Latest news with #PerthLeisurePool
The Courier
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Courier
£74m Perth pool vote: Readers react to council's Thimblerow flumes plan
Perth's hotly-contested and long-delayed PH2O leisure centre might finally get off the ground next week. Councillors will be asked to vote on a £74 million plan, featuring leisure swimming, indoor flumes, soft play and a host of other features, on Wednesday. The plans for Thimblerow in the city centre have been contentious, sparking a series of protests. Campaigners argue the three-storey complex is in the wrong location and say residents would rather see existing venues – Bell's Sports Centre, the Dewars Centre and Perth Leisure Pool – upgraded. But council chiefs say it's an exciting opportunity to deliver for communities across Perth and Kinross. If approved, the existing Perth Leisure Pool will be demolished. This will allow the charity Capability Scotland to relocate its Upper Springland homes and services for people with complex and severe needs to Glover Street site. The new proposal also includes a £13.2m investment in the public swimming baths in Crieff and Kinross. And another £10m will be spent on turning Bell's Sports Centre into an unheated multi-use venue and removing RAAC and asbestos from the building. A big decision awaits councillors on Wednesday then. But if they're wondering where public opinion lies, The Courier's comment sections might be a good place to start. Reader Ricardo was one of the first to pitch in on our website. 'This sounds absolutely fantastic,' he wrote under the story revealing the plans. 'We're very lucky to be able to have this level of investment in the area. Can't wait for it to open.' There was plenty of positivity among the 130-plus comments on The Courier's Facebook post too. Vicky Randall wrote: 'Finally! Lobbying might have been worth it after all.' Kyle Marmion posted: 'If it can be done correctly, then I am all for it.' Sarah Leckie welcomed the opportunity for Capability Scotland to move to Glover Street if the existing Perth Leisure Pool is demolished. She wrote: 'This is going to be so beneficial for the residents of Upper Springlands, bringing them closer to the community and encouraging more independence. 'I for one am very excited for the people we support.' And Donna Harvey said: 'This looks amazing. Let's hope they stick to their plans as we all know Thimblerow was to be modernised a long time ago but nothing happened.' Some voiced concerns about the Thimblerow site, however. Claire Dack wrote: 'Oh now this definitely gets my backing, but preferably on the site it is already on. 'That area with the Morrisons roundabout and those pedestrian lights that stay at green for way too long is just a recipe for chaos.' Eilidh Unwin posted: 'This would be ideal! Although even better if it was in its original location.' Donna Davidson said: 'Good news, however, the location is ridiculous. Traffic is horrendous around that area at the moment, will be awful if the pool is built there… Why not build the housing at Thimblerow?' And Liz Smith wrote: 'Now they just need to leave it in Glover Street and allow all the cars to keep parking in Thimblerow.' Others expressed reservations about the mix of facilities in the PH2O plan. Yvonne Bloice posted: 'The eight-lane pool is a big improvement on the existing five, however is their space for spectators?' And Matthew Smith pointed out the absence of an ice rink in the mix. 'Perth based ice hockey players need to commute to Dundee, Kirkcaldy and Stirling to play,' he wrote. 'And Perth still doesn't have the facilities to potentially host an SNL team in an increasingly popular sport. Disappointing.' Commenters on The Courier website also queried the future for indoor bowling after bowlers were kicked out of the Dewars Centre to make way for the gym from the flood-damaged Bell's Sports Centre. User Violet wrote: 'No mention of reinstating indoor bowling, so (they) are still depriving some residents of the activity and socialisation they have enjoyed for years.' She suggests it would be 'much cheaper to reinstate Bell's as it was and pay for years of upkeep than the millions needed for a venue PKC area residents don't want'. Violet is one of a number of readers questioning the funding for PH2O. That Other Fellow commented: 'So P&K councillors have suddenly, with cap in hand, and high contrition, managed to 'find' a few extra millions. 'All good, well, and above all some degree of sense……but erm, where will those estimated 440'000 per year visitors park over and above the high use St Catherine's Rd retail and Kinnoull St car parks? Hmmm…' And Facebook follower Claire Bear had a word of advice for Perth and Kinross councillors ahead of Wednesday's full council meeting. With an eye to the east, and the problems that have plagued Dundee's showpiece leisure pool, she wrote: 'Hopefully they won't use anyone that had anything to do with the construction of the Olympia.' Perth and Kinross Council will consider the PH2O leisure centre plan on Wednesday June 18 from 10am. Anyone wanting to watch it online can do so here.
Daily Record
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Perth's new sports centre PH2O "at least five years away"
The head of Live Active Leisure understands Perth's new swimming pool and leisure centre will not be ready within the next five years. Chief executive Paul Cromwell told councillors this week - as far as he was aware - the long-awaited PH2O was "at least five years away". The revelation was made at a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council's Scrutiny and Performance Committee on Wednesday, April 23. The Live Active Leisure boss was providing an update to councillors, alongside the council's two other arm's length external organisations - Culture Perth and Kinross and Perth Theatre and Concert Hall. Cllr Willie Robertson asked Mr Cromwell if the gym facilities - which were moved from Bell's Sports Centre to Dewars Centre last year - were permanent or if they would be reusable at PH2O. Mr Cromwell said: "I suppose to a certain degree, there is the potential still of a blank canvas in that it could be converted into something else with suitable investment. "Obviously, we have made changing rooms which will be a permanent fixture going forward. "I'm not going to labour on PH2O but it is still at least five years away, to my knowledge. "So, in terms of the investment, it's been significant in the facilities and I think that's reflected in the quality of what we're providing and the success of it in the short time it's been open. "You've got a space there which could be converted quite easily. In terms of equipment, we can obviously pick that equipment up and move that to somewhere else so that investment is still there as well." Live Active Leisure opened the gym and fitness studios at Dewars Centre in September 2024. The decision to relocate the facilities from Bell's Sports Centre to Dewars Centre was taken after Bell's Sports Centre suffered around £2 million of flood damage on October 8, 2023 when floodgates on the North Inch were left open. The 100+ state-of-the-art gym at Bell's had only just opened 15 months prior to the flooding, after a £750,000 revamp. Plans for Perth's replacement swimming and leisure centre PH2O were first floated 10 years ago but the project has been repeatedly shelved by Perth and Kinross Council since then. In September 2024 councillors voted to approve a watered down £61 million PH2O proposal be built at Thimblerow. It would replace Perth Leisure Pool and the now closed Bell's Sports Centre. Perth Leisure Pool would be demolished and affordable housing built on its Glover Street site, upon completion of PH2O. Dewars Centre would remain in situ. Councillors voted to engage with the curling community on the possibility of curling bodies running Dewars Centre for a next-to-nothing rent. The proposal approved last September would see PH2O feature an eight-lane 25m pool, 12.5m x 8.5m teaching pool (both with movable floors), a toddler splash pad area, an indoor play area (potential Clip n' Climb or other family play activity), games hall, gym, studios and café. As opposed to a purpose-built leisure pool, it would have "family-friendly" swimming of programmed weekend/holiday inflatable sessions. However the "watered down" £61 million energy-efficient proposal has been strongly criticised. There has also been strong opposition to Perth's new sports centre being built on the site of a busy city centre car park. A Say No to Thimblerow petition - which currently has around 2500 signatures - has called for the new complex to include: a purpose-built leisure pool with flumes, kids' splash park, a 25m six/eight-lane training pool, ice rink, large commercial gym, fitness studios, sports halls and a large bowling hall/events hall. When setting the council's budget - in February 2025 - councillors voted to retain £90 million in the PH2O budget to allow financial flexibility to potentially splash out on additional facilities. On June 18, councillors will meet to consider Perth's future leisure options. Council officers will present a report to elected members outlining feedback from the Bell's Sports Centre consultation and proposals for its future, leisure water options for PH2O and an update on the feasibility of a community-led ice sports facility at Dewars Centre.
