget, pointing out Dundee City Council’s budget had increased by 5.6% on the previous year.

Responding to Mr Colgan, Ms Robison stated all extra cash had been allocated and the local government settlement increased by £254 million overall.

Shona Robison told council bosses the money would not be ringfenced. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson

“We are fully aware of the challenging financial circumstances facing local authorities in the maintenance and operation of sports and leisure clubs,” she added.

“However as independent corporate bodies it is for local authorities to manage their own leisure facilities, on the basis of local needs and priorities.”

Missing cash a ‘bad look’ for Dundee SNP

The documents do not reveal whether Mr Colgan responded.

Scottish Conservative North East MSP Maurice Golden said the decision not to protect the extra cash was a “bad look” for the SNP in Dundee.

He said: “Mr Colgan has absolutely done the right thing to ask where this £6m had gone, and if the city was in line to get a fair share.

“It could have made a huge difference to the fabric of the city’s pools, and shored up a Leisure and Culture Dundee that has not had its troubles to seek.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We place great importance on swimming pools which are crucial to wellbeing and, most importantly, for our children and young people to be healthy and active.

“It is for local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on leisure facilities, on the basis of local needs and priorities.”