Perth pool and leisure centre could close due to soaring costs
- Published
Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre's annual utility costs are about £500,000.
Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre could close this year, with soaring energy costs a major factor.
A councillor revealed its operators proposed "significant cuts" including the closure of the leisure centre from July and the pool from September.
It is understood the proposal was made during a briefing to councillors prior to last week's budget meeting.
Live Active Leisure's chairman David Maclehose confirmed it was "having to consider difficult choices."
Conservative group leader John Duff revealed the pressures facing Live Active Leisure at the meeting.
Tabling his group's revenue budget amendment, Cllr John Duff said: "Live Active Leisure propose a number of significant cuts to services including closure of Perth Leisure Pool from 1 September this year and the Dewars Centre from 1 July.
"We recognise that these facilities are expensive to operate and have proposed funding of £350,000 and £360,000 respectively in order to keep both facilities fully open during 2023/24."
The Conservative amendment was rejected but the approved SNP budget did commit £150,000 for a council-wide review of leisure and cultural assets in Perth and Kinross.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Duff said he understood the proposal was to close both facilities until the new PH20 building - the now shelved project to replace Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre - was built.
'Difficult choices'
The authority's two Labour councillors tabled the only capital budget amendment not to pause PH20, but this was rejected by 38 votes to two.
Back in October 2021 councillors were told the annual utility costs for Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre were approximately £500,000.
Mr Maclehose said Live Active Leisure's board of directors would meet on 16 March to decide the way forward.
He said: "In response to these challenges, and to ensure that we can operate on a sustainable basis, the company is having to consider difficult choices from a wide range of savings proposals."
Story by local democracy reporter Kathryn Anderson.