Bell's Sport Centre flood damage repairs could reach £2m

The ground floor of Bell's Sports Centre was badly damaged in October's flooding

The cost of repairing a flood damage at a Perth leisure centre could reach £2m, a council committee has heard.

Bell's Sports Centre was one of 34 properties around the North Inch park which flooded during the weekend of 7 and 8 October.

Four flood gates beside the parkland remained open for a period of time during the heavy rain.

Perth and Kinross Council has admitted a delay in closing the flood gates may have led to properties being damaged.

A report on the council's response to the flooding was presented to councillors during a meeting on Wednesday.

They also heard from residents whose homes had been hit by the floods.

Cllr Bob Brawn told the committee that the cost of fully reopening the sports centre could reach £2m

Bob Brawn, a director of operator Live Active Leisure, said Bell's Sports Centre has comprehensive insurance.

But a specialist flooding policy does not apply as the cost of the premium was equal to the potential pay-out in the event of a claim.

The councillor said the main arena and squash courts, as well as gym equipment and circuitry were all damaged in the flooding.

Mr Brawn added: "It's quite apparent that to reinstate Bell's completely will cost in excess of £1.5m, and I would suggest that's likely to be closer to £2m."

It is not yet clear how those costs will be covered.

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The council said previously its flood gate closure triggers were based on tide levels and water flow levels from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and not weather warnings from the Met Office.

Mr Brawn said: "Surely it seems obvious that what residents and businesses want to hear is, in future upon issue of an amber warning, floodgates will be closed immediately as a precautionary measure."

Barossa Place resident Annabel Windsor told the meeting that she struggled to return to her property after it was flooded.

Ms Windsor said: "We now no longer have our homes, our safe places.

"We've lost virtually all our belongings and have been left exhausted, stressed and emotionally drained by the event.

"Following the decision the gates could not be closed, the council did not consider or manage the risk factor that was presented to the residents in the surrounding area."

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A Commercial Street resident said in a written deputation that she has been living in a Travelodge since her home was flooded.

She said she had lost the only video of her late brother in the flood.

She said: "That's all been very difficult to come to terms with all because someone made that decision not to shut the gates early enough and not to pump water away from homes.

"That's the consequences of the processes not being followed."

Sepa said previously that it began warning public partners, including Perth and Kinross Council, of potential flooding on 4 October.

It added that on 6 October, a flood alert covering the region was issued - a Met Office amber weather warning for heavy rain was already in place - and a major incident was declared by Police Scotland.

It said that on 7 October these messages were updated and repeated, then on the following day a warning for the specific area was issued hours before the flooding happened.